Worldwide Staffing's new Scotland office expands opportunities for SA job seekers

L-R: Quintus Sliep, managing director at Worldwide Staffing Solutions with Alex Cullen, director of the Scotland office

"Countries now need to do everything they can to stop this jobs crisis from deepening into an irreversible socio-economic disaster. This means rebuilding labour markets to be more flexible and resilient," explains Quintus Sliep, managing director at Worldwide Staffing. "It is with this urgent need in mind that we decided to expand our South African Temporary Employment Service offering into the UK market."

While South Africa faces a lack of job opportunities, the UK is faced with the converse and is predicted to be 2.6 million workers short by 2030.

"Workforce International Scotland was established with the intention to alleviate the devastating effects of unemployment in South Africa, while addressing a critical labour shortage in the UK by means of temporary employment placements through our company, which is fully registered in the UK," Sliep continues.

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Here we chat to Sliep further about the company's expansion and what it means for South African job seekers.

What made Scotland an attractive destination for the expansion of Worldwide Staffing Solutions?

The UK, and more specifically Scotland, has a serious shortage of skilled employees in the majority of sectors. We were lucky enough to partner with a Scottish businessman and now a director of the business (Alex Cullen), through other successful contracts we executed abroad. The combination of a need and our ability to fulfil that need made perfect commercial sense.

What are the benefits for South Africans in the organisation having an office there?

By having an office in Scotland, we can give the employees/candidates that are considering working in Scotland an opportunity to make informed decisions about their future as our focus is to be the perfect intermediary between the candidate and the employer offering the opportunity. Many individuals leave for a foreign country and dream of a successful career, only to be faced with a different reality than they were led to believe. Our focus in Scotland is to be solution-driven, to both the employee and the client. Having an office in Scotland allows us to provide the solution.

We will be offering South Africans struggling to find permanent employment at home the opportunity to earn a living abroad, on a flexible but fixed-term basis. In addition to being able to provide for their families back home, South Africans will also benefit from on-the-job training, which means that they will return home at the end of their contract, bringing with them new skills and workplace knowledge from Europe that can be positively applied for the growth of the South African economy.

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What services do you offer South Africans seeking employment in the area?

Employees wanting to work in the UK are faced with a few challenges. The biggest of these challenges is securing employment. With our client base and our footprint in Scotland, we are in a favourable position to assist employees in securing employment. Because we have employees based in SA and recruiting from SA, the employee has increased potential to secure the position. The second challenge is the application for worker visas in the UK. We assist the successful individual to apply for and obtain worker visas. We furthermore assist with flights and accommodation, depending on client needs and requirements.

What are some of the opportunities available for South African job seekers through your service?

We have opportunities in the following sectors:

• Meat industry
  
• Agriculture
  
• Technical
  
• Transport
  
• Logistics and warehousing

Can you share some advice with South Africans looking abroad for work?

• Be sure that you are ready to work abroad
  
• Do your homework on what to expect living and working abroad
  
• Understand your Visa conditions
  
• Plan your finances abroad and relevant taxes
  
• Embrace the new cultures
  
• Enjoy the experience!