Staffline, the UK-based recruitment and training group, announced that its PeoplePlus division has been successful in the latest round of Education and Skills Funding Agency’s European Social Fund competition, securing contracts worth a total of £35 million over a 27-month period, commencing in April 2019. The contracts cover 10 Local Enterprise Partnership areas across England. PeoplePlus currently delivers equivalent European Social Fund contracts worth £14 million.

Chris Pullen, Chief Executive Officer of Staffline, commented, “Expanding our presence in training and skills is a key strategic growth priority for our PeoplePlus division. These excellent competition results build on our outstanding track record of supporting unemployed people to move into work, and further demonstrates our continued success in transitioning PeoplePlus into the UK’s leading skills and training provider.”

Earlier this week, Staffline provided a trading update and said it would book higher costs related to a probe into its under-payment of workers.

UK-based specialist recruitment group Hydrogen Group announced that it has signed an extension for a further five years as a supplier of change management staff to a FTSE100 Retail Bank. The supply will now be through a third-party vendor appointed by the bank to streamline their processes. Hydrogen has been providing these services for approximately ten years.

Ian Temple, Hydrogen CEO said, "We are delighted to have extended supplying our largest client, which demonstrates both the strength of our relationships and our ability to deliver high-quality solutions. The contract renewal supports the continued trading momentum within the business."