A RECRUITMENT company has won a series of contracts which are worth millions of pounds and will fill hundreds of jobs over the next few years.

Jo Hand Recruitment, which has offices in Darlington and Middlesbrough, has secured six major supply contracts in less than two months, and has taken on three extra staff to cope with its growing workload, with the prospect of more recruitment to come.

Two of the new contracts are with Darlington and Stockton Borough Councils and the others are with large private sector companies which are also based in the Tees Valley.

The contracts will run for between two and six years and involve hundreds of jobs in the local area, both temporary and permanent.

The contracts are potentially worth about £10m in sales to the recruitment company.

Jo Hand, the founder of the company, said she believes it shows better economic times ahead.

She added: “It is the surest sign yet that employers can see past the recent economic downturn, and while some are reluctant to commit to permanent new staff, they are making the necessary preparations in order to take advantage of improved trading conditions.”

Jo Hand Recruitment, which started life on Teesside and opened its second branch in Darlington earlier this year, has seen strong growth since its inception in 2006, and achieved £1m turnover in only its second year.

It has a portfolio of more than 150 clients throughout the Tees Valley area.

Ms Hand said: “Recruitment has always been a very good indicator of employer confidence.

“We are now seeing permanent placements come in once again as the temporary business continues to increase sharply.

“We have more permanent vacancies to work on this month than we have seen in the past year, which is a really positive sign, not just for us but also the local economy.”