– Roles being advertised focus on picking and packing Morrisons on Amazon orders –
Morrisons is creating over 1,000 permanent jobs to fulfil orders for its services on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon Prime Now.
Morrisons is recruiting the colleagues to help pick and pack customer orders from over 50 stores, covering most major cities and many towns.
Customers are looking for different ways to access grocery home deliveries and Morrisons on Amazon (an Amazon.co.uk service) and the Morrisons Store on Amazon Prime Now (accessible via the Prime Now site and app) provide Prime members with a way of getting free-of-charge same-day grocery delivery.
Orders are placed on Amazon, before being picked in store by Morrisons employees and packed in a dedicated area. From there, the shopping is collected by Amazon Flex Delivery Partners and delivered to the customer within a two-hour delivery window on the same day.
The âCustomer Assistant – Pick and Packâ roles are available in over 50 stores across the country. Successful candidates will work as part of a Delivery team in stores, ensuring that orders are picked and packed correctly and customer service standards are maintained.
Hannah Horsfall, Head of Amazon at Morrisons,said: âAt Morrisons, weâre doing everything we can to ensure everyone can order our great value food and have it delivered to their doorstep.
“Weâre looking for team players, with good customer service skills that can play their full part in helping to feed the nation.â
All jobs are advertised on the Morrisons Jobs website: https://www.morrisons.jobs/ – search for pick and pack.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has outlined his Winter Economy Plan at Westminster
Mr Speaker, Thank you for granting me permission to make this Statement to the House today.
Earlier this week the Prime Minister set out the next stage of the governmentâs health response to Coronavirus.
Today I want to explain the next phase of our planned economic response.
The House will be reassured to know I have been developing plans to protect jobs and the economy over the winter period.
Plans that seek to strike the finely-judged balance between managing the virus and protecting the jobs and livelihoods of millions. â Mr Speaker,
I know people are anxious, and afraid, and exhausted, at the prospect of further restrictions on our economic and social freedoms.
I share those feelings, but there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic.
We are in a fundamentally different position than we were in March.
And we now know much more about this virus.
Public awareness of the risks, and how to mitigate them, is far greater.
And we have met our promise to give the NHS whatever it needs, with significant new funding for NHS capacity, for PPE, and, I can inform the House today, we have now provided over ÂŁ12 billion for test and trace.
In economic terms, while our output remains well below where it was in February, we have seen three consecutive months of growth.
And millions of people have moved off the furlough and back to work.
But the resurgence of the virus, and the measures we need to take in response, pose a threat to this fragile economic recovery.
So our task now is to move to the next stage of our economic plan, nurturing the recovery by protecting jobs through the difficult winter months.
Mr Speaker, The underlying rationale for the next phase of economic support must be different to what came before.
The primary goal of our economic policy remains unchanged: to support peopleâs jobs.
But the way we achieve that must evolve.
Back in March, we hoped we were facing a temporary period of disruption.
In response, we provided one of the most generous and comprehensive economic plans anywhere in the world with ÂŁ190 billion of support for people, businesses and public services, as we protected our economic capacity.
It is now clear, as the Prime Minister and our scientific advisers have said, for at least the next six months the virus and restrictions are going to be a fact of our lives.
Our economy is now likely to undergo a more permanent adjustment.
The sources of our economic growth and the kinds of jobs we create, will adapt and evolve to the new normal. And our plan needs to adapt and evolve in response.
Above all, we need to face up to the trade-offs and hard choices Coronavirus presents. And, Mr Speaker, there has been no harder choice than the decision to end the furlough scheme.
The furlough was the right policy at the time we introduced it.
It provided immediate, short-term protection for millions of jobs through a period of acute crisis.
But as the economy reopens it is fundamentally wrong to hold people in jobs that only exist inside the furlough.
We need to create new opportunities and allow the economy to move forward and that means supporting people to be in viable jobs which provide genuine security.
As Iâve said throughout this crisis, I cannot save every business. I cannot save every job. No Chancellor could.
But what we can and must do is deal with the real problems businesses and employees are facing now.
In March, the problem was that we ordered businesses to close.
In response, we paid people to stay at home and not work.
Today, the problem is different.
Many businesses are operating safely and viably, but they now face uncertainty and reduced demand over the winter months.
What those businesses need is support to bring people back to work and protect as many viable jobs as we can.
To do that, I am announcing today the new Jobs Support Scheme.
The government will directly support the wages of people in work giving businesses who face depressed demand the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours rather than making them redundant.
The Jobs Support Scheme is built on three principles.
First, it will support viable jobs.
To make sure of that, employees must work at least a third of their normal hours and be paid for that work, as normal, by their employer.
The government, together with employers, will then increase those peopleâs wages covering two-thirds of the pay they have lost by reducing their working hours.
And the employee will keep their job.
Second, we will target support at firms who need it the most.
All small and medium sized businesses are eligible.
But larger businesses, only when their turnover has fallen through the crisis.
Third, it will be open to employers across the United Kingdom, even if they have not previously used the furlough scheme.
