Celebrating success at the frontline: ERSA Employability Awards 2016 now open - ERSA

Today marks the official opening of the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) Employability Awards 2016, sponsored by APM, for entries from organisations helping jobseekers to move towards, into and progress in work across the UK.

The awards, now in their fourth year, demonstrate and champion best practice from across the employment support sector, showing the true impact of frontline individuals and organisations on jobseekers, their families, local employers and the wider workforce. The awards will highlight innovations in public service delivery, as well as celebrate successful partnerships and outstanding support for specific groups such as young people and jobseekers with disabilities and health conditions.

Kirsty McHugh, Chief Executive of ERSA, said:

“These awards come at a time when the hard work and dedication of employment support providers is really paying off in terms of the number of individuals in employment, with the UK seeing the highest employment rate since comparable records began in 1971.

“The ERSA Awards are an opportunity to look behind the big numbers and showcase the individual achievements and powerful results of the organisations working at the frontline of changing people’s lives and the communities we live in.”

The deadline for entries is 14th March. Finalists in each category will be announced at the ERSA AGM in April, with the awards themselves presented at a special ceremony in London in summer.

Click here for the award entry form and full descriptors and criteria for each award.

Ends

Press enquiries should be directed to Anna Robin on 020 3757 9415

Notes to Editors

1. The Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) is the sector body for those delivering or with an interest in employment support services. ERSA’s membership spans the private, voluntary and public sectors and ranges from large multi-nationals through to small specialist charities. It has over 200 members, including all prime contractors of the Work Programme. The majority of its members are not for profit.
2. The ERSA Employability Awards welcomes applications from all organisations working to support jobseekers into employment, whether housing associations, local authorities, Jobcentre Plus offices, charities, social enterprises colleges or private sector providers. You do not have to be a member of ERSA to apply for the awards and there is no charge to do so. Entries to the ERSA Employability Awards will be judged by an independent panel to be confirmed at a later date.
3. There are ten award categories designed to showcase the breadth of work taking place within the sector. The categories are:

Innovation Award, sponsored by entitledto
Youth Employment Award, sponsored by Rathbone UK and Intraining
Disability and Health Employment Award¸ sponsored by RBLI
Large Employer of the Year Award, sponsored by Working Links
Small or Medium Employer of the Year Award
Partner of the Year, sponsored by ICONI
Advisor of the Year Award¸ sponsored by Alderwood
IEP Professionalisation Champion Award, sponsored by IEP
Significant Achievement Award, sponsored by Pluss
Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored Serco

4. The 2016 ERSA Employability Awards headline sponsor is APM.