Lone
parents and the long-term unemployed could hold the key to solving engineering
skills shortages after the launch of a training scheme to fill 4,500 jobs in
the energy sector.
Ambition:
Energy is a new initiative between employers and the Government which aims to
beat skills shortages by training the long-term unemployed.
Firms
including British Gas,TotalFinaElf and British Energy have already conducted
pilot plans with particular emphasis on the key government employment targets
of lone parents and the long-term unemployed.
Rod
Kenyon, HR director at Centrica said the pilots had already led to permanent
jobs for four previously unemployed single parents: “It helps us recruit
trainees to become engineers at a time when there are skills shortages. The
initiative will also allow us to recruit from non-traditional areas,” he said.
“It
is an added route to get people back into work. It’s good for the Government
because it helps reduce long term unemployment and is a way of training people
and getting them into jobs quickly.”
The
engineering training course includes a part-time option to help parents and
Kenyon said the firm is also looking to introduce a lifestyle contract,
allowing lone parents to choose their own hours.
Energy
is the latest sector to join the Ambition scheme, which has already started in
construction, retail and IT.