The scheme will run for six months starting in November.
And employers retaining furloughed staff on shorter hours can claim both the Jobs Support Scheme and the Jobs Retention Bonus.
Mr Speaker,
Throughout this crisis, we have sought parity between employees and the self-employed providing more than ÂŁ13 billion of support to over 2.6 million self-employed small businesses.
So I am extending the existing self-employed grant on similar terms and conditions as the new Jobs Support Scheme âŚ
Mr Speaker,
These are radical interventions in the UK labour market; policies we have never tried in this country before.
Together with the Jobs Retention Bonus, the Kickstart scheme for young people, tens of billions of pounds of job creation schemes, new investment in training and apprenticeships, we are protecting millions of jobs and businesses.
Mr Speaker, If we want to protect jobs this winter, the second major challenge is helping businesses with cash flow.
Over the last six months, weâve supported business with tens of billions of pounds of tax deferrals and generous, government-backed loans.
Those policies have been a lifeline.
But right now, businesses need every extra pound to protect jobs rather than repaying loans and tax deferrals.
So Iâm taking four further steps today to make that happen.
First, Bounce Back Loans have given over a million small businesses a ÂŁ38 billion boost to survive this pandemic. To give those businesses more time and greater flexibility to repay their loans, we are introducing Pay As You Grow.
This means:
loans can now be extended from six to ten years â nearly halving the average monthly repayment
businesses who are struggling can now choose to make interest-only payments
and, anyone in real trouble can apply to suspend repayments altogether for up to six months
No business taking up Pay As You Grow will see their credit rating affected as a result.
Second, I am also changing the terms of our other loan schemes.
More than 60,000 Small and Medium sized businesses have now taken out Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans.
To help them, I plan to extend the government guarantee on these loans for up to ten years, making it easier for lenders to give people more time to repay.
I am also extending the deadline of all our loan schemes to the end of the year. And we are starting work on a new, successor loan programme, set to begin in January.
Third, I want to give businesses more time and flexibility over their deferred tax bills.
Nearly half a million businesses deferred more than ÂŁ30 billion of VAT this year.
On current plans, those payments fall due in March.
Instead, I will allow businesses to spread that VAT bill over 11 smaller repayments, with no interest to pay.
And any of the millions of self-assessed income taxpayers who need extra help, can also now extend their outstanding tax bill over 12 months from next January.
The final step Iâm taking today will support two of the most affected sectors: hospitality and tourism.
On current plans, their VAT rates will increase from 5% back to the standard rate of 20% on January the 13th.
So to support more than 150,000 businesses and help protect 2.4 million jobs through the winter I am announcing today that we are cancelling the planned increase and will keep the lower 5% VAT rate until March 31st next year.
Mr Speaker, Todayâs measures mark an important evolution in our approach.
Our lives can no longer be put on hold.
Since May, we have taken steps to liberate our economy and society.
We did these things because life means more than simply existing.
We find meaning and hope through our friends and family, through our work, through our community.
People were not wrong for wanting that meaning, for striving towards normality, and nor was the government wrong to want this for them.
I said in the summer that we must endure and live with the uncertainty of the moment.
This means learning our new limits as we go.
Because the truth is the responsibility for defeating Coronavirus cannot be held by government alone.
It is a collective responsibility, shared by all.
Because the cost is paid by all.
We have so often spoken about this virus in terms of lives lost.
But the price our country is paying is wider than that.
The government has done much to mitigate the effects of the awful trade-offs between health, education and employment.
And as we think about the next few weeks and months, we need to bear all of those costs in mind.
As such, it would be dishonest to say there is now some risk-free solution.
Or that we can mandate behaviour to such an extent we lose any sense of personal responsibility.
What was true at the beginning of this crisis remains true now.
Itâs on all of us.
And we must learn to live with it and live without fear.
NEW TUC REPORT identifies 600,000 existing public service vacancies and staff gaps that government could unlock quickly to cut jobless rate
The more people in work, the faster we will work our way out of recession, says TUC
A new TUC report has set out proposals for a public sector jobs drive to stave off mass unemployment and help the UK quickly recover from the Covid-19 recession.
The UK entered the Covid-19 crisis with our public services weakened by a decade of cuts. But public service workers gave their all to keep essential services going.
As we move out of the public health crisis, we are moving towards an economic crisis, with the Bank of England warning of mass unemployment with 2.5 million people out of work by the end of the year.
Creating decent jobs
The TUCâs report sets out a plan for public sector jobs to contribute to the fast employment growth the UK now needs.
It identifies the additional staff required across the public sector to fill vacancies, address shortfalls in provision and meet future need.
The union body is calling for government to urgently unlock the 600,000 jobs identified, including:
135,000 in health
220,000 in adult social care
110,000 in local government
80,000 in education
50,000 in civil service / public administration
Taken together with proposals published by the TUC in June to create 1.25 million jobs by fast-tracking green infrastructure investment, this plan could deliver a total of 1.85 million new jobs in the next two years.
