Staffline Share News (STAF)

(Sharecast News) - Recruitment and training group Staffline said on Wednesday that its PeoplePlus division has secured £35m worth of contracts in the latest round of the Education and Skills Funding Agency's European Social Fund competition.The division currently delivers equivalent European Social Fund contracts worth £14m, so these wins represent an increase of 250% and make PeoplePlus the largest provider of skills support for the unemployed, with a market share of around 47%.The contracts, which kick off next month, will span a period of 27 months.Chief executive officer Chris Pullen said: "Expanding our presence in training and skills is a key strategic growth priority for our PeoplePlus division. These excellent competition results build on our outstanding track record of supporting unemployed people to move into work, and further demonstrates our continued success in transitioning PeoplePlus into the UK's leading skills and training provider."At 1430 GMT, the shares were up 1.5% to 873.03p.