Tag: employment

Shocks, Knocks and Skill Building Blocks

All round support is key to digital skills-powered recovery, says new report

Equipping people with soft skills and tackling motivational barriers can switch them onto learning new digital skills, according to a new report.

The findings come in ‘Shocks, knocks and skill building blocks’, from leading digital inclusion charity Good Things Foundation, following a one-year programme of work in partnership with Accenture and Nesta.

It highlights the need for help for people to learn soft skills, such as increased confidence, better decision-making and resilience to setbacks, to lay the foundations for workers to embrace digital skills and thrive.

The impact of COVID-19 on the jobs market is visible – and with unemployment forecast to hit 2.6 million by the middle of 2021 and digital skills more important and in-demand than ever, the findings offer a proven route to employability success.

The Future Proof: Skills for Work programme was designed to build work-related digital skills for unemployed or underemployed people, helping them achieve sustained employability outcomes.

With the global pandemic shaking the employment landscape to its core, the jobs market is a very competitive space where workers are required to be both digitally skilled and adaptable. Yet whilst 82% of roles require digital skills, 52% of working age adults do not yet have them.

Working with 13 community partners and helping over 900 people, the programme focused on understanding the barriers faced by learners – and how these can be overcome to help close the digital skills gap.

As a result of the programme, which was delivered remotely in communities after lockdown hit the UK last March, 70% of participants believe their digital skills have improved while 68% believe they are better prepared for employment.

The greatest change in attitude was around resilience in the face of challenges, with 27% of learners experiencing a positive change.

The project also saw a larger number of employed and higher-educated workers engaging with Good Things Foundation’s community partners and the Future Proof programme.

The new report also:

  • Highlights the crucial role of hyperlocal community organisations, arguing they are best placed to help people build confidence and learn digital skills simultaneously.
  • Calls for a move away from a tick-list approach to skills – including digital – to one that instead accommodates natural changes and fluctuations.

Helen Milner, Chief Executive of Good Things Foundation, said: “Working with Accenture, Nesta and our community partners, Future Proof has been ahead of the curve in terms of predicting new audience demand, skills and motivations and helping people gain digital skills alongside greater confidence and broader skills.

“Remote working due to COVID-19 has changed working patterns permanently. This makes upskilling the workforce even more vital. With the UK in the grips of another national lockdown and nine million adults unable to use the internet without help, the Government needs to demonstrate a strong commitment to fix the digital divide, to support economic recovery.”

Camilla Drejer, Director of UK & Ireland Corporate Citizenship at Accenture said: “At Accenture, we recognise how critical it is to support people in building new skills. This programme is not just helping people learn the digital skills needed today but also motivating participants to commit to life-long learning and develop a confidence about the opportunities that the digital economy brings.

“Through the Future Proof programme, we are pleased to have been able to help participants understand this shift, plan for the future and take charge of their careers.  We believe that it is our duty as a responsible business to focus on the value we can create and this programme is an important aspect of that.”

The full report is available to download here.

More support into employment for vulnerable teenagers

Funding to help more vulnerable young people across Scotland into work has been announced by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop.

Part of the Scottish Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee, the £986,702 investment will provide specialist pre-employment support for an additional 1,300 16 and 17-year-olds.

Two existing programmes delivered in partnership with the third sector – Our Future Now and Discovering Your Potential – will provide the support.  

Ms Hyslop said: “This pandemic continues to hit us hard – especially our young people who are facing fewer opportunities, and even more so for those who are vulnerable and have recently left school.

“As part of our national mission to create jobs, and through our Young Person’s Guarantee, we must all work together to help this generation who have been caught so cruelly in the eye of the coronavirus (COVID-19) storm.

“These two dedicated programmes, delivered in partnership with the third sector, will allow us to help even more young people access the support they need to build their confidence and develop valuable skills that employers require.”