Powering recovery
The TUC says that the government-led jobs drive would help support a stronger and faster private sector recovery too, with opportunities in supply chains and from the boost to spending power across the economy.
And it would help protect the Treasury from the revenue shortfall arising from the downside recovery scenario set out by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
Under the OBRâs downside scenario, peak unemployment would be two million higher than for the upside scenario. TUC analysis of OBR data finds that the Treasury would lose out on ÂŁ520bn in revenue over the next five years on the downside scenario relative to the upside.
The TUC says that the government must invest now to put the UK on the upside path – by preventing mass unemployment.
Otherwise the nation will suffer the high costs of mass unemployment, weak revenue and slow growth for many years ahead.
TUC General Secretary Frances OâGrady said: âWorking people carried the burden of the pandemic. They must not bear the brunt of the recession. The government must go all out to protect and create jobs and prevent the misery of mass unemployment.
âThe more people we have in work, the faster the recovery will be. But ministers are sitting on their hands. Itâs absurd to leave unfilled vacancies and unmet need in public services when unemployment is rising. Ministers should urgently provide the funding that will unlock existing public services vacancies and create good new jobs.
âOur plan to invest in good public services jobs will help workers avoid unemployment. It will strengthen the vital services that we all rely on. And it will get people out spending in local business and services. Thatâs how to drive the recovery forward.â
SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed a new ÂŁ60million Youth Guarantee announced in the Programme for Government, which guarantees everyone in Edinburgh aged 16-24, a job, a place in education or a place in training.
The new partnership between the Scottish Government and Scotlandâs employers is backed by ÂŁ60 million of government investment, which will be broken down as follows:
ÂŁ30 million through local authorities to help local partnerships to deliver employability support for young people
ÂŁ10 million to create additional opportunities in colleges
ÂŁ10 million additional funding for Developing the Young Workforce, the Scottish Governmentâs internationally recognised Youth Employment Strategy
ÂŁ10 million to support pathways to apprenticeships
This autumn, the Scottish Government will also launch the National Transition Training Fund, which is backed by initial funding of ÂŁ25 million and will help up to 10,000 people of all ages retrain for jobs in growth sectors.
SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald,said: âGovernments have rightly taken unprecedented steps to protect workers and businesses through this pandemic, but itâs vital that young people are not left behind.
âThis SNP government is absolutely determined that youth unemployment will not become the legacy of the Coronavirus pandemic.
âThe new ÂŁ60 million Youth Guarantee, announced in the First Ministerâs Programme for Government, will guarantee every young person inEdinburgh aged 16-24 a job, a place in training, or a place in education.
“This is backed by additional funding for employers to recruit and retain apprentices, and the new Job Start Payment to help with the costs associated with starting a new job.
âI urge all employers who are able, to work with the Scottish Government to create more opportunities that recognise the valuable contribution our young people have to make in growing our economy.
âThese steps to support for those most adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are most welcome, and the SNP will continue to work to ensure every young person in our capital is given the opportunity to succeedâ
Amazon to Create 10,000 New Permanent Jobs Across the UK in 2020
Amazon today announced that 10,000 new permanent roles are being created across the UK in 2020, taking the companyâs total permanent UK workforce to more than 40,000.
Amazon has already added 3,000 new permanent roles to its workforce across its UK network of fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations â including at a new hi-tech fulfilment centre in the North East of England which opened in May.
The company will add a further 7,000 new permanent roles by the end of 2020 across more than 50 sites, including Corporate offices and two new fulfilment centres launching in the autumn in the North East and in the Midlands.
The new roles, including engineers, graduates, HR and IT professionals, health and safety and finance specialists, as well as the teams who will pick, pack and ship customer orders, will help Amazon meet growing customer demand and enable small and medium sized enterprises selling on Amazon to scale their businesses.
Amazon has already offered temporary roles to thousands of people whose job was impacted at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many of whom will now be able to transition into a permanent role with the potential for a career within Amazon.
In addition, Amazon is creating more than 20,000 seasonal positions across the UK ahead of the festive period at its sites across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and at three pop-up fulfilment centres.
At the centre of the job creation programme are three new, state-of-the-art fulfilment centres in Darlington, Durham and Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, each fitted out with advanced Amazon Robotics technology and each creating more than 1,000 new permanent roles. Construction of these new fulfilment centres began last year. Darlington started operations in May and the sites in Durham and Sutton-in-Ashfield will launch later this autumn.
In addition, Amazon has recruited more than 700 apprentices during 2020, helping young people begin their careers in fields ranging from automation engineering and IT to digital marketing and fashion buyers, with pay of up to ÂŁ30,000 a year for degree-level apprenticeships. A typical apprenticeship combines theoretical learning with hands-on training, enabling participants to obtain qualifications and degrees and earn money in the process.
Amazon provides some of the most advanced workplaces of their kind in the world, with industry-leading pay, processes and systems to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all employees.
Pay starts at a minimum of ÂŁ10.50 p/h in the London area and ÂŁ9.50 p/h in other parts of the UK for all full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal roles in Amazonâs fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations.
