In addition to the clear public health crisis, COVID-19 is shaping up to be one of the biggest tests of resilience our employment market has ever seen. We’ve been incredibly encouraged by the work of our stakeholders and partners like British Land, working to cushion the impact on our communities.

Re-routing Broadgate Connect

British Land has been partnering with us and their suppliers and customers for eight years on Broadgate Connect, connecting more than 400 East Londoners to employment opportunities in and around Broadgate.

Early in the COVID-19 crisis, they asked us what we could do together to most effectively support those in greatest need in our communities, now and in the coming months. We quickly agreed to re-route Broadgate Connect, reinforcing support for the candidates we’ve placed into jobs over the last two years. Our team have been phoning these people, finding out who is in need and then providing them with information, advice and guidance. 

We’re signposting people who are looking for work to areas where there are clear opportunities, like supermarkets, healthcare and deliveries. We’re continuing to give support with CVs and interview skills and we’re going beyond this, providing advice on critical services and housing where needed.

Growing resilience for the future

We’re also taking steps to reduce recurring unemployment, helping workers become more resilient for the future. Sometimes this is about helping people understand how their current skills are transferable and relevant to different sectors. It’s also about delivering training to improve their communication skills and develop different skills, so they can move into new areas.

This builds on training we’ve been delivering with British Land and their Broadgate suppliers for a couple of years, such as Future Fit to help workers become more resilient to automation, and Cashwise to build people’s financial capabilities and confidence. British Land is leading on this area in our communities.

A genuine partnership

Partnership is a word that’s often used but it’s not always equal. Our relationship with British Land is a genuine partnership. There’s nothing we can’t suggest, and they’re always open to us challenging them.

British Land’s commitment to Hackney and Tower Hamlets is for the long term. When we first started delivering Broadgate Connect, they were one of four employers who embedded one of our project managers in their team. Today, they’re the only one remaining. 

Boots on the ground

The simplicity of our Broadgate Connect partnership is what’s so powerful. It’s about ‘boots on the ground’ over time. Having consistent boots on the ground means you can build relationships, support individuals and unlock opportunities, whatever’s happening.

Sometimes, people look at unemployment and it seems incredibly complex. But with the right partnership, solutions can be quite simple. British Land has found ways to bring suppliers and customers together to collaborate on important agendas, supported by partners like us.

The benefits of employment go far beyond a salary. It’s about contributing to life in the broadest sense, about self-esteem and having a stake in society. Employment is the single best way to achieve community cohesion and make London a fairer place for all. 

Now more than ever, we’ve all got a role to play in this agenda. Working together, we can cushion the COVID-19 impact for those in greatest need throughout the entire supply chain.

Broadgate Connect is funded by British Land as part of Bright Lights, British Land’s skills and employment programme. Broadgate is an accredited Living Wage Employer.

Find out more about the East London Business Alliance.