Vulnerable young people are defined as those with multiple barriers to employment. This includes:

  • young people at risk of not being in education, employment, or training
  • young carers
  • young care-experienced people
  • young people with disabilities
  • young people with previous convictions
  • young homeless people
  • young people mental health issues
  • young refugees

Further information regarding the Young Person’s Guarantee can be found here.

Inspiring Scotland, who deliver Our Future Now, will receive funding of £500,702.

For further information please contact enquiries@inspiringscotland.org.uk.

The Young Person’s Consortium, which includes Barnardo’s, Action for Children, and The Princes Trust, deliver Discovering Your Potential. They will receive funding of £486,000.

For further information please contact tommy.mcdade@barnardos.org.uk.

Workers asked to shield should not have to choose between their life and livelihood

On Monday Boris Johnson, in response to mounting evidence and calls to take urgent steps to protect the public, announced a new lockdown, the third we’ve had to date. The government must ensure that those asked to shield are able to do so (writes TUC’s Quinn Roache).

New strains of coronavirus are spreading like wildfire. 

The new strain of the virus is 50% to 70% more transmissible and levels of infections are increasing to record levels, leading to huge strains on hospitals across the country.  

Disabled people make up the majority of those who have died from Covid-19 – government statistics show that disabled people accounted for 3 in 5 covid-19 deaths. This is why it is imperative that, going into this new lockdown, disabled people who are told to shield can do so effectively.    

Impact 

This new lockdown is having a tangible impact on everyone. It impacts on many workers physical and mental health as well as livelihoods and income.  

This is particularly true of those who’ve been asked to shield. A group the government have termed ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, which means they have a higher risk of severe illness if infected.  

Evidence suggests that in England this group is almost 4% of the population, or 1 in 25 people, and that they are disproportionately more likely to be disabled. 

Disabled workers previously asked to shield told the TUC they felt forgotten and overlooked. They told us that the first lockdown left them isolated, without access to basic needs like food and a negative impact on both their physical and mental health1.  

The government must do better this time.  

Government advice to those who should shield 

Their guidance is that those advised to shield should no longer attend work, school, college or university.  

And that they should limit the time they spend outside their home, only going out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. 

Shield confirmation 

Many people asked to shield will have done so already and they and their employers will have a good understanding of how to proceed throughout this lockdown.  

However, it is important for employers and workers to understand the changing nature of the shielding group.  

Since the start of the pandemic, workers will have come on and off the shielding list as their health conditions have changed. For example, those who were newly diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing active chemotherapy would have only just be put on the shielding list.  

To avoid any confusion, everyone who needs to shield will be sent a letter by the government to confirm their shield status. However, receiving confirmation you should shield has not been a seamless process in the past. 

In the first lockdown many people who were at very high risk from the virus were not on the list of those who should shield and, as a result, did not receive a letter advising them to do so.  

Government guidance says, a GP or hospital clinician can add individuals to the Shielded Patient List if, based on their clinical judgement, they deem to them be at higher risk of serious illness if they catch the virus.  

Workers who do not receive a letter telling them shield but who think they should be on the list should speak to their clinician or GP.  

Furlough 

It is vital that workers advised to shield should stay at home to protect their health, however, being told to shield and being able to afford to do so are two different things.  

We’ve been told that although employers have access to the furlough scheme not all of them are using it so often those most at risk from the virus, are not being furloughed.  

Employers should ensure that shielding workers who cannot work from home are offered an alternative role they can fulfil from home. Failing that, shielding workers should be furloughed.  

Workers told to shield from any sector, public, private or the charity/third sector, who can not work from home but cannot return to the workplace must be furloughed. And to ensure this group’s health, the job retention scheme should be open to workers who live with someone told to shield and who cannot work from home.  

Nobody should be losing pay as a result of an existing health condition and NHS advice to shield. No one should have to choose between their life and livelihood.  