Employees are offered a comprehensive benefits package, including private medical insurance, life assurance, income protection, subsidised meals and an employee discount â which combined are worth more than ÂŁ700 annually â as well as a company pension plan.
Amazon also offers employees an innovative programme called Career Choice that provides funding for skills development through nationally recognised courses of up to ÂŁ8,000 over four years.
Business Secretary, Alok Sharma said: âWhile this has been a challenging time for many businesses, it is hugely encouraging to see Amazon creating 10,000 jobs in the UK this year.
âThis is not only great news for those looking for a new job, but also a clear vote of confidence in the UK economy as we build back better from the pandemic. The government remains deeply committed to supporting retailers of all sizes and we continue to work closely with the industry as we embark on the road to economic recovery.â
Stefano Perego, Amazonâs Vice President of European Customer Fulfilment, said: âWeâre proud to be creating 10,000 new permanent roles across our UK network of fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations offering competitive wages and comprehensive benefits starting on day one.
“Our people have played a critical role in serving customers in these unprecedented times and the new roles will help us continue to meet customer demand and support small and medium sized businesses selling on Amazon.
âThe new state-of-the-art robotics fulfilment centres in the North East and the Midlands, as well as the thousands of additional roles at sites across the country, underline our commitment to the people and communities in which we operate. We are employing thousands of talented individuals in a diverse range of good jobs from operations managers and tech professionals through to people to handle customer orders.â
He added: âWe prepare year-round for the festive season and weâre also excited to have over 20,000 seasonal positions available this year to help delight our customers. We look forward to welcoming back seasonal workers who return year-after-year to work at Amazon and welcome new faces to the seasonal team.â
Amazonâs workforce will increase from more than 30,000 people in the UK at the beginning of the year to more than 40,000 people by the end of 2020. Amazon has invested over ÂŁ18 billion in its UK operations since 2010 to provide convenience, selection and value to UK consumers, while helping to digitally empower more than 373,000 small businesses and content creators.
People interested in applying for both permanent and seasonal roles at Amazon should visit www.amazonjobs.co.uk
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross today launches his first major policy paper, an ambitious jobs and economic recovery plan to âPower up Scotlandâ and rebuild the economy stronger.
As the Scottish Government prepares to announce its Programme for Government tomorrow, Douglas Ross has put forward a series of proposals to support and create jobs, promote business recovery in the short-term, and build a thriving, stronger Scottish economy long-term.
The Power up Scotland jobs plan, which Douglas promised to deliver within a month of his election as Scottish Conservative leader, will be published today at a manufacturing plant in Inverness and includes the following policies:
Sector-specific Job Security Councils to help laid-off workers transition and find skilled work, based on Swedenâs hugely successful retraining programmes.
A Town Centre Rescue Plan to help small local shops adapt and free up planning restrictions.
A âScotland Firstâ procurement strategy to have the government spend more money locally.
A Scottish education guarantee to age 18 and expanded adult learning programmes.
Community Right to Buy schemes for local pubs and other employers in fragile areas.
Scottish Enterprise reformed on regional lines and new Rural Growth deals to spread high-quality jobs and business growth across the country.
A yellow/red card system for businesses who make late payments and bid for public work.
A new research and development target with better incentives for innovation.
A Hardship Fund for businesses facing localised lockdowns.
The new Scottish Tory leader also called yesterday for accelerated infrastructure investment with proposals for a three-lane M8, a Scottish Smart Travel Card for contactless travel, faster rail links from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness, and a joint UK-Scottish Government infrastructure vehicle.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: âIn the biggest economic downturn of our lifetime, the UK Government stepped up and protected nearly a million Scottish jobs. Now the Scottish Government must match that ambition.
âMy proposals wonât just protect jobs over the next few months, they will power up the Scottish economy and start creating the jobs of tomorrow, today. This detailed blueprint for the next phase of recovery will help workers retrain and find new skilled work, give town centres the tools they need to rebuild, and take every part of Scotland forward together.
âI will work with the Scottish Government on these proposals wherever possible but there is a clear contrast between what we see as Scotlandâs priorities.
âI donât believe Scottish people want a government that drags us back to the division of the past and wastes time on constitutional wrangling.
âI believe people want both of Scotlandâs governments to co-operate, not compete. They want us to hand power back to communities, not hoard it in Edinburgh. They want long-term strategies that build for the future, not sticking plaster proposals that prove to be second-rate.
âMost of all, I believe Scottish people want action on jobs, now. They donât want delays and excuses.
âThis is a time of crisis for Scotland â but a moment of opportunity too. If we focus on the urgent priorities of Scottish people, we can restore and rebuild our economy stronger than ever.â
It’s hardly surprising that the Scottish Conservative economic planhas the enthusiastic support of Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs, who said: âEdinburgh and the Lothians have huge economic potential that we need to see optimised as Scotland enters a recession.
âThis is a comprehensive economic plan from Douglas Ross that has measures to improve connectivity across Scotland and pass powers back to local regions and communities.
