Grow Our Own branches out! A popular Royal Borough service is living up to its name and "growing" its approach to matching local employers with residents looking for work.
The well-established Grow Our Own scheme – launched in 2006 to provide information, advice and guidance to local job-seekers and match them with local employers – is showcasing an innovative series of recruitment events in the New Year on behalf of LEGOLAND, one of the borough's largest employers.
LEGOLAND staff will be visiting Grow Our Own's weekly Job Clubs held at two centres in Maidenhead and Windsor during January to provide details of employment opportunities at the popular theme park.
This follows other successful Grow Our Own recruitment initiatives with large borough employers such as Veolia and Wilkinsons – in which the latter recruited more than 80 employees for its Maidenhead store.
Cllr Christine Bateson, cabinet member for community partnerships, said: "These recruitment sessions represent a significant and very positive shift in the way the Grow Our Own service is provided – with one of the borough's most high-profile employers coming out into the community to recruit staff.
"We are committed to working with local employers to demonstrate the value of recruiting and retaining a diverse range of local employees and these sessions at our Job Clubs will provide a perfect opportunity to work with LEGOLAND to demonstrate the proven benefits.
"I would encourage anyone who needs help at getting into work to get in touch with Grow Our Own in the first instance – and also to think about attending one of these forthcoming sessions."
Martin Green, LEGOLAND Windsor Resort HR Manager, said: "We are very excited about our plans to work with Grow Our Own. At a time when unemployment is rising we are very pleased to advertise a number of open positions at LEGOLAND Windsor resort. In fact with the opening of the new LEGOLAND Hotel we are recruiting more than ever."
The recruitment events will take place at: Maidenhead Job Club, ReCharge, 1st Floor, Kingsway House, King Street SL6 1EB, on Mondays 9, 16 and 23 January from 9.30am to 3.30pm and
Windsor Job Club, Windsor Youth and Community Centre, Parsonage Lane, Windsor, SL4 5EW on Wednesdays 11, 18 and 25 January from 12.30 to 3.30pm.
For further information about the Grown Our Own scheme – and the forthcoming LEGOLAND recruitment events– contact Johanna Watts or Fiona Jones on 01628 685661.