Jobs bonanza for West Mids as trio announce growth plans
The West Midlands has been promised a recruitment boom after three major employers pledged to create a total of 450 jobs in the region. Walsall-based cake maker Perfection Foods exclusively told Insider of its plans to generate 70 new positions, while communications giant BT has pledged to bring 300 jobs to its Sandwell site.
Coventry-based insurance call centre Fusion Contact Centre Services has also announced plans to employ 80 new members of staff by the end of 2011.
The trio revealed their plans just days after manufacturing giant Jaguar Land Rover said it would bring 1,000 jobs to its Solihull plant, increasing the workforce by 25 per cent.
The Expansion plans have been welcomed in the West Midlands, as it was revealed last week (16 November) that the region's unemployment rate had soared to 8.9 per cent over the past three months.
Perfection Foods told Insider it would increase its employee headcount by 70 when it opens its new 16,000 sq ft factory in Wasall next February.
Gurdeep Bath, export manager at Perfection Foods, said the new site will be used to produce cakes for the burgeoning export side of the business.
"The new factory will make cakes to service our overseas market," he said. "Export is vital to our business and to the UK economy, and this new production facility will help us enter whole new markets. We’ve got plans to move into South America, Central America, northern Africa and the BRIC countries – it's just a question of getting the logistics sorted."
Bath said the new factory would eventually employ up to 70 people over the next 12 months.
It will sit alongside Perfection Foods' 100,000 sq ft headquarters in Walsall.
The news came as telecoms giant BT announced it would create 300 new customer adviser jobs at its flagship complex Providence Place in West Bromwich, Sandwell.
Ian Livingston, BT’s chief executive, said: "We’re delighted to be offering new employment opportunities to people in West Bromwich and Sandwell.
"We all know how difficult the job market is, so the fact BT is bringing more than 300 further roles to the area is great news and is a reflection of the efforts and co-operation of both the Communication Workers Union and Sandwell council."
The recruitment drive at Coventry's Fusion comes as the company announced it had filled 200 new job roles over the past year.
Fusion manages insurance on behalf of financial services brands including bike insurer Bennetts.
The company said the expansion, through which it will fill 80 job roles over the next six weeks, would help it meet "some aggressive targets" over the coming months.
Andy Talbot, site manager at Fusion, said: "We have all seen the news over the past week which has highlighted the worrying and growing unemployment rates for young people. However, we are fortunate to be in a position to offer new job opportunities for enthusiastic people who want to work hard.
"We're keen to bring onboard some eager and hardworking individuals to support our busy agenda."
