Fed secures funding to create 1,600 housing jobs
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The National Housing Federation has won £15 million worth of funding to help it create thousands of jobs in unemployment hotspots across the country.
It found out this week that it had put in a successful joint-bid for government cash with Groundwork UK.
In a statement it said the money it secured from the Future Jobs Fund would be used to create up to 6,300 jobs in recession-hit communities in England and Wales.
Up to 1,600 jobs will be created specifically within the housing sector and will be delivered by the 63 housing association who have signed up to the partnership.
Further payments totalling £25 million are expected to be paid if targets are met.
The jobs, in areas such as environmental maintenance and green enterprise, will last for at least six months and provide a minimum of 25 hours work a week. The statement also boasted that employees would be paid ‘at least the minimum wage’.
David Orr, chief executive of the federation, said: ‘The investment will provide thousands of new jobs to people living in communities blighted by unemployment during the recession.
‘The scheme will equip people with both the new skills and practical experience to work in the emerging low carbon economy, where thousands of new jobs are expected to be created over the next few years.’
The housing associations involved will begin planning recruitment shortly and the first jobs should begin in October.
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Readers' comments (3)
Philip Jones | 30/07/2009 2:07 pm
I currently work for a medium sized construction Co. in Manchester carrying out insurance rectification works. The Co will cease trading at the the end of year and it has been announced that redundencies will take place.
I do have experience within the social housing sector from previous employment but I am finding it increasingly difficult to find a role suited to my skills, and more importantly a role which will help me in my chosen career path.
I have even gone to the extent as to offer my skills on a voluntary basis to see if this will help me find future employment.
If this bid is successful does anyone have any idea of the housing associations based in the North West of England that may be participating?
Thank You
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Miss Corfu | 30/07/2009 5:29 pm
In response to the above query - get in touch with Gordon Keenan at the National Housing Federation and he will be able to tell you which companies are involved.
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Jim Paton | 30/07/2009 9:29 pm
"...the emerging low carbon economy"? The disappearing low carbon economy, more like. 600 jobs going in the closure of Vestas, the only wind turbine manufacturer in the UK, the factory under occupation by workers and only hand-wringing from government.
Anyway, the "low carbon economy" is a notion hobbled by the dominant fixation with CO2 to the exclusion of more damaging greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide (not that reducing CO2 isn't imperative, too) and the mad attempt to feed wind power into the wreck which is the national grid. Wind power is useful on a small, local scale, preferably with a means of storage, but is completely inappropriate for the outdated industrial model of power production. The only technology which makes sense on that mega-scale is tidal power, whilst small-scale water power offers much more reliable and sensible generation on the local scale, to which all electricity generation should be progressively shifting.
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