[devilincarnate]

This happened where I live?

29 November 2007
Closure of Remploy Barnsley confirmed

Remploy's factory at Barnsley will close following confirmation today of the company's modernisation plan by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.
A Remploy spokesperson said: "Over the last six months we carefully examined all the options for keeping the Barnsley factory open, but we reluctantly reached the conclusion that it should close. Barnsley is part of our Furniture business which currently operates from 11 UK locations and has very high costs. We will be concentrating manufacturing at four large sites, reducing the transport of part finished goods and streamlining planning, logistics and delivery.

"Our employees have lived with many months of uncertainty and we will be working closely with them as they decide on their options for the future. Every employee will have support from specialist staff to ensure that they are able to make the right choice."

Remploy and the Government have given a commitment that no disabled employee will be made compulsorily redundant and employees at Barnsley will be offered the option of transferring to Remploy's Sheffield factory.

Further options will include voluntary redundancy, early retirement with a lump sum payment, or transfer to a job with another local employer on their current Remploy terms and conditions including membership of the final salary pension scheme. Individual consultation with employees will begin on 7 January 2008.

There are 41 people employed at Barnsley. Jobcentre Plus figures show that 580 disabled people found employment locally in the first six months of the last financial year.

A new recruitment branch in Barnsley will play a key role in the company's five-year plan to quadruple the number of disabled people that it helps find work in mainstream employment each year.

The recruitment branch will give Remploy employees and other disabled people access to:
· A range of local employment opportunities
· Benefits of Remploy's partnerships with Jobcentre Plus and local employers such as Barnsley Magistrates Court, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Metrodome
· Job search facilities and support including one-to-one advice and guidance
· In-work support
· Remploy's proven track record of finding jobs for disabled people

Then this?

Councillor Stephen Houghton, the Leader of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, officially opened Remploy's new Flexible New Deal recruitment branch on 12 February 2010.

The branch, in Heelis Street, Barnsley, will support the long term unemployed into work. Since the branch opened in November 2009, the team of eight staff have got almost 30 job seekers back into work and assisted more than 250 people complete job applications.

The Barnsley branch is the first to be opened under Remploy's, five year contract to deliver the Government's Flexible New Deal (FND) employment programme in South Yorkshire. Over the period of the contract, the company will support more than 93,000 Jobseeker's Allowance customers in South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.

Through the provision of specialist training and development services that improve job skills, such as CV writing and interview techniques, Remploy will prepare people who have been unemployed for more than 12 months for re-entry into the jobs market. Barnsley is currently Remploy's top performing FND branch.

Ann Pinning, branch manager at Remploy's FND office in Barnsley, said: "Whatever the candidate's age, skills or barriers we have a proven track record in supporting job seekers back into employment through our highly tailored training support and advice initiatives.

"We have established partnerships with local employers and as result can get early notification of new job opportunities. For example, at the new Premier Inn in Barnsley, we were able to help a number of suitable applicants apply for vacancies and I am very hopeful that we will be able to get some of our clients into roles at the hotel chain."

Councillor Stephen Houghton added: "Firstly, I'd like to welcome Remploy to Barnsley, the new recruitment branch has excellent facilities and are in a warm and friendly setting. The environment is just right and will give confidence to job seekers. The office has the most uptodate employment information, technolgy and trained advisors to help people skill up and get job ready.

"Like many towns and cities, Barnsley has unemployment challenges and it is important that Remploy, the Council and all our other partners work together to address this issue. In fact over the next few months I will lead a group of all the partners to develop a strategy as to how we can work more closely together and get Barnsley's unemployed back into sustained work."

Remploy will provide training and development support in partnership with Wise Ability, BEST and Phoenix who will offer their expertise and vast local knowledge to help fast track candidates referred to them by Job Centre Plus back to work.

The Remploy FND office is on the Third Floor, Joseph Locke House, Heelis Street, Barnsley, S70 1LW.