Work Zone

Work Zone

Hammersmith and Fulham Council has established Work Zone with key strategic partners; Westfield London, Ealing Hammersmith & West London College, Job Centre Plus and Tendis to secure jobs and retail careers for local people by working collaboratively with Westfield Centre management and the retailers.

Work Zone, a National Skills Academy, is a recruitment, training and employment support facility, located within the Shepherds Bush Library on the southern terrace of Westfield London, helping retailers recruit and retain staff and helping job seekers find jobs, training and childcare.

The aim of Work Zone is to respond to employers to access recruitment and training provision designed to meet the needs of retail and leisure workers and offer them tailor made recruitment and retention solutions that will address the challenges of the current recession and the expected jobs “churn” of around 3,000 per annum. It also offers a community based provision for residents from West London to access retail based training courses and pre-employment support for those residents wishing to enter the sector.

Through partnership working we provide outstanding training and development solutions that meet the current and future needs of retail employers and which support the strategic objectives and priorities of employer representative bodies, central and local government and key stakeholders  such as the London Development Agency, the Olympic Development Agency and the Learning and Skills Council in enabling retail employers to maintain their competitive advantage and meet the challenges of a changing economy.

Specifically the Work Zone:

• supports employers in accessing a pool of appropriately skilled employees by offering a responsive and employer led job brokerage service;
• assists employers looking to develop their workforces, in order to secure and retain skilled employees;
• encourages employers to become involved with initiatives such as school work placements, Apprenticeship schemes and the new 14-19 Diploma. It will also help to identify opportunities to develop employer links with the community;
• supports employees looking to develop their careers in retail and secure employment locally;
  assists local residents wishing to access training and support in order to fully prepare them for a job in retail or hospitality;
• offers a virtual recruitment and employment support service via a dedicated Work Zone website;
  organises work placements and work trials through a dedicated employer led clearing house system;
  provides a physical and virtual focal point for a quality assured and innovative retail and hospitality skills centred initiative;
• offers innovation and specialisation in partnership with the National Skills Academy in Retail

In addition to the key offer to retailers and residents we have a modern, light and airy meeting room which is hired out to employers and external agencies.

Read more about the Work Zone story here - Employment at Westfield (PDF 3.43 MB)

Work Zone is located at:
Shepherds’Bush Library
6 Wood Lane
London
W12 7BF
Tel:020 8753 4693

Information on our services can be found on our website www.workzoneonline.co.uk