Social enterprise HCT Group to create over 120 new jobs

Over 120 new jobs are to be created in London and West Yorkshire between October 2009 and March 2011, due to a successful bid to the Future Jobs Fund by HCT Group, a national award winning social enterprise in the transport industry.

The jobs will be targeted at young people between 21 and 24 who have been on Jobseekers Allowance for 12 months and long term unemployed people of all ages in certain ‘unemployment hotspots’. Potential candidates will be referred to HCT Group by Jobcentre Plus.

Angela Eagle, Minister of State for Pensions and the Ageing Society, said:
"We are determined not to lose a generation of talent as has happened in the past because of the global recession. HCT Group is to be congratulated on their winning bid, which will see the creation of jobs and opportunities that benefit young people and local communities in London and Yorkshire.”

The jobs created by the Future Jobs Fund will be used to start up a brand new accessible car service. This service will help people with disabilities and older people to get out and about – helping them get to the doctor, do their shopping and access leisure and education facilities. The scheme will operate in the London boroughs of Hackney, Haringey, Lambeth and Southwark as well as Leeds in West Yorkshire.

As a social enterprise, HCT Group invests its own money in projects that will have lasting, positive impact on the community. So in addition to the funding of up to £819,000 from the Future Jobs Fund, HCT Group is investing £228,000 of its own money to buy the vehicles for the scheme, with the aim of making the jobs and the service sustainable in the long term.

HCT Group chief executive Dai Powell said: "It's brilliant that we've got the green light from the Future Jobs Fund. We think that these new jobs will make a real difference to people’s lives - not only for the people who will be employed, but also for the communities that will now receive our new accessible car service that the funded jobs make possible. That’s why we are investing our own money in the scheme as a social enterprise.”

The jobs will be driving jobs, so to be eligible for the scheme, candidates will need to be over 21, have held a car driving licence for a minimum of 2 years and able to obtain CRB (criminal records bureau) clearance as they will be working with vulnerable people.

People in jobs funded by the scheme will also have the opportunity to gain an NVQ Level 2 in Road Passenger Transport, helping them to start a career in the transport industry.