A NEW campaign encouraging people to consider a career with East Sussex County Council has launched amid a national recruitment crisis.

For the ‘We Choose East Sussex’ campaign, some of the local authority’s 11,000 employees have shone a light on the positives that drew them to their roles.
The support of colleagues, the chance to make a positive difference for residents, the flexibility to balance home and work life, and the varied career opportunities were among the positives they highlight.

The colourful campaign aims to address the recruitment crisis which is affected businesses and organisations across the country with growing numbers of people not in employment who are not looking for work.

It features the authentic voices of staff describing their jobs in their own words.

Councillor Nick Bennett, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for resources, said: “Nationally, we are experiencing labour shortage the level of which has not been seen for more than 20 years. As one of the biggest employers in the county, we are taking the recruitment crisis extremely seriously and looking at new and innovative ways to address it locally.

“As well as providing services that everyone relies upon, such as highways and education, we provide support to some of the most vulnerable people in East Sussex.  It is vital that we have the workforce to continue to deliver the best services as possible.”

He added: “The ‘We Choose East Sussex’ campaign highlights the many positives of working for a local authority by celebrating the reasons our staff choose to work at East Sussex County Council.

“We hope that the campaign will help people get a better understanding of what it’s like to work with us and tear down those presumed barriers to people pursuing a career with East Sussex County Council.”

Comments made by current employees in a video supporting the campaign include;

• “I used to live in London before my family and I moved down here to East Sussex. The hybrid working model in place here has been great. The flexibility allows me to work a couple of days from home. As a parent of two young children that is really important.”
• “I’ve had a varied and long career over the past 35 years and the public sector was an area I had not worked in before. This has been a fantastic opportunity for me to bring my years of experience and apply to new, public-facing roles.”
• “I’ve worked with the council for over 10 years, and I stay here because I find it really rewarding. I know that I am making a difference.”

The video which can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb5YRRAEQDs

More information about career opportunities can be found at www.eastsussex.gov.uk/jobs

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