This is why the government, upon the urging of unions, has extended the job retention scheme to the end of April 2021 and which means furloughed workers will continue to receive up to 80% of their salary up to £2,500 which employers can claim back from the government. Employers can, and we believe should where they can afford it, top up wages to 100 per cent. 

The government must also make sure benefits like statutory sick pay and universal credit pay the real living wage. It must repair the UK’s safety net as far too many people, around 14 million, were already living in poverty before the virus struck. Disabled people are disproportionality effected by this as nearly half of all people living in poverty in the UK are disabled themselves or live with someone who is.   

People who lose their jobs must get the support they need to make ends meet and to get back on their feet.  

Without fixing these benefits, many risk being plunged into poverty.  

TUC recommendations 

The TUC is calling on all employers to: 

  • ensure that shielding workers who cannot work from home are offered an alternative role they can fulfil from home. Failing that, shielding workers should be furloughed. 

The TUC is calling on the government to: 

  • raise the basic level of Universal Credit for the duration of the outbreak to 80% of the real living wage – or £260 a week  
  • raise sick pay from £94 a week to the equivalent of a week’s pay at the Real Living Wage – around £320 a week. 

Save Our Jobs: Casino industry appeals to Scottish Government to lift closure restrictions

·         ‘The Chips Are Down: Save Our Casinos, Save Our Jobs’ campaign is urging First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon to lift restrictions and allow casino venues to reopen in Level 2

·         More than 700 people employed by the casino industry face job uncertainty whilst venues stay closed

After weeks of closure and with hundreds of jobs at risk, the casino industry in Scotland has joined forces to urge the Scottish Government to change its current tiering restrictions which are forcing venues to remain closed.

11 casino venues in Scotland which support more than 700 jobs in Aberdeen, Dundee Edinburgh and Glasgow, have launched a petition encouraging its customers to write to the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to enable the recovery of the sector by allowing casinos to open in Level 2.

Led by Scotland’s largest casino operator, Grosvenor Casinos and with the support of Genting Casinos, Caesars Entertainment and trade association Betting and Gaming Council, ‘The Chips Are Down: Save Our Casinos, Save Our Jobs’ campaign points to the belief that the casino industry is being unfairly singled out.

Whilst pubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas are able to continue to trade in Level 2 or below, the shutters came down on casino venues when the Scotland Strategic Framework was announced, putting jobs and livelihoods at risk.

Casinos are stressing the urgent need for the Scottish Government to lift the current restrictions imposed and allow venues to open in Level 2, and are asking the government to better understand the evidence which clearly points to casinos as ultra-safe venues.

Jonathon Swaine, Managing Director of Grosvenor Casinos, said: “We cannot stress enough how damaging it is that casinos across Scotland are being imposed with these arbitrary restrictions.

“As an industry we provide ultra-safe venues for colleagues and customers to visit. There is not a shred of scientific evidence which supports the decision to keep casinos closed in Level 2 while other hospitality venues are able to stay open.

“If Scottish casinos are forced to remain closed it will have a devastating impact on those customers who enjoy their local venues as a community hub, on team members who will lose their jobs, on the local suppliers it serves, on the charities that they are proud to support, as well as on the wider economy which will lose millions of pounds in tax receipts.”

Out of 30,000 unique admissions through the doors since reopening in August, there has been just one recorded case of coronavirus transmission within any casino in Scotland, with 87% of casino customers saying that they feel safe in a casino compared to other entertainment and hospitality venues.*

Casino businesses have invested millions of pounds to ensure venues are safe for its colleagues and customers to play, installing PPE such as plexiglass screens between gaming tables, ID scanning technology upon entry, hand sanitiser stations and social distancing signage throughout venues.

The casino industry in Scotland contributed £30m in tax a year to the UK economy, but the continued and unjustified closure of casinos in Scotland is threatening to shut their doors for good.

Michael Dugher, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council, said: “Casinos in Scotland safely re-opened in August, with excellent anti-Covid measures in place, and there is absolutely no evidence that they contribute to the spread of virus.

