Jobs News

Construction firms could be forced to take Reading recruits

By Linda Fort
November 05, 2012

Construction companies developing sites in Reading may have to promise to take on and train young people from the town if a council plan gets the go-ahead.

If the cabinet agrees tonight, Reading Borough Council will soon go out to consultation on a draft supplementary planning document which sets out the type of employment, skills and training measures it would like developers of major schemes to provide.

This could include things like creating apprenticeships, providing employment or training for the unemployed and young people and maximising the opportunities for the local workforce in the town.

The council is proposing to do this by building jobs, apprenticeships and training for local people into the planning process.

A draft employment, skills and training supplementary planning document will go to a meeting of Reading Borough Council’s Cabinet today for approval to start the consultation process.

The council’s lead member for regeneration, transport and planning, Councillor Tony Page, said: “At a time when ongoing economic problems make finding a job or even training opportunities difficult, building these requirements into this important document is one way the local authority can encourage businesses to share the responsibility.

“The key purpose is to help provide local people with the skills they need to move forward.”

The document which will go before the cabinet includes benchmarks indicating the council would like to see 50 per cent of the workers drawn from the local area.

In addition as an example a new building development of between £3.5 million and £9.99 million might be expected to employ 0.3 per cent 16-to-18-year olds, 0.3 per cent over 19s, 1.1 per cent people unemployed for less than six months and 0.8 per cent unemployed for more than six months.

All developments generating more than 50 jobs should include training initiatives and work experience.

The report to the cabinet says: “As well as a lack of basic skills, there is evidence of a shortage of skills in specific sectors from within Reading’s working age population, which clearly affects their ability to access new jobs being created.

“New development and employment growth will exacerbate existing skill shortages.

“This will lead to a greater proportion of the labour supply being sourced from outside Reading, which creates unsustainable long-distance commuting and added pressure on housing.”

Read the full draft employment, skills and training supplementary planning document and accompanying cabinet report, visit www.reading.gov.uk

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Most recent user comments 14 of 14

This is a similar policy to that many other local authorities have already implemented (successfully I might add) and it worked very well on the Olympic Park project. Whisper it, but this is a sensible move from RBC.

Hanuman
09/01/2013 at 14:07

Are these indigenous locals though? If not it is rather with the wasted effort eh?

Jason Bond
07/11/2012 at 10:26

The idea has potential but it depends on the companies giving proper training.

NotJohn, Reading
06/11/2012 at 10:24

#Bgleman

"Train them at the Kings Meadow Baths".

I don't believe they were looking at teaching someone to swing a sledgehammer and fill in holes with the rubble. I believe it is the more skillful trades which take four year apprenticeships to complete. As most of the construction jobs are knocked out in a year or two there will not be a lot of ongoing training.

parlovero, reading
06/11/2012 at 09:46

How many of the current construction crew rebuilding Reading Station ? Very bloody few is the answer.

I Ron
05/11/2012 at 23:18

My concern regarding this is that the local Maximus work programme provider will try and get local unemployed people, without construction experience, or the proper training, and that also extends to self-employment, into such opportunities. There is an increase in building site deaths, 49 in the last year, and this may not help matters.

There will also be an increase in self-employed labourers, but they will not know the first thing about completing tax returns, or CIS documentation.

THOMAS CASAGRANDA
05/11/2012 at 21:27

....get 'em busy up Shinfield.....

reynard, calcot
05/11/2012 at 17:56

Construction firms could be forced to take Reading recruits yes I agree, but give jobs to reading folk yes, we did this many years ago we set on 12 locales, who could do the job yes . train young people training initiatives and work experience. yes but its time and money will the government pay for it .if so yes

bugleman, reading
05/11/2012 at 17:22

Good idea. If the council is awarding contracts for building work then they're perfectly within their rights to negotiate conditions such as these.

Mountain Cat, Tilehurst
05/11/2012 at 17:20

Ok in principle, a great idea, Michel Platini made sure that many contracts for the euro championship went to French companies.

In all reality though, if the skillset needed isn't there, why be forced to take on someone just to make the tea or sweep the floor, solely because so idiotic piece of paper says they have too.

Whats needed is good Jobs which pay well and can bring much needed stability to the area.

Not PC schemes like this

The Racing Snake
05/11/2012 at 17:01

whitespirit yes no news as yet

bugleman, reading
05/11/2012 at 16:56

That would be KM baths which the council are discussing hadning over to a private developer this evening wouldn't it? Why no news story on that GR, the BBC are covering it.

whitespirit
05/11/2012 at 16:38

The council’s lead member for regeneration, transport and planning, Councillor Tony Page, yes train them at the kings meadow baths.have construction firm to put the baths in order. finding a job or even training opportunities difficult, affects their ability to access new jobs being created. Reading Borough Council and planning, Councillor Tony Page wake up . kings meadow baths anybody wont a job see Tony Page,

bugleman, reading
05/11/2012 at 16:36

And what have construction firms done to deserve having locals forced upon them? They must reall have hacked off someone important to have this brought down like a, er, ton of bricks....

"The report to the cabinet says: 'As well as a lack of basic skills, there is evidence of a shortage of skills in specific sectors from within Reading’s working age population...'"

A walk past M&S not 3 hours ago revealed exactly the skills locals have. Namely not having one's kids at school, talking 10x louder than the background noise of that section of Broad St, using expletives in a particularly screeching accent. I look forward to seeing more of the same, plus with added alcohol, on the way home.