Employmentservice is doing a better job

AN ADVICE and support service which helps Jews to find jobs is reporting an improved employment picture.

From January to July, 160 clients of north London-based Resource found work, a rise of 58 on the same period in 2015.

There was a drop in the number of new clients registering — 234 compared to 264.

Chief executive Victoria Sterman attributed the higher success rate to a better job market and the organisation “helping people in different and better ways.We have a game plan for each client with activity planning spreadsheets covering the time to spend networking, researching and filling out application forms. It’s about getting them to use their time in the most productive way.

“We help people a lot in how to network. It often does not come naturally.”

She added that over the past year, an average of 20 clients secured employment each month. The lower figure of 17 for July reflected the start of the summer holidays. “We register between 16 and 58 new clients each month.”

Around 15 per cent of those on Resource’s books are from other EU countries and Ms Sterman reasoned that “if they were struggling to find work before Brexit, then the vote may be the last straw. “A Hungarian client told us a couple of weeks ago: ‘The worst thing is that nobody really knows what to expect. I don’t know how this will affect the job market but I think finding a decent office job will be even more difficult.’ “We thought we would see more recruitment freezes after the vote but that hasn’t happened.” Those using Resource have access to a jobs board, which has recently been made available to the community at large. There are currently more than three dozen vacancies for positions including accountant, analyst, welfare officer, shop manager, trainee sales/lettings negotiator, nursery nurse and fundraiser. Many are f rom communal organisations and small businesses owned by Jews. Other vacancies are the product of clients helped into work being encouraged “to let us know of jobs within their companies. It is a way of someone giving back.” Victoria Sterman