âSNP Ministers have been ineffective in developing Scotlandâs economy and maximising the potential of businesses and growing industries.
âThis plan is a clear commitment from the Scottish Conservatives that the economy and peopleâs livelihoods will be our number one priority going into the Scottish elections next year.â
According to teen magazine Future-Mag, more than half (54 per cent) of graduates say theyâd think again about choosing university as the best way to find a job.
If you donât fancy another three years of study, canât face the debt, or didnât get the results you were expecting, donât worry. There are plenty of routes into careers that that donât require you to have a degree.
These new opportunities are partly thanks to a rise in apprenticeships since the government has invested more in professional training.
Hereâs a line-up of some top jobs you can do without a degree:
1.Nurse
The Lowdown
If you’ve been thinking of becoming a nurse but donât want to go to university full-time this could be for you. The government has just announced a massive ÂŁ172m investment into nursing, the money is to allow healthcare employers to take on up to 2,000 nursing degree apprentices every year over the next four years.
Getting There
Nursing apprenticeships offer an alternative to full-time university courses, allowing people to earn a salary while their tuition costs are paid. At the end of the apprenticeship – which usually takes four years – apprentices are able to qualify as fully registered nurses.
Youâll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship. Pay: ÂŁ24,907 to ÂŁ37,890
2.Air Traffic Controller
The lowdown
24 hours a day, they help to keep some of the busiest airspace in the world moving. The work is challenging and demanding, but itâs immensely rewarding too. Air traffic controllers give information and advice to airline pilots to help them take off and land safely and on time.
Getting There
You have to be over 18 and have at least five GCSEs or equivalent at Grade 4 or above (previously A-C) or Scottish Nationals 5 Grade A-C or equivalent, including English and maths.As well as having a good level of physical and mental fitness, you must satisfy the basic medical requirements set down by the Civil Aviation Authority.
The National Air Traffic Control Service (NATS) has developed a series of games to help gauge whether youâre right for this career. Pay: ÂŁ17,000 to ÂŁ50,000
3Solicitor
The lowdown Itâs not quite âBetter Ask Saulâ⌠in reality Solicitors advise clients about the law and act on their behalf in legal matters, and can specialise in a host of areas, including contract, criminal, commercial and family law, and much more.
Getting there
You can now become a solicitor by training on the job since new solicitor apprenticeships (level 7) which were approved in 2015. This isnât an easy route â youâll need to pass a series of tough exams. Youâll need good A levels and it can take five to six years to complete. Pay ÂŁ25,000 to ÂŁ100,000
4 Visual Effects Artist
The lowdown
They help artists produce all the whizzy visual effects (VFX). They assist senior VFX artists and prepare the elements required for the final shots. Eventually theyâll be employed by post production companies working on commercials, television series and feature films.
Getting there
You could do a practical short course at Londonâs MetFilm School (Ealing Studios) and try to get into the industry that way, or do an apprenticeship via Next Gen
Pay from ÂŁ18,000to ÂŁ50,000once qualified
5 Computer forensic analyst(cyber security)
What do they do?
Investigate and thwart cyber crime. They might work for the police or security services, or for computer security specialists and in house teams. Theyâll follow and analyse electronic data, ultimately to help uncover cyber crime such as commercial espionage, theft, fraud or terrorism.
Getting there
Cyber security professionals are in high demand in both the public and private sector in the wake of high level breaches and perceived terrorism threats. And thereâs a severe shortage of qualified professionals. Cyber security higher apprenticeships (level 4) are offered by major infrastructure and energy companies and â excitingly – the security services. Pay ÂŁ20,000 to ÂŁ60,000
6 Estate Agent
The Lowdown An estate agentâs lot isnât quite as chaotic as the comedy âStath Lets Flatsâ, might lead you to believe, in reality, estate agents sell and rent out commercial and residential property, acting as negotiators between buyers and sellers.
Getting there Some estate agents offer an intermediate apprenticeship as a junior estate agent, or you may be able to start as a trainee sales negotiator and learn on the job.
Pay: Estate agents often work on commission which means that you have a basic salary and also earn a percentage of the sale or rental price of any property you sell or rent. ÂŁ15,000toÂŁ40,000
7Police Officer
The lowdown This is another profession where the Government has pumped in large amounts of cash to help recruit new coppers. If youâve been considering this as a career, now could be the right time to apply. Police officers keep law and order, investigate crime, and support crime prevention.
Getting there There is no formal educational requirement, for direct application but you will have to be physically fit and pass written tests. Or, you could start by doing a police constable degree apprenticeship. You’ll usually need: 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and college qualifications like A levels for a degree apprenticeship.
You can get a taste of what it’s like to work with the police by volunteering as a special constable.
Investigate and thwart cyber crime. They might work for the police or security services, or for computer security specialists and in house teams. Theyâll follow and analyse electronic data, ultimately to help uncover cyber crime such as commercial espionage, theft, fraud or terrorism.
