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A Durham-based housing association has started its recruitment drive to appoint four new community caretakers to help improve the general appearance of its local neighbourhoods.
Cestria Community Housing will offer employment opportunities to the new recruits who will join their existing team of community caretakers to help improve the district’s estates and tidy over 70 miles of path edges.
As part of their recruitment drive, the association has been targeting the long term unemployed and has been working in partnership with Jobcentre Plus in Chester-le-Street.
Out of the 50 people who were identified as suitable candidates, 44 attended the association’s open day event at their head office this week to find out more information and take an application form away with them.
Alan Milner, Community Caretaker Manager at Cestria Community Housing, said: “We are delighted with the response from the potential candidates who came along to our open event to find out more information.
“There is 70 miles of path edging across the district that needs to be maintained - this is the equivalent of travelling from Chester-le-Street to Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland so there is a lot of ground to cover.
“This would usually take our existing team three or four years during the winter months to complete but by taking on four new members of staff dedicated to undertake the programme, we are confident that we can complete this within six months.”
Martin Bright, Employer Consultant at Jobcentre Plus in Chester-le-Street said; “This is an excellent example of how Jobcentre Plus has worked in partnership, to provide good local jobs for local people, even in this challenging current climate. Jobcentre Plus looks forward to working together with Cestria Community Housing in future recruitment opportunities”.
The majority of people who attended the open day event were all local people living in and around the district and the association is now short listing suitable candidates to interview.
Successful applicants will commence their employment with
Cestria on 1 February 2010.
