Peddimore Employment bulletin – September 2023
Amazon recruitment – going well and moving at pace
Peddimore Birmingham is a ‘best-in-class’ new Employment Park on the north-eastern edge of the city. Promoted by IM Properties in partnership with Birmingham City Council, the development is set to become one of the region’s most important employment and economic locations and will provide excellent employment opportunities for local people from all backgrounds. Just off the A38, and adjoining Minworth, it is to the east of Sutton Coldfield town centre and north of Castle Vale (see also www.peddimorebirmingham.com). The first employer at Peddimore is Amazon, occupying a state-of-the-art Fulfilment Centre, initially providing some 1,400 employment opportunities.
Opening – Amazon’s planned business launch is 8 October 2023, and recruitment is in full-flow. Details of Warehouse Operative roles and what it is like to work at Amazon can be found at their website via https://www.amazon.com/cgevents-birmingham. The short-term peak will see Amazon appointing circa 200 people per week, including some redeployment of associates from their site in Rugeley. Other roles can be found via www.amazon.jobs (search Minworth).
Employment and Skills Partnership (ESP) – a partnership is in place, comprising the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Birmingham City Council (BCC), North Birmingham Economic Recovery Board (NBERB) and others, to channel the recruitment conversation with the employer.
This is the second bulletin, prepared to consolidate and communicate information in respect of the employment opportunities, and how to access them.
INTERESTED? It is time to act
Flagged in the first bulletin, a series of Job Fairs is underway attended by Amazon and their training delivery partner Castleview Group. Group Information Sessions (GIS) and Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) linked directly to the recruitment are also underway. These are the pathways for local unemployed people to hear about and get into the Amazon start-up roles.
The Job Fairs are being well-attended and there is strong interest in the Amazon jobs. GIS sessions need to be booked via DWP and when there are SWAPs, they lead to a guaranteed job interview. Candidates will also gain a relevant qualification.
Book a GIS slot at a job centre via ERDINGTON.EMPLOYERADVERTISERTEAM@DWP.GOV.UK
Online applications – to manage volumes, batches of Amazon vacancies go live on a Friday.
Jobseekers are therefore encouraged to check the link regularly (between 4-7pm on a Friday) using the following link http://www.amazon.com/jcp-birmingham
The next Job Fairs at which the Amazon opportunities will be highlighted are planned as follows (please encourage job seekers to attend):
– 26 September – St Barnabas Church (organised by Erdington JCP)
– 4 October – Birmingham Jobs Fair, Villa Park, 10am-1pm (organised by The Jobs Fair)
– 11 October – BCU (organised by Birmingham City University)
– 13 October – Perry Common Community Hall (organised by Witton Lodge Community Assoc)
Training update – the two-week pre-employment training (SWAP) arranged via DWP and the West Midlands Combined Authority, delivered by the Castleview Group, is reported to be going well, with good levels of interest, attendance and completion rates (over 100 to date):
– SWAP 1 (starting 28 Aug) had 21 participants
– SWAP 2 (4 Sept) had 32 participants
– SWAP 3 (11 Sept) had 44 participants
– SWAP 4 (18 Sept) has 28 on the course.
Discussions are ongoing to agree further courses. An update will be provided in due course.
Making a difference – the PURE project (Placing vulnerable Urban Residents into Employment) is a Birmingham City Council initiative supporting people over 25 years old who have complex needs; helping them into education, training and employment. Attending a PURE Open Day on 24 August, Amazon have demonstrated their commitment to these groups and feedback is that participants have had follow-up with Amazon and interviews. The aim is to build pathways into the Amazon roles through innovative channels. To find out more about the PURE project:
Email – BirminghamPURE@birmingham.gov.uk
Website – www.birmingham.gov.uk/birmingham_pure
Getting to Peddimore – as reported in the last bulletin conversations are underway with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and others regarding improving the bus links to Peddimore. A new route and 7-day per week service (67A) is proposed from Birmingham City Centre to Peddimore (Priory Queensway – Salford Stadium – Chester Road – Minworth), alongside enhancements to existing services (71A) from Sutton Coldfield to Chelmsley Wood (via Peddimore). These are planned to start in October (8th and 23rd respectively) and will be confirmed in the next update. Opportunities for travel support may also be available (see Workwise | NWM (tfwm.org.uk). Looking forwards the employment park will benefit from improvements to active travel connections and a car-share initiative, which will not only reduce environmental impacts but the financial costs of traveling to Peddimore.
Circulation – this bulletin is as accurate as can be, with the latest known information about plans to support people taking advantage of the opportunities at Peddimore Birmingham, but this is fluid. Updates will be issued bi-weekly and can be widely shared. We want to encourage as many local people to enquire about the jobs at Peddimore as possible. The Peddimore ESP is a network of national, regional and local organisations which can support interested customers into work.