Getting there
Cyber security professionals are in high demand in both the public and private sector in the wake of high level breaches and perceived terrorism threats. And thereâs a severe shortage of qualified professionals. Cyber security higher apprenticeships (level 4) are offered by major infrastructure and energy companies and â excitingly – the security services. Pay ÂŁ20,000 to ÂŁ60,000
9 Public Relations officer
The Lowdown Public relations (PR) officers manage an organisation’s public image and reputation. You migh get involved in planning PR campaigns, monitoring and reacting to the public and media, writing and editing press releases, speeches, newsletters, leaflets, brochures and websites, creating content on social media much more.
Getting there There is no set entry route to become a public relations officer but it may be useful to do a relevant subject at college, like a Foundation Certificate in Marketing. You can work towards this role by doing a public relations assistant higher apprenticeship.
Entry requirements You’ll usually need: 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship. Pay ÂŁ18,000 to ÂŁ90,000
10 Youthworker
What do they do?
Work with young people and help them develop personally and socially. They might work with local services, youth offending teams or voluntary organisations and community groups. They might help organise sports and other activities, or be involved on counselling and mentoring, or liaising with authorities.
Getting there
Many enter youth work as a volunteer or paid worker, but you can now qualify via a youth work apprenticeship. Pay ÂŁ23,250 to ÂŁ37,500
11Army officer
The Lowdown Undergo leadership training before choosing from a wide range of specialisms, including; platoon commander, helicopter pilot, intelligence, logistics⌠even work in military medicine and healthcare.
How do you get there?
Youâll typically need 5 GCSEs at grade 9 to 4 (A* to C) or above and 2 A levels. Youâll have to take aptitude and ability tests, pass a fitness test and interview before a more rigorous assessment to see if youâre capable mentally and physically. Pay ÂŁ27,273 to ÂŁ42,009.
Think tank Resolution Foundation economist Daniel Tomlinson says the UK Government is NOT paying nine million people’s wages. He says the number of workers currently furloughed is half this amount …
From today, employers will start contributing towards the wage costs of furloughed employees (writes RESULTION FOUNDATION’s DANIEL TOMLINSON).
This significant first step in the phasing-out of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS) carries real risks of increased redundancies â particularly for those in the hardest-hit sectors â and so attention should also focus on the important question of just how many people are furloughed today.
Despite significant easing of the lockdown and attention rightly focused on the large number of redundancies announced of late, itâs still common to hear the claim that nine million employees are being paid right now through the scheme. However, this is simply not true. Although it is true to say that in total nine million people have been furloughed for at least one three-week period since March, this cumulative figure does not reflect whatâs happening right now. Rather, all the evidence suggests that the number of people furloughed today â as employer contributions towards furlough pay kick in â is likely to be at most half, and maybe even as low as one-third, of this nine million total.
For the millions of workers who have returned to active employment over the past three months, the JRS has served its purpose well. But it may be the case that more than one million employees in the hardest-hit hospitality and leisure industries are still furloughed.
Itâs in this context that the impact of the across-the-board increases to employer contributions in August, September and October are a concern. Delaying future increases in JRS contributions for the hardest-hit sectors would help reduce the rise in unemployment forecast in the autumn.
There are not nine million people on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme today
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS) has been a very successful and well-implemented policy intervention. It has supported household incomes in the face of an unprecedented shock, and maintained the crucial attachment between employees and their employer.
However, for many firms and employees it will have only ever been used on a temporary basis at the height of the economic shutdown. Many furloughed employees have since returned to work (some on âflexible furloughâ for part of their working hours), and a smaller group will have been made redundant already, even before todayâs introduction of employer contributions.
But you wouldnât know this from listening to our politicians and broadcasters. The Prime Minister, claimed on 24 July 2020 that his Government was âsupporting the livelihoods of 9 million people now through furloughâ. Similarly, the BBC reported on 28 July 2020 that â9.5 million people are using the scheme, the same as a week agoâ.
This is wrong. Although the cumulative take-up of the scheme since its launch is in excess of nine million, the actual number of people using the scheme right now â on the day that employers are now required to start contributing to the payroll costs of furloughed employees â is undoubtedly much lower.
Figure 1 shows the increase in cumulative JRS take-up over time, as published by HM Revenue and Customs. These cumulative figures are now entirely meaningless when it comes to understanding the path of the economic recovery or the numbers of people who have been furloughed for a prolonged period of time.
Figure 1: Nine million people have been on the JRS at some point since its launch
All the evidence suggests that the number of people currently furloughed is at most half the nine million total, and could even be one-third of this level
In the absence of official statistics on furlough numbers over time, we can turn to other estimates of furloughing and coronavirus labour market effects from various Office for National Statistics (ONS) surveys, in order to get a sense of when take-up peaked and just how fast it has fallen.
Across the three available data sets stretching back to the announcement of lockdown on 23 March 2020, the consistent finding is that the number of people furloughed or away from work is likely to have peaked in late April at somewhere between seven and eight million employees (Figure 2). The upper end of this range is based on the ONSâs Business Impacts of Coronavirus Survey (BICS), which reported that 31 per cent of the private-sector workforce was furloughed in late April.
