Call for care workers across North Lanarkshire

Unemployed people across North Lanarkshire are being encouraged to consider a career in several expanding sectors.

North Lanarkshire’s Working, the North Lanarkshire Council-led employability partnership which has already helped more than 2,500 local people into work, is highlighting the availability of jobs in the health and social care, call centre, catering and hospitality and construction sectors.

A series of training courses have been developed and are being delivered by partner organisations of North Lanarkshire’s Working, including the local Further Education Colleges. They focus on the industries which will be recruiting and help unemployed people gain the skills they need to work in these areas.

Maureen McConachie, Head of Regeneration Services at North Lanarkshire Council, said: “It’s important for unemployed local people to know that there are job opportunities for them, and that North Lanarkshire’s Working can provide the support they need to get back into work.

“Despite the effect of the global economic downturn, local employers in a wide range of sectors are turning to North Lanarkshire’s Working for help in filling vacancies and ensuring that employees are properly trained before they start work.

“I’d advise local people to make contact with North Lanarkshire’s Working to find out more information about suitable positions.”

The health and social care sectors are the fastest-growing source of jobs across North Lanarkshire due to the increasing demand for services created by Scotland’s ageing population. Many care positions offer good opportunities for promotion through on-the-job-training and professional qualifications available from local colleges.

Motherwell-based care service provider Independent Living Services (ILS) is one of the care sector businesses which is in need of additional staff.

It works in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council to provide support to older people, adults with support needs, children and families and has provided full-time employment to six local people since April this year.

Martin Hunter, Service Manager at Independent Living Services, said: “The staff we’ve taken on through North Lanarkshire’s Working have been of a very high standard. Each of them has displayed a high level of ability and commitment, which has made them valuable additions to the team and ensured the consistently excellent quality of our customer service.

“We are looking to recruit up to 15 additional support workers in the coming months, and I’m confident that we will be able to fill all of our vacancies with top-notch candidates through North Lanarkshire’s Working.”

Local contact centres including BeCogent are regularly looking for permanent employees in part-time and full-time positions to help maintain their high quality of service, making the contact centre sector an attractive choice for local people.

North Lanarkshire Council’s customer contact centre, Northline, has recently filled over 20 vacancies with support from North Lanarkshire’s Working. The new staff started work at Northline after taking part in an eight-week programme to allow them to develop the skills they needed to succeed in their new roles.

Christine Watt, Duty Manager at Northline, said:  “Our new recruits worked well with our existing staff during their training period, and we were delighted when they were successful at competitive interview.

“The skills they learned and the confidence they gained during the process contributed significantly to the high standard of their work.”

North Lanarkshire businesses in the retail and hospitality sector are also regularly in need of workers to replace staff who have retired, changed occupations or moved out of the area.

Opportunities in the construction sector are likely to continue to increase in the next few years as the economy recovers, creating increased demand for new homes and commercial properties. Research has shown that the current construction workforce is ageing, creating a demand for younger apprentices.

For more information about job and training opportunities, contact North Lanarkshire’s Working on 0800 0730 226 or go to www.northlanarkshiresworking.co.uk