Metro jobs campaign hits £15m

Bauer's Metro Radio in Newcastle has surpassed its own target of helping generate a million pounds worth of jobs in the region.

The stations says after four weeks of intense promotion, more than £15m worth of jobs have been featured on air and online.

Presenters have been appealing for local employers to inform them of any vacancies they currently have which are then mentioned for free on air and posted on the station’s website and Facebook pages. Positions have been posted from all different sectors with a good spread across the region with companies like Komatsu, Sage and Tesco getting involved. The station’s website page that features the jobs has had 40,000 unique users visit it during the campaign.

Bauer’s Regional Managing Director, Sally Aitchison said: "With unemployment levels across our region currently running at 10 percent we feel that as Newcastle's leading local radio station, Metro should play our part in getting people back into work. Having the ability to reach hundreds of thousands of people through our on air shows, the website and our Facebook page we expected businesses to see this as a golden opportunity; for us to reach the £1million so swiftly was a surprise and the current total is a significant achievement. The response from our local community has been overwhelming. Thanks to the presenters and team at Metro who all really got behind the campaign."

Prime Minister David Cameron was told about the campaign and commented: "This is brilliant news. I congratulate Metro Radio, all the employers that have come forward and everyone involved in the campaign for making this such a huge success, and I wish everyone starting a new job as a result of this campaign the best of luck."

Labour leader Ed Miliband also backed the initiative: "The North East has huge, huge talent and huge, huge potential. I know that from my many visits to the region and I know with campaigns like this that you can actually fight against the odds. So, that’s why I congratulate this campaign."