Working Links (Employment) Ltd

Working Links (Employment) Limited

Changing Lives, Creating Futures
Founder	William Cook, Keith Faulkner, Sir Leigh Lewis
Headquarters	Middlesbrough, United Kingdom
Number of locations	100+ (2015)
Area served	UK, Ireland, Middle East
Key people	Brian Bell, MD, Stephen Moon, MD
Number of employees	2800
Divisions	Employability, International, Justice
Subsidiaries	Turas Nua - Ireland Wales CRC, Devon, Dorset & Cornwall CRC Bristol, Swindon, Wiltshire & Gloucestershire CRC.
Website	workinglinks.co.uk

Turas Nua - Ireland Wales CRC, Devon, Dorset & Cornwall CRC

Working Links (formally Working Links (Employment) Limited) was established in 2000 as a public, private and voluntary company that provides welfare services and help with employability. It was acquired by the investment group Aurelius in June 2016.

Working Links helps disadvantaged people including the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities and people with convictions. As of 2016 they have helped over 350,000 people into employment. It is one of the providers of the Work Programme initiative, that has helped more than 400,000 people into sustainable work in Britain. Their turnover grew from £63 million in 2006 to £123 million in 2012.

In 2012 company was the subject of fraud allegations made by its former chief auditor Eddie Hutchinson. Working Links denied the allegations stating that they have "a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and rigorous processes in place to handle any suspected incidents of fraud or other misconduct." The Department for Work and Pensions stated that the "allegations all relate to programmes run by the previous government" and that they have measures in place to prevent fraud.

Working Links was established in 2000 by the Shareholder Executive, Manpower, and Ernst & Young Consulting. Ernst & Young Consulting merged with Gemini Consulting, a branch of Cap Gemini, to form Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. Cap Gemini Ernst & Young was renamed Capgemini in 2004. The charity Mission Australia acquired a share of the company in 2006, rendering Working Links the first public, private and voluntary organisation in the UK.

European investment firm Aurelius acquired Working Links for an undisclosed sum in June 2016.

It has delivered contracts on behalf of government departments primarily to get people back into work, starting with Employment Zones and also including Pathways to Work, Progress to Work, New Deal, New Deal for Disabled People, Work Choice, ESF Family Support and Flexible New Deal.