Figure 2: The number of people now furloughed is much lower than in late April
Since late April, the number of people furloughed or away from work looks to have fallen considerably. This is unsurprising given restrictions on non-essential retail were lifted on 15 June, and on many parts of hospitality and leisure on 4 July (in England).
The opening up of these parts of the economy, and the general increase in economic activity since the depths of lockdown, will have led to millions of employees returning to work.
For example, the number of people temporarily away from work above and beyond the usual level of temporary work absences (the red line in Figure 2) fell by 40 per cent between late April and late May. This will have been driven primarily by people coming off furlough, but also by reductions in the number of people away from work for other reasons such as shielding, self-isolating or for childcare.
Some of this decline will also be driven by moves off the JRS and into unemployment, although this is likely to be a relatively small part of the story to date as in May, June and July employers had not yet been asked to contribute anything towards the costs of furloughing their employees.
More up-to-date estimates come from the BICS for early July, which suggests that 16 per cent of the private-sector workforce was furloughed at this time. We estimate this equates to around five million people still on furlough at the start of the month.
At the other end of the range, the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OLS) shows that the proportion of those who report that they are employed but furloughed fell from 13 per cent of all workers in the period 18-21 June, to 8 per cent of all workers in the period 8-12 July.
This figure, which equates to three million employees, is at the lower end of the range weâd expect, and will have been affected by the introduction of flexible furloughing from 1 July. Many employees who returned to work part-time in July will not have been counted as furloughed in these OLS estimates, but may well have still have the majority of their pay provided through the JRS (and will appear in some of the other series shown in Figure 2).
It would be unwise to lean too heavily on this or any other estimate from one particular survey in drawing conclusions as to the number of people furloughed today. The use of flexible furlough in July could mean that the pace of decline in take-up slowed last month as employees moved from full to flexible furlough, rather than off the scheme altogether. To date there is little evidence on the impact of flexible furlough on business behaviour, but itâs likely that usage of this component of the scheme will be high.
Overall, it is reasonable to draw the conclusion that the number of people furloughed right now, as employers begin making contributions to furloughed employeesâ wage costs, is certainly below 4.5 million (half of the commonly cited nine million total) â and may be as low as one-third of this level.
Employer contributions will disproportionately affect workers in hospitality and leisure, so a sectorally differentiated wind-down of the scheme is desirable
Although the number of people furloughed right now is lower than many claim, it is still a large proportion of the workforce â particularly in some sectors. For this reason, the impact of the introduction of employer contributions towards furloughed employeesâ wage costs from 1 August should not be taken lightly.
This big change to the scheme will mean that employers will now start paying employer National Insurance contributions and minimum auto-enrolment pension costs for furloughed employees, at an average of ÂŁ70 a month (equivalent to 5 per cent of the average employeeâs wages pre-coronavirus).
This shift will be followed by increases in contributions in September and October and then the ending of the scheme in November, changes which will have large effects on employer costs in sectors where furloughing rates are higher, such as hospitality and retail. We estimate that in these two sectors as many as one million employees (38 per cent) may still have been furloughed in late July (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Four-in-ten hospitality and leisure workers could still be furloughed
The fact that furloughing rates, and therefore the cost of employer contributions, are concentrated in particularly hard-hit sectors strengthens the case for treating these parts of the economy differently from the rest in the months ahead. Employees in these sectors are now at heightened risk of entering unemployment this autumn as employer contributions are introduced today and then increased throughout September and October.
We have previously called for the phasing in of employer contributions to take place on a slower timetable in the hardest-hit sectors for just this reason. The Government could still take this approach with the planned September and October employer contribution increases (to an estimated 15 and 25 per cent of pre-coronavirus wage costs), in order to limit redundancies in sectors like hospitality and leisure.
Further, the imposition of local lockdowns and the very real risk of a broader second wave means that Government must also be clear about what policy will do in these circumstances. In time, flipping the JRS so it subsidises work being done in these hardest-hit sectors, rather than provides payments when work isnât done, would be more effective way of maximising the amount of work carried out and would be a more sustainable way of providing support to parts of the economy heavily affected by ongoing social distancing.
To date, the JRS has been a clear policy success. However, the challenges of phasing it out, calibrating it to the path of the virus and the return of economic activity mean that the hard work of designing and implementing policy that protects jobs and incomes in this crisis is far from over.
Since lockdown began in March, the pressures on the job market has been no more acutely felt than in Edinburgh which has been one of the hardest hit cities in Western Europe.
As we emerge from lockdown, some have returned to work, but there is still talk of recession being announced soon. However, there is already a support system in place for residents experiencing redundancy and unemployment because of Covid 19.
At the start of lockdown, The City of Edinburgh Council asked employment service Next Step Edinburgh to respond and they are currently supporting hundreds of people who have lost work.
