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A4E Ltd
Founded 1991
Headquarters Sheffield, UK
Key people Emma Harrison, Chairman
Rob Murdoch, Executive director
Industry Training
Revenue £145m[1]
Employees 3,100+
Website www.mya4e.com

A4E (Action for Employment) is a training company based in the UK. The company began in Sheffield in 1991[2][3] to provide redundant steelworkers with training so that they could find new jobs[4]. They now operate in ten countries, but retain a significant presence in the UK where they work with several organisations in the public sector, such as the Department for Work and Pensions.

Contents

History

A4e was started by Emma Harrison, who after graduating in engineering, joined her father's Sheffield based training company, putting unemployed steel workers through a getting-back-to-work course. Disappointed by putting "bums on seats," Harrison gave her father six months' notice and started A4e, with a mission statement: "improving people’s lives.”

After the Labour Party came to power in 1997, they introduced the back to work New Deal service, for those on Jobseeker's Allowance. Claimants of Jobseeker's Allowance are required to attend classes or risk losing their benefit. A4e is the largest provider of New Deal services in the UK, and has contracts for the New Deal worth £80 million.[5][6]

Benefit Busters

In August 2009, A4e was featured in two episodes of Benefit Busters.

Present operations

Harrison remains the company's chairman,[7] and appeared on The Secret Millionaire.[8]

According to The Times, "A4e is a business consultancy that offers “a broad portfolio of employment, welfare, education, training, and business support” to private and public companies."[9] They are advised by David Blunkett,[10] former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

A4E are administrators for the Life in the United Kingdom test.[11] The company will deliver "Money Guidance" on behalf of the Financial Services Authority. A4e are bidding for several large additional contracts from the UK government.[10]

International

A4E have operations in:

  • Australia
  • France - work in Paris
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Israel (operating as Amin)
  • Italy
  • Poland
  • South Africa
  • India

Fraudulent activities

On the 28th June 2009, The Guardian disclosed information regarding to a fraud investigation into A4E which was instigated after the Department for Work and Pensions uncovered discrepancies in its "confirmation of employment" forms - discrepancies which centred upon the falsification of employer's signatures by a number of recruiters. A4e's official statement read:

'All the matters raised in the article are known to both A4e and the DWP and have been the subject of both an A4e investigation and a DWP led investigation. The A4e investigation revealed that whilst candidates had real job opportunities, these jobs did not meet the funding criteria being less than 13 weeks and 16 hours a week in duration. These investigations have resulted in the departure of both individuals from the company and the ceasing of all activity with the employment agency concerned.'[12]

External links

References

  1. ^ http://www.a4e.co.uk/About-A4e/Facts-and-Figures.aspx
  2. ^ http://www.everywoman.com/YourBusiness/Successstories/?id=913
  3. ^ http://www.womenspeakers.co.uk/speakerdetail.asp?speakerid=137
  4. ^ http://www.a4e.co.uk/About-A4e/The-A4e-Story.aspx
  5. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7982550.stm
  6. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/feb/08/labour-welfare-jobs-plan
  7. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/articles/2008/10/02/emma_harrison_feature.shtml
  8. ^ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-secret-millionaire/4od#2921835
  9. ^ http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article474225.ece
  10. ^ a b http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/feb/01/david-blunkett-private-companies
  11. ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/race-special--mohsin-hamid-on-citizenship-437284.html
  12. ^ http://www.mya4e.com/4-Media/News/Observer-article.aspx

Action 4 Employment (or A4e) is a training provider, serving the unemployed. They are based in the United Kingdom but also have offices in Israel, Germany and Poland.

Background


A4e were founded in 1986 by Emma Harrison. The company's creation was a result of large scale unemployment in Sheffield following decline in the steel industry.[430] To this day, A4e remain based in Sheffield.

UK


A4e provide a variety of courses for unemployed people. These range from short Gateway courses, helping clients to improve jobsearch, CV writing and interview skills to longer courses aiming for certified qualifications, such as NVQs and the ECDL. They also arrange work placement opportunities for their trainees.

The company is a major contractor for JobCentre plus, providing training to New Deal clients. They also run programmes for the private and voluntary sector. Specialist training and support is available for more vulnerable clients, such as those from ethnic minorities and those with disabilities.

A4e has recieved recognition from Inner City 100, Fast Track 100 and has won the Entrepreneur of the Year award for their growth and work supporting 60,000 people per year.[431]

Europe


Following their achievements in the UK, A4e expanded overseas in 2004 when they opened the first private employment centre in Jerusalem, Israel[432], operating under the name 'Amin'. The Welfare-to-Work programme in Jerusalem is run by the Amin Steering Group, chaired by Shmuel Slavin.[433]

More recently, A4e began work in Poland as 'A4e Polska' and they launched 'A4e Deutschland' in Germany on 4 September 2006[434].

References

  • A4e Home Page
  • A4e About Page
  • A4e Facts Page
  • Amin Israel website
  • A4e Deutschland








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