The following article was originally published in The Jersey Evening Post:
The Jersey Employment Trust has started a new partnership with Jersey Finance.
Employer Engagement Manager Dean Lowe said: ‘Jersey Finance is the gateway to more than 170 businesses in the Island, from boutique trust and investment companies all the way through to global banking. It was imperative for us to build a relationship with them because they can introduce us to all those institutions and help us find more opportunities for our clients.
‘We have strong and valued links in retail, hospitality, leisure and digital, and we are now improving our connection with the finance sector.
‘Jersey Finance provides a proactive and practical approach to skills and attracts talent to the financial sector starting with school and college leavers.
‘We can work together in a mutually beneficial way. I will liaise with them about individuals who are looking for paid work and work tasters in the financial sector, explaining their needs and any reasonable adjustments required regarding their disability, and in turn Jersey Finance can offer us networking and signposting opportunities.
‘We often have clients who are interested in entry-level roles which may be administration, but we also have quite a few clients coming through who have worked in the finance industry before and wish to return to it, either at the same level or by taking a bit of a back step while they build up their resilience and their skills again.’
Jersey Finance Deputy CEO Amy Bryant said: ‘We are delighted to be partnering with the Jersey Employment Trust in a co-ordinating role to help raise awareness about the charity and offer Jersey firms an opportunity to work with JET and its clients.
‘The vital work that JET does helps hundreds of Islanders by making employment and vocational training more accessible to people with disabilities. In doing so, they play a critical role in diversifying Jersey’s financial services workforce and nurturing homegrown talent.
‘Industry tells us that having continued access to a varied talent pool helps create a diverse cultural environment that can foster creativity and innovation. We hope our partnership with JET encourages the finance industry to further engage in broader discussions around employment strategies concerning accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusivity on-Island. These are essential factors when considering our Island’s future workforce and sustainable practices.
‘At Jersey Finance, we are committed to being a ‘good business’ (a chartered status awarded by the Jersey Good Business Charter), and part of how we do so is by building charitable partnerships on-Island, such as this relationship with JET.’
Mr Lowe added: ‘What we have at JET is a largely untapped and diverse workforce, and there are some really talented individuals. What we want to see from members of Jersey Finance is opening the dialogue so that they think of us when recruiting or if they need help with job retention. We job-match very specifically and pride ourselves on getting the right fit.’
Dean can be contacted by emailing dean.lowe@jet.co.je.
