Frequently Asked Questions:

Are you a recruitment company?
No, we are not a recruitment company and do not receive a commission or payment for finding you sustained employment.  We are a funded organisation who offer employment support to companies wishing to recruit staff and to those looking for sustained employment.

Are these genuine vacancies?
Yes, we receive everyday the new vacancies.  We also receive information on the upcoming vacancies with existing companies in the area and vacancies with those companies moving into the area.

Am I expected to attend?
Whilst the element of choice is always yours it should be remembered that the government are now looking closely at those people who are unemployed and claiming benefits.  The government are saying that those people who are not attending interviews or not attending funded assistance schemes or funded skills training could well be deemed to not be actively seeking employment will have their benefits stopped or given work they must undertake.  (Records of all applicants attending the Sector Skills Service are kept, as proof of trying to find employment, for those applicants who are claiming benefits.)

What are your aims?
We share the same aim as the Job Centre Plus to find employment for the unemployed within our local communities.  We want to help the existing companies and the new companies moving into our area fill their vacancies.

Why do you have the information on the vacancies?
We are a trusted employment support partner who have for very many years worked with the Jobcentre Plus and the Sector Skills Councils who represent various industry sectors.  We are in a privileged position to receive information regarding job opportunities and vacancies that need to be filled.  It is worth noting that with the current climate of spending cuts we are being informed of vacancies prior to companies spending money advertising these positions or offering them through recruitment companies.

How many vacancies are there?
You will be pleased to know that the South East is not experiencing the difficulties that some regions of the country are experiencing.  We are receiving approximately 30 or more new vacancies every week. Almost every day we are being sent information regarding vacancies.

What is the process used by the Sector Skills Service?
Once we receive the vacancies the process starts with sourcing candidates by advertising or other methods, then screening CV's, then selecting potential candidates using Pre-Employment Assessments & skills checks before liaising with the companies and the Labour Market Team regarding the most suitable clients to interview for the vacancies.

Why am I being asked to do a Pre-Employment Assessment?
This is because you have passed the initial screening process.  With large numbers of applicants for every job Pre-Employment Assessments are now almost a standard requirement to ensure that the candidates interviewed do actually have the required skills.  It is very important to establish that a candidate has good Literacy and Numeracy skills and for many positions good customers service skills.

Is there any costs to me?
No.  We financially support all applicants undertaking Pre-Employment Assessments.  Applicants chosen to undertake the Pre-Employment Assessment will be paid £40.00 to cover their costs.  Applicants requiring to use online course material to fill skills gaps will also have these supplied free of charge. 

What happens if the Pre-Employment Assessments show gaps in my skills?
Even the well qualified do sometimes have gaps in their skills set for particular jobs.  Applicants as a result of the assessments could need to brush-up on aspects of their Literacy or Numeracy skills or require some customer service knowledge.  To applicants who might have skills gaps and want to address these we can also pay for and supply online course materials.   If these online courses are quickly completed then applicants will remain within the selection process for job vacancies.

What happens after the Pre-Employment Assessments?
The Sector Skills Service have advertised, undertaken an initial screening process, conducted Pre-Employment Assessments and checked skills suitability for employment.  The Sector Skills Service will now liaise with the companies and the Labour Market Team to forward the CV's of the candidates who have come through our selection process.

Am I guaranteed an interview?
There is a lot of interest in all vacancies and as with all selection processes nobody can be guaranteed an interview.  Companies can only give over limited time to screening CV's and interviewing candidates so the service we are offering is a very valuable service to the companies looking to fill their vacancies.  It would be fair to say that by coming to the Sector Skills Service you undoubtedly stand a better chance of being interviewed and selected for a position.  Companies are pleased to know that our candidates CV's have all been through a screening process before undertaking Pre-Employment Assessments and checks to see they have the basic levels of skills to allow them to be considered for the positions.

As you are receiving vacancies regularly, how do I find out about the new vacancies?
When searching for employment it is true that if at first you do not succeed then try and try again.  We have a Facebook page that is updated all the time with the vacancies as they become available.  We will of course retain all the CV's of applicants who have undertaken the Pre-Employment Assessments.  If you contact us regarding a new vacancy your CV and Pre-Employment Assessments will be considered for the new vacancy.

Are any of these job roles you have advertised to work for the Sector Skills Service?
No, but the Sector Skills Service plans to recruit new staff in the coming monthsand will be monitoring the applications with this in mind.