Next Step Edinburgh has been providing employment support for people in and out of work since April 2019, but since March they have adapted their service as registrations from people affected by COVID 19 job losses has increased.
Will was supported by Next Step Edinburgh to gain employment as a walking supervisor for a building project. He explains what kind of support he received from Next Step before and during lockdown:
âI was referred to Community Renewalâs Next Step Edinburgh service by my job centre adviser. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had a rather negative experience with a provider prior to this.
“I worked with them to focus my CV and from the first moment was treated with respect by people who genuinely wanted to help. They also assisted me with job interview preparation and a screening job interview which meant I was very prepared for the real interview and subsequently was offered the logistics supervisor role I am currently doing.
“Unfortunately, the job was stopped after little more than a week due to Covid 19 and was stalled for a few months. Every week during that period I would receive a call from my adviser Ross to check all was ok and if there was anything he could assist with. This was very important to me.
“Thankfully I am now back at work, but I would like to personally thank them for their work and the genuine respect they treated me with throughout.â
Capital City Partnership has been working with key organisations to coordinate a response to the crisis. Their Deputy Chief Executive, Kate Kelman adds: âWe know that people and businesses are finding it really hard just now and the impact on jobs and the economy is likely to be far-reaching.
“Along with our Joined up for Jobs network of provision, Next Steps has literally âstepped upâ to support individuals who are facing redundancy and job insecurity. Their high-quality help and guidance will ensure that Edinburgh residents can progress quickly into fair, sustainable work.â
Lesley Morrison who is a Service Manager for Community Renewal â the charity who deliver the Next Step Edinburgh service – comments on the how they are supporting people right now: âWe donât believe in a one size fits all approach â everyone is different, and we listen to what each client’s needs and together we come up with a plan.
“Some people just need a job right away and we can link them with employers we have relationships with. For everyone else, we work with them, so they are ready for when the job market recovers; whether that be refreshing a stale CV, helping with applications or directing them to vocational training if they are considering a career change.
“Whatever is needed, we are here â and if we can’t support all their needs, we will link with specialist organisations who can help them whilst we continue to support their employment needs.”
The City of Edinburgh Council continues to fund Next Step Edinburgh to support people to secure and progress into employment.
Additional funding was made available through City Region Deal has also allowed the development of a jobs website – www.c19jobs.org – which directly assists those who have faced redundancy or job insecurity due to the current crisis.
Councillor Cammy Day, Depute Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said:âAs the economic impact of the pandemic on Edinburgh unfolds, weâre doing all that we can to help people facing financial hardship.
“We know that this crisis is far from over and we stand ready to help our most at-risk residents. The Next Step Edinburgh employment programme is in place to support anybody facing redundancy or job insecurity in Edinburgh. Iâm pleased weâre able to fund this service in order to support people back into careers as quickly as possible.
âThe project is part of a package of measures weâre working on right now to prevent long-term unemployment in the coming months and years, including an expanded Edinburgh Guarantee.
“Hailed by the Scottish Government as a really good example of the type of work cities can do to successfully tackle unemployment, our Edinburgh Guarantee has been supporting disadvantaged young people for years.
âWeâre looking to expand this offer even more in light of Covid-19. We want to use it to help people of all ages who might face additional barriers to employment and weâre calling on employers to sign up and support us.â
Lesley warns that the journey ahead wonât be straightforward, but stresses that nobody has to face it alone â there is support available: âNext Step Edinburghâs advisers will do everything they can to support you.
“We are working with employers recruiting right now but we understand those jobs may not be right for some. For those people we will collaborate so they will be front of the queue when the job market recovers.â
Anyone looking for support can find the contact details on Next Step Edinburghâs website â www.nexstepedinburgh.org
People looking for work or those at risk of redundancy will benefit from additional assistance to move into work or retrain.
The package of support, outlined by Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop yesterday, is backed by ÂŁ100 million for 2020/21, with at least ÂŁ50 million of that funding set aside to help young people get into work.
The measures include a job guarantee for young people, a new national retraining scheme, and more funding to provide immediate assistance and advice if people are made redundant.
In addition, Fair Start Scotland, our employment support service, has been extended by a further two years to March 2023.
Ms Hyslop said: âWe are potentially facing unemployment on a scale not seen for decades as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). Todayâs announcements show that we are ready to rise to this challenge with investment to help ensure that people who have lost jobs, those at risk of unemployment and young people entering the labour market can benefit from more and better job opportunities.
âThis crisis is having a significant impact on our young people and we need to act quickly to protect their future. I have asked Sandy Begbie, who led the Developing the Young Workforce Group that played a pivotal role in the delivery of the Edinburgh Guarantee to young people, to develop an implementation plan for a job guarantee for young people, as recommended by the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery, and we will set out more detail on that plan in early August.
âThe extension to Fair Start Scotland will also provide stability and continuity to the most vulnerable and those furthest from the labour market, including people with disabilities, health conditions and those who are long-term unemployed, to help them progress into work.â
The ÂŁ100 million is in addition to the ÂŁ33 million already committed for employability support for 2020/21.
