If you are considering bidding for a Council contract or are already delivering services for us, our Bexley Business & Employment (BBE) team can help you achieve your social value by offering direct delivery support or linking you with our local partners.

Either way, these links and interventions will not only help you, they will also help our local residents access opportunities that would not normally be open to them. This could be employment, work experience or apprenticeships and, access to our Apprenticeship Levy* (*terms and conditions apply).

Free recruitment service

Our BBE vacancy team can provide you with a free recruitment service. Working with local resident job seekers, we match our clients to your vacancies based on your job description criteria. The team will complement your current processes by assisting with candidate shortlisting, arranging interviews, and providing in-work support for the first six months.

If you are not based locally, you can use our well-equipped training centre to conduct open days, assessments, and interviews. For large recruits, we can also provide sector-based pre-employment training in partnership with our local college.

You can also upload your vacancies directly to our BBE vacancy portal.

Not an apprenticeship levy payer?

The Council must pay an apprenticeship levy but we can also transfer some of our levy to non-levy paying Bexley businesses. This money is available for businesses to equip their workforce with knowledge, skills, and behaviours required in tomorrow’s workforce by offering formal qualifications ranging from level 2 (GCSE equivalent) to level 7 (masters level) and can be used for new apprentices or to upskill current staff.

Further information on Help to grow new talent or upskill existing staff.

BBE e-newsletter

Join over 5,000 other subscribers and keep up to date with news, events, and services in the Bexley business community by signing up to our fortnightly newsletter. Or, are you hosting a business event or have an opportunity that could benefit Bexley businesses? We’d be happy to share your news and events.

Sign up to the BBE e-newsletter

Supporting adults with a learning disability

Our Bexley Twofold-supported employment team is working with over 40 businesses in Bexley to help adults with a learning disability find and sustain work. Our Work Coaches currently support approximately 65 adults in paid work in and around Bexley in various roles across various business sectors.

Could you improve your social value and the life of someone with a learning disability by offering just a few hours of employment each week?

Watch our Bexley Twofold video (sponsored by Wates Residential).

Are you a Disability Confident employer?

Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with health conditions. Do you need help to work towards or become Disability Confident?

BBE can put you in touch with a local DWP representative to explore the scheme further or visit the Disability Confident employer scheme on GOV.UK website.

Bexley Skills (14 to 19)

Bexley Skills works with secondary school and post-16 education providers to support young people with careers and education information, advice, and guidance and help them make informed choices for their futures.

If your business could support a school or college to prepare its students for the workplace, get in touch. Your business could:

• present to students to improve their understanding of your industry, the types of jobs it has, and the skills required and entry routes
• offer experiences of the workplace through site visits or work experience
• mentor students who want to work in businesses just like yours
• provide mock job interviews or projects to help students get early experience of job searching and the world of work
• be part of Bexley’s Apprenticeship & Participation Event and offer apprenticeship and employment opportunities to school leavers and young people
• act as an Enterprise Adviser for a Bexley school through the East London Careers Hub or a whole lot more

To start a conversation about how your business could work with schools and colleges to prepare students for their futures and inspire the local talent pipeline email skills@bexley.gov.uk.