WHO
KXR was initiated by Argent, and is implemented by a team of KXR staff. The service works with local residents and those living further afield looking for a job at King’s Cross.
WHAT
King’s Cross Recruit (KXR) is a skills and recruitment centre funded by Argent through the section 106 agreement. It opened in January 2014, 6 years after construction started on site. KXR acts as a placement or referral agency between those wanting a job at King’s Cross and those offering such jobs. It handles vacancies in any sector, though in practice these are largely in the retail and hospitality sectors. Jobs in construction are handled by the King’s Cross Construction Skills Centre, with training delivered in house and on site by contractors.
HOW
The remit of KXR is explicitly employer-focussed as it aims to find the best candidate for the job. Ideally these come from the local communities of Camden and Islington, but searches extend to other communities where necessary. Local employers provide details of vacancies which are posted on the KXR website and social media. KXR then works with local authorities, schools, colleges, skills and training agencies, social enterprises, charities and others to encourage referrals of suitable candidates. KXR interviews, screens and filters these before passing a shortlist on to employers. The current system does not offer job-ready training and must rely on local training providers. The recruitment centre finds that many candidates are not job-ready and therefore they can only help those who are work-ready which is seldom the case.