“Closing them makes no sense, especially when other parts of the hospitality sector are being allowed to stay open. That’s why the industry is rallying together to urge the Scottish Government to think again, remove casinos from Level 2 and let them get back to business.”

To add your support to ‘The Chips Are Down: Save Our Casinos, Save Our Jobs’ campaign petition and for more information www.savecasinossavejobs.com

Upskilling and reskilling opportunities for employees

More employers across Scotland can now apply for funding to provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities for their existing staff.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) helps businesses continue to invest in their workforce and is available for all of Scotland’s employers who are subject to the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. For the first time, the fund will now be available for both levy payers and SMEs, across the private, public and third sectors.

In August the Scottish Government announced immediate investment in jobs to provide the foundations for a strong economic recovery from coronavirus (COVID-19). As part of this, the FWDF, which is now in its fourth year, was doubled to £20m for 2020/21, with £13 million made available through the first phase to allow colleges to provide additional support for levy paying employers.

The second phase of the fund, backed by £7 million, will also be utilised to respond directly to the impacts of the pandemic, and will open to applications 16 November 2020.

Of this, £5 million will be available to support SMEs through a college and Open University in Scotland partnership, while Skills Development Scotland will offer a new option which will test the use of private training providers for levy paying businesses who require specialist training.

Business, Fair Work and Skills Minister Jamie Hepburn said: “Opportunities for training are essential for both employers and employees, and in August we doubled funding for our Flexible Workforce Development Fund to £20 million for 2020/21 to ensure businesses across Scotland can continue to invest in their workforce.

“As this fund adapts and responds to the impacts of the pandemic, we will also see the introduction of additional delivery partners including the Open University in Scotland and private training providers for employers who require more specialist training.

“By strengthening upskilling the existing workforce, in partnership with colleges, we can retain jobs and support employers as they pivot and adapt to a new and very different working environment as a result of the pandemic.”

Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chair, said: “This new funding could help many Scottish smaller businesses, and their staff teams, navigate the current crisis and ensure they’re prepared to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.

“FSB has been making the case to open up this cash pot to local firms, and we’d encourage all sorts of smaller operators to investigate how to access this support to build their business and develop their employees.”

Susan Stewart, Director of The Open University in Scotland, said: “The Open University in Scotland has led in the development of new skills for those facing redundancy, furlough or sectoral job pressures as a result of COVID-19.

“We welcome this funding which allows us to deliver support at scale to small and medium sized businesses across Scotland providing vital training as they adapt to new ways of working post pandemic.

“We will help businesses with a tailored, flexible package of online training to boost productivity and upskill and retrain employees particularly in those areas where skills gaps exist across Scotland like business management, digital, health and social care and the green economy.”

Find out more about the FWDF through The Open University, Scottish Funding Council, Our Skillforce.

More information on Phase 2 of the FWDF will also be available here shortly.

Race Inequality in the Workforce

Race Inequality in the Workforce: Analysing the state of play in the coronavirus economy

The impact of Covid-19 on the labour market has affected specific groups of workers more than others, including those with an ethnic minority background.  In this new report, we explore evidence that shows the specific impact that the pandemic has had on Black and ethnic minority workers, demonstrating the ways in which they face a range of additional risks during the economic downturn, in terms of both loss of employment and poorer quality work.

The report makes 11 recommendations for government and employers to ensure that job quality is protected for all and that groups at particular risk are safeguarded. 

This short report complements our Good Work for Wellbeing in the Coronavirus Economy report which was launched last month.  It seeks to understand how we can ensure the best possible jobs recovery and achieve good work for all in the coronavirus economy.

You can read Race Inequality in the Workforce: Analysing the state of play in the coronavirus economy here.

You can read Good Work for Wellbeing in the Coronavirus Economy here.

