Manchester,
27
May
2016
|
13:49
Europe/London
Employment centre run by The University of Manchester wins major award
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The University of Manchester is celebrating after The Works, an employment centre in Moss Side set up by the university to help local people to find jobs at the university and further afield, won the Social Impact prize at the 2016 Guardian Sustainable Business Awards.
The Guardian’s prestigious awards are given to organisations that put sustainability at their heart by undertaking social and environmental projects that produce lasting impacts. They are acknowledged as one of the world’s most authoritative voices on sustainability, and the judges include Friends of the Earth, Climate Outreach, the Food Ethics Council, environmentalists and sustainability specialists.
The Works was established as a one-stop-shop to support local people to find jobs, develop their skills and access training courses and financial advice and services. It offer advices and guidance for those seeking work, as well as providing support to people looking to start their own business.
The centre has got more than 3,000 Greater Manchester residents back into work since it was established by the university in 2011, almost all of whom were previously unemployed. Most of the job opportunities are in non-academic areas such as catering, administration and construction. The Works also acts as a go-between for other local employers, many of which are small enterprises that lack the resources to identify potential recruits.
As part of its remit, The Works connects people out of work with appropriate training and work preparedness courses. As the centre is embedded within the university’s overall recruitment and human resources systems, its staff are able to flag upcoming job opportunities to potential recruits.
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“This achievement not only acknowledges the success of the Works, but also highlights the University’s commitment to employment and social responsibility across Manchester and the UK. We are the only University to have been shortlisted across all of the award categories for this accolade.”
Steve Grant, Assistant Director of HR
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“We were delighted to be shortlisted, but actually winning the award is a huge achievement for the University and for everyone at the Works. Working with our partners, particularly Manchester Growth Company, was critical to our success. Sustainability and social responsibility can be a very tough job and it’s fantastic to see the hard work recognised. This is a huge profile raiser, increasing awareness of the wider work of the University and our sustainability drive,” Steve added.
The University is not just celebrating success in this category – one of its former students, Rachel Bradley, also won the ‘Unsung Hero’ award for her work leading B&Q’s sustainability programme, ‘One Planet Home’. Under her leadership, the DIY retailer has moved to 100% responsibly sourced timber, and is working towards all products being peat-free.
“One Planet Home has been the umbrella for a range of exciting projects over the years,” said Rachel. “I’m not sure I can take credit for any of them, but I have been privileged to be involved with some amazing people who have found a way to include consideration of sustainability in their work and exceed everyone’s expectations.”