City United in perfect match with PPDG

City United in perfect match with PPDG

A company which helps vulnerable young people in Birmingham through football has found its perfect match after teaming up with a major employment services and training provider.

City United Ltd has joined forces with Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) to create 10 jobs for unemployed people in the city.

PPDG is operating the Intermediary Labour Market wage subsidy scheme and over the last year its clients have filled vacancies at City United including sports coaches, mentors, administration assistants and handymen.

City United, which is funded by government grants, uses sport as a tool to tackle underlying serious problems within the community. It targets youngsters who have been involved in gangs and related crime, vandalism and suffer a lack of self -achievement.

It runs around 40 football teams across Birmingham aimed at youngsters who have been excluded from school and youths who have been referred via police.  The project holds weekly training sessions on football techniques, fitness training, action assessment and coaching.

Tina Pritchard, team leader at PPDG’s office in Newtown, said: “We have an excellent working relationship with City United. Over the last year we have helped to fill a number of vacancies with them. They provide such an excellent service for the young and vulnerable in the community and we are delighted to work alongside them. It really is the perfect match.”

Wayne Henry, spokesman for City United, said: “PPDG have been excellent since we started working with the company. They have placed some excellent candidates with us for a number of positions. They have all fitted in brilliantly, showing such enthusiasm and dedication to their roles within City United.”

PPDG’s team of employment experts provide advice on benefits, confidence building, one-to-one support, CV and interview preparation as well as finding the right job or training course. In partnership with DWP, the Ministry of Justice and Jobcentre Plus, PPDG delivers a diverse range of employment and training initiatives and many ESF funded programmes.

More than 100,000 job seekers have been helped into sustained employment by the company since the projects began.  It has trained 130,000 people in vocational skills, and over 175,000 people have benefitted from professional information, advice and guidance services.