- Global Action Plan, British Gas and Accenture to train and employ young people-
- Hard pressed households to get energy efficiency boost thanks to new jobs-
British Gas has announced plans for 1,000 skilled jobs over the next three years. All the roles will be filled by unemployed young people.
The jobs, created by a partnership between leading environment charity Global Action Plan, British Gas and Accenture (NYSE: ACN), follows a recent report by the Work Foundation which finds that since the start of the recession, youth unemployment in the UK has risen faster than any other G8 nation.
The Transform partnership, supported by Jobcentre Plus, will give free sustainability training to 1,400 17-25 year olds not currently in education, employment or training. Every person that successfully completes the course will earn a BTEC qualification and is guaranteed an interview with British Gas – the UK’s largest energy supplier.
One thousand full-time roles have been created by British Gas, as part of its ECO (Energy Company Obligation) programme, to help deliver housing regeneration projects in local communities, enabling hard-pressed households to become more energy efficient.
Accenture supported the development of the training through its Skills to Succeed programme which will equip 500,000 people around the world by 2015 with the skills to get a job or build a business. Global Action Plan will help target young unemployed people within the local community and will deliver the training.
Under ECO, British Gas will deliver hundreds of community projects to install energy saving measures in homes– helping to cut energy bills, pulling households out of fuel poverty and saving millions of tonnes of carbon.
In November and December 2012, Transform was successfully piloted in Walsall and Glasgow where all 17 jobs on offer were filled.
The move comes in response to the UK’s continuing unemployment crisis with over one million 16-24 year-olds out of education, employment or training.
Trewin Restorick, CEO of Global Action Plan said: “The Transform programme will change the lives of young people up and down the country. The only way we’re going to solve the most pressing challenges in the economy is by working in partnership.”
Claire Williams, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy said: “Growth, unemployment and sustainability are big challenges for the country. Big British companies have a responsibility to make a positive contribution which is why we are taking action to create skilled green jobs in areas of low employment.
“This training will make a difference to unemployed young people who will get skills and jobs as well as hard-pressed households who will benefit from energy efficiency measures”.
Olly Benzecry, Senior Managing Director of Accenture in the UK and Ireland said:
“Accenture’s Skills to Succeed initiative equips thousands of young people who are not in employment with the skills they need to get a job. The Transform partnership reflects Accenture’s commitment to improving the communities in which we live and work, not only because it is helping to create employment but also because of its focus on providing sustainability training and green job opportunities.”