Join the conversation on Twitter @CarnegieUKTrust or please feel free to get in touch via Georgina Bowyer, Policy and Development Officer (georgina@carnegieuk.org).

Sarah Davidson

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust

Twitter: @CarnegieUKTrust

www.carnegieuktrust.org.uk

Job Support Scheme launches

Millions of jobs will continue to be supported over the winter months with the UK government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) available to businesses across the UK from Sunday, 1 November.

  • combined with the Job Retention Bonus (JRB), the Job Support Scheme (JSS) will cover at least 95% of the total employment costs for average previously furloughed employee until February
  • when factoring in the JRB analysis shows employers will receive the full employment costs of around half of people on JSS Open – which is available to businesses across all parts of the UK from Sunday
  • data shows the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has successfully protected jobs – with 90% of people returning to the same job after being furloughed

It comes as analysis reveals the generosity of the government’s income support schemes – with many firms receiving the full employment costs of staff.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “I’m pleased that the IMF this week called our response to the pandemic one of the best examples of coordinated action globally – the furlough scheme has been central to that, supporting 9.6 million jobs through some of the most challenging economic times.

“But it’s right that as we move towards a more targeted approach to tackle the virus, our support becomes more targeted too.

“The Jobs Support Scheme will continue to protect jobs throughout the difficult months ahead and is part of our comprehensive Plan for Jobs.”

The JSS scheme launches on Sunday and is designed to support businesses across the whole of the UK who are either legally required to close or facing lower demand over the winter months.

Under the JSS Open part of the scheme, which was made more generous last week, the government contributes 62% towards the wages of staff for the hours they do not work, whilst the employers pay just 5% plus NICS and pensions contributions. Employees receive a minimum of 73% of their wages.

Under JSS Closed, which is for businesses legally required to close due to coronavirus restrictions, the government will pay two thirds of each employees’ salary with employers just covering NICs and pension contributions, a very small proportion of overall employment costs.

Firms who retain staff that have previously been furloughed until the end of January will also receive a £1,000 per eligible employee payment under the JRB.

Taken together, the two schemes (JSSO and JRB) will cover 95% of the employment costs of the average previously furloughed employee until the end of January. For those earning less than £1,100 per month the JRB offsets all the employer costs of the JSS Open– meaning businesses will not have to make any contributions. Under the original CJRS around half of furloughed workers had earnings below this level.

For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

The CJRS closes today on Saturday 31 October ahead of the JSS launch tomorrow on Sunday 1 November.

As the scheme draws to a close new data published by HMRC shows that during the scheme’s eight month life it has protected 9.6 million jobs through some of the most challenging economic times the country has ever faced – with 90% of those coming off furlough by August returning to the same job.

The JSS and JRB are just one part of the UK Government’s package of measures that includes the extended business grants and Self-Employed Income Support Schemes announced last week, which will continue to support businesses and livelihoods across the country over the winter months.

Further information:

  • there is no gap in support between the CJRS and JSS
  • the deadline for submitting CJRS claims is 30 November
  • the JSS launches on 1 November, and employers can submit claims directly to HMRC from December 2020
  • HMRC stats show that 90% of those coming of furlough before August returned to the same job
  • for more information, see the Covid-19 Financial Support Package: Fact Sheet (PDF, 189KB, 10 pages)

Case studies

Example 1 – Job Support Scheme Open

  • Andrew normally works 5 days a week and earns £1400 a month, working in at a restaurant in the hospitality sector. His company is suffering reduced sales due to coronavirus. Rather than making Andrew redundant, the company puts Andrew on the Job Support Scheme, working 20% of his usual hours.
  • His employer pays Andrew £280 a month for these hours.
  • And for the time he is not working (80%), he will get 66.67% of his pay for that time. His total wage package is 73%, equal to £1,027. The government will give a grant worth £691 (61.67% of hours not worked) to Andrew’s employer to support them in keeping Andrew’s job, and his employer will pay a further £56 for hours not worked (5% of wages).
  • In addition, the employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment (£56).
  • His employer may also be eligible for the Job Retention Bonus worth £1,000, this would cover 94.6% of employers total costs for retaining Andrew on the JSS between November and January.
  • For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

