Engensa to create new jobs

New analysis by Engensa, one of the UK’s fastest-growing solar energy companies, believes that the UK’s Feed-in Tariff (FiT) will create 10,000 green jobs by April  2012. First introduced in April 2010 to support domestic alternative energy production, the policy is expected to create nearly 50,000 additional jobs by 2015 if kept at current levels, according to Engensa’s research. In addition, in the short term, the solar industry is generating more tax revenue for UK plc than is being paid out on the FiT: Engensa estimates up to £65m positive value in the period ending April 2012.

Source:  Engensa 

A pledge has been made by the leaders of London councils to make jobs and training opportunities part of the deal when negotiating contracts with suppliers.

All of London’s 33 local authorities endorsed The Procurement Pledge on Employment and Skills at a meeting of London Councils’ Leaders’ Committee on Tuesday (13 December).

London boroughs and the City of London spend over £8bn annually on contracts for goods and services. By writing requirements for apprenticeships, work placements, or local recruitment into new contracts, and working with existing contractors on a voluntary basis, many hundreds of employment and training opportunities can be created.

Councils are unique in that there are many careers that apprentices can pursue in the same organisation – both in the town hall and in the communities served by the authority.

Each borough will decide exactly how the pledge will work in their area and will start by March. There are a number of options as to how the commitment can be delivered, including:

• set an internal target to increase the number of training and job opportunities to be created through procurement
• look at existing contracts and seek voluntary commitment from contractors to create apprenticeships and other opportunities
• promote their policy and commitment to contractors and to the wider public through meetings, events and media
• endorse London Councils’ procurement guidelines and adopt for use in the borough.

Contractors could be asked to recruit a set number of apprentices or a percentage of the workforce locally. A quota of work placements could be offered to young people, graduates, or unemployed people, and contractors could seek more opportunities for workless people through their own supply chains.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Steve Reed said: “In these tough economic times, boroughs are committed to helping people equip themselves with the skills they need to find work and in helping them to get back to the jobs market.

“This pledge sends a clear message to potential contractors that local authorities across London will use their spending power to reduce unemployment in the area.

“The success of the apprenticeships scheme shows the potential in working with supply chains to create employment and improve skills. Many boroughs are already encouraging their contractors to create jobs and training opportunities but there is the potential to do much more.”

Source:  London Councils