AFTER increasing its order book by winning new business, a Worcestershire company has been able to expand its workforce thanks to the Government’s wage incentive scheme, which has enabled it to provide two youngsters with permanent full-time employment. Goodflex Rubber Company of Honeybourne, near Evesham manufactures rubber products for a variety of industries including automotive, marine, medical and motor sports. It was assisted in its recruitment by Worcester based employment and training specialists Pertemps People Development Group, which delivers government welfare to work programmes. The new employees, who had both been out of work for two-years, underwent training at PPDG’s Shrub Hill offices before being submitted for an interview.

Sally-Ann Parker, PPDG’s link with employers across Worcestershire, said: "The wage incentive scheme enables employers to recruit 18-24 year-olds from the Government’s work programme. A payment of up to £2,275 as a wage subsidy for someone in full-time work for six months is a clear incentive with additional funding available for those going part-time.”

Goodflex managing director Mark Dufty added: "PPDG helped us through that process by providing us with the ideal candidates for us to interview. We’re a small but growing business with limited resources so the calibre of candidate submitted is really important and Sally-Ann enabled us to interview with confidence. The wage Incentive scheme is there to help smaller companies like ours and what amazes me is that with youth unemployment at a virtual all-time high, there aren’t more schemes of this nature around giving youngsters that vital breakthrough into the world of work.”