Example 2 – Job Support Scheme Open

  • Elena normally works part-time and earns £1,100 a month. Her company is suffering reduced sales due to coronavirus. Rather than making Elena redundant, the company puts Elena on the Job Support Scheme, working 20% of her usual hours.
  • Her employer pays Elena £220 a month for these hours.
  • And for the time she is not working (80%), she will get 66.67% of her pay for that time. Her total wage package is 73%, equal to £807.
  • The government will give a grant worth £543 (61.67% of hours not worked) to Elena’s employer to support them in keeping Elena’ job, and her employer will pay a further £44 for hours not worked (5% of wages).
  • In addition, the employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment (£19).
  • Her employer may also be eligible for the Job Retention Bonus worth £1,000, this would cover over 100% of employers total costs for retaining Elena on the JSS between November and January.
  • For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

Example 3 – Job Support Scheme Closed

  • Charlie normally earns £1,400 a month and his company needs to close due to coronavirus. Rather than making Charlie redundant, the company puts Charlie on the Job Support Scheme Closed.
  • The government will give a grant worth 66.67% of Charlie’s pay to his employer to support them in keeping Charlie’ job.
  • That means for the time he is not working, he will get 66.67% of his pay. His total wage package is equal to £933.
  • The employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment.
  • For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

Example 4 – Job Support Scheme Closed

  • Dalia normally earns £1,100 a month part-time and her company needs to close due to coronavirus. Rather than making Dalia redundant, the company puts Dalia on the Job Support Scheme Closed.
  • The government will give a grant worth 66.67% of Dalia’s pay to her employer to support them in keeping Dalia’s job.
  • That means for the time she is not working, she will get 66.67% of her pay. Her total wage package is equal to £733.
  • The employer will cover the Employer NICs and autoenrollment pension contribution on the payment.
  • For many lower earning employees on Universal Credit (UC), the combined impact of the support of the JSS and UC will mean they could receive around 90% of their normal net income (whilst working only 20% of the hours).

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says there are still gaps in support that need to be filled, despite the Treasury’s support schemes.

The mortgage holiday scheme introduced at the start of the Covid-19 crisis ends on Saturday as does the job furlough scheme, which is being replaced by the Job Support Scheme.

It will leave a fifth of mortgage holders – around 1.6 million households – worried about paying their mortgage over the next three months, according to the poverty charity.

JRF said: “There is a real risk that mortgage-holders on low incomes will be pulled into poverty and hardship.

“890,000 working households with a mortgage expect to see a drop in earnings over the next month, but 85% of them – 750,000 households – aren’t eligible for any government support with their housing costs.

“It’s not right that during a time of huge uncertainty, many households are discovering that they are excluded from the only lifeline that could help meet their housing costs,” said Darren Baxter, policy and partnerships manager at the charity.”

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation wants the Support for Mortgage Interest payment to be reformed to help people who lose their jobs to keep their homes as they weather the coronavirus storm.

New research from Zero Waste Scotland and Circle Economy reveals scale of sustainable jobs

More than 200,000 jobs are already contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable Scotland, while thousands more roles could be created through the green recovery post-Covid19, experts have found.

A landmark report from Zero Waste Scotland and Circle Economy published today (Wednesday 28 October, 2020) shows the number of existing Scottish jobs operating within the circular economy, which keeps goods and materials in a ‘loop’ of use to maximise their value and minimise waste and the carbon emissions that causes.

It comes as Scotland’s decision-makers look to grow new ‘green’ jobs as they plan the country’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Scotland’s circular economy expert organisation, Zero Waste Scotland, helps businesses and consumers reduce waste and emissions to combat climate change. It produced the report – the first national assessment of ‘circular’ jobs and of future requirements for roles and skills in three priority areas in Scotland – working with fellow experts at Circle Economy in the Netherlands.

