Job Linkage was established in October 1996 to address high levels of unemployment in the Hendon and Houghton Areas of the City. We have developed the service over the years and it has now evolved into a comprehensive neighbourhood service with 13 local centres in some of the most disadvantaged wards of the city. Recognised as a unique public and voluntary sector partnership it is managed by Sunderland City Council’s Office of the Chief Executive and delivered with partners Sunderland North Community Business Centre who act as the voluntary sector consortium lead for other delivery partners including Thorney Close Action and Enterprise Centre, New View Enterprise Shop and Grindon Action Technology Enterprise Services.
As part of the Job Linkage network, Employer Link is our dedicated service offering recruitment and job brokering services and focuses our work with local employers.
On a regional basis we are part of the newly formed Tyne and Wear City Region Employment Consortium which is working strategically to address and respond to local priorities to address worklessness and improve the Region’s employment rate and skills levels.
We also work with a wide range of other private, public and voluntary organisations for the mutual benefit of our clients these include; Nexsteps, Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, Shaw Trust, City of Sunderland Adult Services, Connexions, Fiscus, Surestart, Children’s Information Service, Sunderland Carer’s Centre, North East Council for Addictions, North East Refugee Service, Northumbria Probation Service, Tyne and Wear Care Alliance, Nexus Travel and the Employer Coalition. This list is by no means exhaustive as on a local level all centres have networks of community and voluntary sector organisations with whom they work on a daily basis.
We are nationally accredited to The Matrix Quality Standard for the delivery of adult Information, Advice and Guidance Services (IAG). All of our staff are professional, experienced and either vocationally qualified (or working towards qualification) to work with adults. |
