About Us

The Wise Group's vision is to work towards the creation of a fairer society that realises the potential of all its people.

The Wise Group was established in 1983 as a charitable company to provide long-term unemployed people with a route back to work, linking vocational training programmes to real work experience.

Today it is one of the UK's leading social enterprises, a £21 million business delivering employment-focussed activities to make a difference to people and communities. More than 400 staff support unemployed people from 216 locations across Scotland and the North East of England to find and keep a job, and provide regeneration and sustainable development services for local communities.

Over the last 25 years the Wise Group has worked with the belief that it can make a difference by helping people into employment and that work has the power to change peoples' lives.

2007 was a record year for the Wise Group, with 3,653 people moving into work, 20% ahead of targets set for the year.

In addition the following was achieved over 2007:

• 616 people gained a qualification
• 14,000 homes were fitted with energy efficiency or home safety and security measures
• 13 local communities benefited from physical regeneration activity
• 35,062 energy advice queries were answered
• 63,082 tonnes of carbon savings were achieved
  

Since 1983, a total of 25,000 people have moved into work with help from the Wise Group.