The circular economy is about making things last: through smarter design, and reusing, repairing and remanufacturing to create new items from old – all to keep products and materials within the economy for as long as possible.

It promises to maximise value from the goods we already have in circulation while relieving pressure on finite natural materials, like oil and precious metals. These resources are in high demand to create new products, yet those products are often thrown away by consumers after only a short amount of time.

Findings from the report, entitled The Future of Work: Baseline Employment Analysis and Skills Pathways for the Circular Economy, show Scotland is in a strong position to benefit from the circular economy, with 8.1% of jobs already linked to the circular economy. That’s on a par with other countries where similar  assessments have been conducted, like the Netherlands and Belgium.

The research also identifies a wide-ranging mix of new circular roles and skills needed to help Scotland Build Back Better by forging a truly national circular economy. It sets out a vision of the future of work in three priority areas – construction, the bioeconomy and capital projects, such as decommissioning energy infrastructure from oil rigs to wind turbines.

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “Scotland has long been recognised as a leading nation on the circular economy so it’s heartening to see that so many jobs are already operating within circular business models, and we know there is scope for many more.

“As a nation we are preparing to Build Back Better following the coronavirus pandemic – while we’re just 12 months away from some of the most important climate negotiations of recent times in COP26, being held in Glasgow next year¹. What better time to make sure we stimulate growth while respecting the limits of our natural environment.

“The circular economy offers a way forward that can help Covid-hit businesses futureproof their operations, making them less vulnerable to future supply chain issues, while also generating opportunities for inward investment and new ‘green’ jobs.”

Scotland’s Environment Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, said: “In these uncertain times, it’s more important than ever that we design a better future and see things put back together differently.

“It is vital that we draw on our experience of coronavirus – the things we’ve learned about how we work, travel and live – and apply this to our approach to Scotland’s green recovery, and to achieving net-zero.

“A thriving circular economy will play a critical role in ending Scotland’s contribution to climate change, and we must all – government, businesses, industry and individuals – be a part of driving this – and to ensuring our journey to net-zero is fair for everyone.

“I welcome the Future of Work report, which shows we are well on our way to evolving jobs that help drive our net-zero ambitions while ensuring we deliver a fairer economy in which everyone in Scotland can thrive.”

The study has been launched alongside a Circular Jobs Monitor tool from partner Circle Economy. This online tool enables users to see how many of a country’s existing jobs are associated with the circular economy, and how it compares to other nations.

Scotland’s figure includes directly circular jobs – such as those in the repair sector, design-related fields like architecture, or renting and leasing activities – as well as indirectly circular jobs, such as teachers, which provide services to primary circular activities.

The study shows that most circular jobs in Scotland are concentrated in southwestern and eastern regions, together accounting for more than 75% of all circular Scottish jobs – although in relative terms, all regions show a similar circular share of employment of between 7% and 9.8%.

Further information about regional circular jobs can be found on pages 18 to 23 of the report.

Mr Gulland continued: “For Scotland to maximise the benefits of a more sustainable economy we need to work towards all jobs being ‘circular’. It’s important to ensure we overcome Covid-19 and end our nation’s contribution to the climate crisis by 2045.

“Our landmark report identifies how we can do that, highlighting gaps which we need to fill and exciting new job opportunities in three key sectors. The circular economy is an opportunity for all parts of Scotland, urban and rural, to benefit from forward-looking jobs that are less susceptible to market pressures and help preserve our environment at the same time.”

The Future of Work: Baseline Employment Analysis and Skills Pathways for the Circular Economy is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website.

Construction: A plan for recovery

The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has published a plan for the sector’s recovery from the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The plan, which has been created following extensive consultation, focuses on the joint action required between the industry and the public sector to respond to the pandemic.

