New Sunderland Tesco Brings Jobs and Training To The City

CITY COUNCIL WORKING WITH COMMERCE TO CREATE JOBS IN CITY

AS PART OF AN AGREEMENT between Sunderland City Council and Tesco 800 local people are guaranteed interviews for the jobs being created at the new store being built-in the city.

Eight sessions have been organised in the Council Chamber this week for the job seekers, with all those taking part either long-term unemployed or young people seeking their first job.

While only 120 vacancies are available when the new store opens in June on Sunderland Retail Park, everyone taking part will receive three hours of valuable coaching in interview techniques and personal presentation skills to help them improve their future job prospects.

Providing such a massive amount of local people with this fantastic employment and training opportunity is the result of City Council’s negotiations with Tesco over the inclusion of ‘Social and Economic Clauses’ during the planning application process.

Leader of Sunderland City Council, Councillor Paul Watson said: “We are delighted that we have been able to help Tesco not only to invest in our city, but also to invest in our community with this joint commitment to provide valuable new jobs and training.

“With our employment partners at the Job Centre and a consortium of local training providers, we have been able to identify those people in most need of our help. Every one of the 800 being interviewed will gain valuable new skills and experience as a result of this partnership approach.

“All those involved will have the chance to identify and develop their own individual transferable skills to take into the jobs market, and ultimately 120 people will find a new job with Tesco at this fantastic new retail asset to our city.”

As part of the agreement between Sunderland City Council and Tesco, all those who do find work at Tesco as part of this first phase must also receive eight weeks of Pre-Employability training including work experience within  other Tesco stores.

Employment and Training Manager for Sunderland City Council, Karen Alexander said: “The eight weeks of initial training will not only prepare the new recruits for the demands of a range of positions, from customer service and retail duties to warehousing and maintenance, but also prepare them for the world of work.

“We are grateful to our partners at Tesco for providing such fantastic opportunities for those very people who perhaps need them most, and for this commitment to our community.”

Tesco Corporate Affairs Manager, Doug Wilson added:” The Tesco Extra store will offer high quality jobs to people who have been out of work for some time. This is the beginning of the process to recruit the staff that we will need to run the new store which will bring a major economic boost to the city.”

For further information please contact: 
Kevin Douglas
Tel: 0191 561 1139
Fax: 0191 553 1138
Email: kevin.douglas@sunderland.gov.uk