Employment scheme aids South Tyneside firms

A South Tyneside employment initiative is helping local businesses strengthen their workforces through inclusive recruitment and support.

Pennguin, a global ecommerce distributor based in Jarrow, is one of several companies championing South Tyneside Council’s ‘Building a Stronger South Tyneside’ campaign, which offers practical support to employers creating accessible pathways into work. 

Officials say the programme focuses on helping businesses attract and retain talent from diverse backgrounds, contributing to local economic resilience.

They add that the campaign aligns with the UK Government’s Get Britain Working white paper and aims to boost employment levels across the borough. 

Councillor Margaret Meling, lead member for economic growth and transport at South Tyneside Council, said: “The Building a Stronger South Tyneside campaign was launched to help address economic inactivity across the borough and Pennguin is a perfect example of how it is doing just that.

“By making a series of incremental but impactful changes to the way it approaches the recruitment and retention of staff, the company has been able to provide opportunities to local people who may have faced barriers to employment in the past.

“We are delighted that South Tyneside Council were able to support Penguinn and are hopeful that, as more businesses engage, we can help open up quality employment opportunities to even more residents across the borough.”

At a recent event in South Shields town hall, businesses including Pennguin, Dicksons, Port of Tyne, Training in Care and the NHS Foundation Trust heard updates on new regional support schemes and the benefits of inclusive hiring.

Among Pennguin’s recent recruits is Ronald Coxon, who joined the firm as a pick and packer following a career in security. 

His appointment highlights how the initiative is already creating positive outcomes for businesses and jobseekers alike.

Speaking about his experience, Ronald said: “South Tyneside Council basically got me an interview with the company and since I’ve been here, it’s been excellent.

“The people here are easy to work with and really go out of their way to help you if you’re stuck with your work. 

“They’re a pleasure to work with.

“For anyone out there looking for work, I’d definitely recommend talking to South Tyneside Council. 

“You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the help you’ll get.”

Karl Beal, country manager UK at Pennguin, added: “We were struggling to recruit for numerous positions across the business, and had a really positive experience of working with South Tyneside Council to help us do so.

“Following a site visit, to understand more about our business and the roles we were advertising, the Council identified a range of local ‘job ready’ candidates they believed would be suitable for these roles.

“They asked that if instead of a formal interview, we would consider a job trial, which would be far more suitable, to many of the candidates who had previously worked in very hands-on industries.

“We agreed and this small change to the process we had typically used, had such a positive impact and really improved the candidate experience. 

“We have recruited candidates that we may not have otherwise, and I would encourage other businesses to think outside the box in this way.”

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