The plan will work towards maximising support for employers and employees and establishing new ways of working to manage infection control, health and safety and shared learning opportunities.

A range of immediate actions in the plan are almost complete, with remaining ones now moving into implementation. Short and medium term initiatives include work to help apprentices into trades and preparing the industry to deliver a net-zero built environment.

The recovery plan will be flexible and able to respond to industry needs and economic conditions going forward.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This recovery plan has been developed through unprecedented levels of collaboration across industry and with Government. We will now also work with the sector to help implement the plan’s actions.

“There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on construction. It is absolutely vital for the economic recovery, and to protect jobs, that we get the sector back up to speed as quickly and as safely as possible.

“This plan sets out practical actions for how this can be achieved and we thank everyone who has taken part.”

Ken Gillespie, chair of Construction Scotland, said: “A huge amount of thought, energy and commitment from participants across Government and the Construction Industry has allowed us to prepare and publish this plan at pace and we are grateful to all those who have contributed.

“The hard work required to implement the plan and find the solutions to the challenges we face continues.

“We are indebted to the Minister for the leadership and support he has provided to the sector through this pandemic in his role as Chair of the CLF.”

Peter Reekie, chief executive of the Scottish Futures Trust, said: “Endorsement by Scottish Government shows testimony to the sector’s shared vision of an industry that promotes a safe, productive, profitable, innovative, sustainable and socially responsible construction industry, offering quality jobs and fair work to a highly skilled and diverse workforce and a quality and life-time value product to its customers.”

The Scottish Construction Leadership Forum is a collaborative initiative of Construction Scotland and the Scottish Government. It was established in March 2019 to develop and implement an action plan of improvements.

The Recovery Plan is available online.

TUC: government must do more to end inequality 10 years on from Equality Act

The TUC yesterday called on the UK government to implement the Equality Act in full on its tenth anniversary. The Equality Act became law on 1 October 2010.

The union organisation is also challenging ministers to show how they have delivered on the legal duties in the act in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

It protects working people from discrimination based on age, sex, disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, or gender reassignment. It was also designed to improve the lives of working class people through tackling inequality, but that part of the act, the socio-economic duty, was never brought into force. 

The TUC is concerned that ten years since it was introduced, the full powers of the act have still not been implemented. And there is little evidence that the government is fulfilling its legal duty to consider the impact on inequalities in the decisions it makes. 

The TUC says that Covid-19 has deepened inequality and discrimination at work, and is calling on the government to: 

  • Bring the socio-economic duty into force: This was included in the original act but never implemented. It would require government and the public sector to deliver better outcomes for lower income people and make narrowing inequality a priority.  
  • Reintroduce protections subsequently taken out: Previous governments have stripped away protections that were originally in the Equality Act – such Section 40, which would make employers liable for harassment of their employees by customers or clients. The union body says that in the current situation where hostility and assaults on retail and hospitality staff are increasing during the pandemic, this should be reinstated urgently.   
  • Publish equality impact assessments for all government policies, as the law requires: in particular, the government should publish every equality impact assessment that they carried out to inform their response to Covid-19 – and should be held to account for those that are missing.  

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Everyone has the right to respect and equal treatment at work – and in wider society. 

“The Equality Act should have been a gamechanger. But ten years on, it still isn’t fully in force. Now is the time for the government to implement it in full.   

“The pandemic has shown that the UK is still riven with discrimination.  

“Black workers are more likely to be in frontline jobs with inadequate PPE – and more likely to die. Pregnant and disabled workers are too often first in line for redundancy. And the disappearance of much childcare provision has left women struggling to hold on to their jobs.  

“Without the protection of Section 40 of the Equality Act, staff have less protection from abuse and harassment. Yet during the pandemic, we have seen a rise in hostility and assaults on shop workers and hospitality staff.   

“Britain can be a more equal, more prosperous country. Equality must not be an afterthought for ministers.”