Pertemps People Development Group set for international status

CAPTION: Going global - Therese Mulherin, group business development director of Employment Service Holdings Pty Ltd, joins (from left) Gareth Edwards, managing director of Pertemps Learning and Education Alliance, Colin Birchall, chief executive of Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG), and Steve King, managing director of Pertemps Employment Alliance, to celebrate at PPDG’s headquarters in Edgbaston, Birmingham, as the companies join forces.

One of the UK’s market leaders in addressing unemployment and social exclusion has joined forces with Australia’s largest private sector provider of Government Funded employment services.

The purchase of Birmingham-based Pertemps People Development Group (PPDG) by Employment Services Holdings Pty Limited (ESH) will create an organisation with a combined workforce of over 1400 staff operating from 138 sites across the UK and Australia. This is a key step in a strategy which will see the group become a leading global employment services and training provider.

PPDG chief executive Colin Birchall described the move as a significant turning point in the growth of the company. “We are confident that our collective strength and expertise will prove decisive in putting us at the forefront of skills development and employment services in the UK,” he said.

PPDG was established in 1998 by Pertemps chairman Tim Watts and Colin Birchall with a vision to regenerate local communities through employment. The company has experienced rapid growth through successful delivery of government welfare to work and training strategies culminating in a reverse takeover of Network Group Holdings Plc (NGH), following NGH’s floatation on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) earlier this year.

Prins Ralston, managing director of ESH, said: “We sought to partner with PPDG due to its expertise and exceptional performance in delivering innovative skills development, training and employment services to highly marginalised individuals and communities throughout the UK.

“Our partnership with PPDG opens up significant growth opportunities for us as a group and is a key step in our journey to become a global employment services and training company.”

ESH was formed in 2007 when three high performing and established providers of employment and recruitment services in Australia were brought together. When seeking to develop an already impressive portfolio, ESH appointed Catalyst Corporate Finance to carry out an acquisition search in the UK which identified PPDG as a key strategic target for ESH. Through an existing relationship with the shareholders of PPDG, Catalyst made the initial introduction and assisted in negotiating and advising on the successful delivery of the transaction which completed on 16th September 2008.

Mr Birchall retains responsibility as chief executive of PPDG and becomes a member of the board of ESH where he will represent the interests of UK shareholders.

“I am extremely proud of the impact that PPDG has made over the past 10 years in the communities that we serve. As we enter a new era as a part of the ESH group I am excited at the prospect of delivering our services and replicating this success on a much wider scale,” added Mr Birchall.


WORKPLACE DYNAMICS SHIFT TOWARDS HOMEWORKING AND GREATER FLEXIBILITY

The number of people 'teleworking' from home has risen dramatically over the past few years as employers offer more work flexibility than ever, a survey revealed today (Monday).

In the latest CBI / Pertemps Employment Trends Survey, almost half of all employers (46%) said they now offered teleworking to staff, which is a dramatic increase from 14% two years ago and 11% in 2004.

Bosses believe that staff may be trying to cut their carbon footprint, or are avoiding a troublesome commute and poor transport infrastructure. And employers also understand that productivity need not suffer if staff are not in the office.

Other strands of flexible working have also shot up, particularly term-time working, and job sharing. Over the past five years employers have also become increasingly supportive of staff looking to take career breaks or sabbaticals.

John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: "The boundaries of the traditional 9 to 5 in the office or on the shop floor are becoming more and more blurred. Employers are embracing the benefits of flexible working, even as the economy heads into more uncertain times.

"Using teleworking to take work out of the workplace has become very popular, and is also a useful way to avoid a laborious commute, balance family commitments, and even reduce carbon emissions. As technology becomes more reliable and widely available, this trend can only grow."

Tim Watts, Chairman of recruitment specialists Pertemps, said: "For the last three decades flexible working has been the principle backbone of the UK's productivity. Our strength has not been achieved solely by efficient plant and machinery, but through having a flexible and talented workforce which works to the advantage of both the employee and employer.

"The revolution in workplace flexibility has ensured that those with the skill and willingness to work have found it easier and easier to find gainful employment."

Another sign of the changing workplace is the growth of flexible retirement, perhaps as worries about the credit crunch and pension provision hit home. In the last year three in ten (31%) employees reaching retirement age asked if they could postpone their retirement. Although it is encouraging that eight in ten (81%) of those requests were granted, this is significantly lower than the 95% of requests from parents which are accepted. Employers continue to face challenges when assessing requests to postpone retirement, and it is essential to keep a default retirement age as a trigger for discussion.

Mr Cridland said: "Many older workers do not want to retire, or do not feel financially secure enough to do so, particularly with the downturn in the housing market. In the majority of cases employers are very happy to retain older staff, who often have invaluable skills and experience."

The survey, which drew 513 respondents employing over 1m staff, showed that although flexible working has been a success, with nearly all (93%) employers offering at least one form of flexible working, and 57% offering at least three, there is deep concern among employers about other areas of employment law.

Two thirds of employers (64%) said that cumbersome employment regulation was endangering the labour market flexibility which has been crucial to business success in recent years.

And as a result of the level and nature of new labour market laws, only 15% thought the UK has become a more attractive place to do business in the past five years, and a similarly low proportion (13%) believed that things will improve in five years' time.

Although the recent agreement on agency temps was disappointing, the survey shows that the majority of placements (60%) will fall inside the 12 week limit imposed by the new agreement, explaining the CBI’s decision to accept a deal on the directive as the least worst option, as a 12 week qualifying period would exempt most assignments, whereas the previously proposed six week period would exempt only half that.

However, 40% of employers feared that losing the opt-out from the Working Time Directive would have a severe or significant impact on their business. A third (29%) of staff sign the opt-out, which gives greater flexibility when firms need to react to demand.

John Cridland, CBI Deputy Director-General, said: "The recent agreement on agency temps is harmful to business, but it could have been so much worse. Our survey shows that a significant chunk of temp contracts will not be affected, but anecdotal comments suggest that some firms will no longer use agency temps.

"The economy is clearly struggling, and now is not the time for the European Union to weaken its commitment to the opt-out from the Working Time Directive, which remains a paramount concern for many businesses.

"Right now the Government needs to recognise that businesses are at the limit of what they can absorb. If employers aren't given breathing space from workplace legislation then jobs will be put at risk.

"Pointless rules about diversity are still on the cards, and employers feel that they are making strong progress in these areas under their own steam, and without the need for rafts of new legislation."

The survey showed that firms are already heavily committed to improving diversity in the workplace. Eight out of ten (82%) have diversity policies in place and a quarter (25%) take positive action to improve equality at work.

A third (32%) of employers have voluntarily conducted an equal pay audit – including 55% of larger firms, which exceeds the government target of 45%. The gender pay gap continues to fall and businesses are undertaking equal pay audits when they feel ready, and in ways which suit their circumstances.

Although employers are committed to diversity, nearly two thirds (59%) said the lack of applicants from disadvantaged groups remains the biggest obstacle to creating a more diverse workforce.

To download a copy of the 2008 CBI/Pertemps survey click here

Regional surveys are available, if you require a copy please e-mail press.office@pertemps.co.uk