Written by Musa Bukenya, Project Manager Broadgate Connect at ELBA
For over a decade, Broadgate Connect, a partnership between British Land and ELBA, has been committed to fostering local talent and supporting businesses. This employment and training program bridges the gap between Broadgate-based businesses and skilled candidates from Tower Hamlets and Hackney, providing a no-cost recruitment service that connects local talent with opportunities.
Local challenges
In the last year, inner London has faced a sudden rise in unemployment, climbing from 4.4% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2024 ( Unemployment rate | Trust for London). For many skilled local candidates, accessing available jobs remains a significant challenge. /At the same time, the process of filling open roles is time consuming for recruitment teams, as they try to identify the best talent amidst high volumes of applications.
Since 2012, Broadgate Connect has trained over 1,100 local people and supported more than 650 individuals into employment. Providing our Broadgate customers and supply chain partners access to a local, diverse, job-ready talent.
Celebrating Successes
This year, we’ve successfully placed over 50 local candidates into various industries, including construction, security, and hospitality. Here are some inspiring success stories:
- Angelica: After struggling to find employment post-pandemic. Angelica joined Broadgate Connect and secured a position at Eataly. Since then, she has received several promotions. “Joining the Broadgate Connect programme was such a great opportunity, and incredibly valuable. It helped me build the confidence and skills I needed to secure employment by improving my CV, practising mock interviews and learning how to leave a positive impression.”
- Elsa: Elsa faced challenges finding permanent cleaning work. Through Broadgate Connect and our partnership with Samsic, she secured a position with JPC and is now in sustainable employment. “I found the mock interviews workshop valuable as it served as excellent practice for real interviews and made me feel less nervous.”
- Iliyas: Faced barriers in the security field due to lack of experience. After attending our security recruitment day, he connected with hiring managers at Wilson James and secured a role as a security officer at Broadgate. “People always help each other here, and there are abundant opportunities for professional development.”
Our commitment continues:
With thousands of people working on the Broadgate campus every day, there is a great opportunity for more businesses to hire, talented and skilled people, from the local area. In March, we held a retail forum to engage hospitality customers at Broadgate, further supporting their recruitment efforts throughout the year and are keen to expand into office-based roles.
Broadgate Connect remains dedicated in its mission to empower individuals and foster a thriving community. We appreciate the continued support of our partners and look forward to creating even more opportunities with Broadgate customers.
If your business is based on the Broadgate campus, discover how Broadgate Connect can support your recruitment of the best local talent by contacting our Project Manager, Musa Bukenya, at [email protected].
