Working Links Ltd, commonly known as Working Links, is a public, private and voluntary company, bringing together private sector drive, public sector ethos and voluntary sector ethics.

Working Links works in some of the most deprived areas of United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 to address the challenges faced by long-term unemployed people. Within their marketing literature, they suggest that they have helped over 165,000 people into sustainable employment as of April 2011. However, this information has yet to be independently confirmed.

Working Links' public sector share is managed by the UK government’s Shareholder Executive

Shareholder executive

The Shareholder Executive is the body within the British Government responsible for managing the government's financial interest in a range of public companies. Originally established within the Cabinet Office, it has since 2004 been part of the Department for Business...

 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions is the largest government department in the United Kingdom, created on June 8, 2001 from the merger of the employment part of the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security and headed by the Secretary of State for Work and...

. The private sector shareholders are Manpower

Manpower Inc.

ManpowerGroup is a workforce solutions and services provider company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established by Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld in 1948. It was acquired by Blue Arrow of Britain in 1987, but became independent again in 1991.The directors include...

 and Capgemini

Capgemini

Capgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...

, and the voluntary sector share is owned by Mission Australia

Mission Australia

Mission Australia is a provider of family and community services throughout Australia. The organisation has at least 3200 staff, 1,000 volunteers and 300 services in every state and territory of Australia, and is one of the largest community organisations in the nation. It is currently headed by...

.

Since 2006 their turnover has grown from £63m to £123m, and they now employ over 2,000 people in the UK.

History

Working Links was established in 2000 by the Shareholder Executive

Shareholder executive

The Shareholder Executive is the body within the British Government responsible for managing the government's financial interest in a range of public companies. Originally established within the Cabinet Office, it has since 2004 been part of the Department for Business...

, Manpower

Manpower Inc.

ManpowerGroup is a workforce solutions and services provider company headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established by Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld in 1948. It was acquired by Blue Arrow of Britain in 1987, but became independent again in 1991.The directors include...

, and Ernst & Young Consulting

Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....

. Ernst & Young Consulting merged with Gemini Consulting, a branch of Cap Gemini, to form Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young was renamed Capgemini

Capgemini

Capgemini is a French global IT services company, one of the world's largest management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies with a staff of 114,274 operating in 40 countries. It is headquartered in Paris and was founded in 1967 by Serge Kampf, the current chairman, in...

 in 2004. The charity Mission Australia

Mission Australia

Mission Australia is a provider of family and community services throughout Australia. The organisation has at least 3200 staff, 1,000 volunteers and 300 services in every state and territory of Australia, and is one of the largest community organisations in the nation. It is currently headed by...

 acquired a share of the company in 2006, rendering Working Links the first public, private and voluntary organisation in the UK.

In 2011, Working Links won 3 contract package areas to deliver the Coalition government's new Work Programme. This made Working Links the third largest Work Programme provider in the UK. The 3 contracts acquired were the South West, Wales and Scotland.

See also

• Information on the government's 'Flexible New Deal' programme

External links

• Official Website
• Employment Zone Contractors
• http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmhansrd/vo970710/text/70710w22.htm
• http://www.shareholderexecutive.gov.uk/performance/workinglinks.asp
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2009/aug/23/for-the-record
• http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/item/11003/23/5/3
• http://www.cipd.co.uk/news/_articles/working-links-to-recruit-hundreds-of-consultants.htm
• http://youngconwy.com/index.php?page=working-links&hl=en_GB
• http://www.esf.gov.uk/news/articles/working_links_cornwall.asp
• http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmworpen/815/2050801.htm
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/mar/03/keith-faulkner-working-links-unemployment