Tag: Recruitment

£50m to recruit extra school staff

Targeted funding to recruit 1,000 new teachers and 500 pupil support assistants in the next academic year has been announced today by Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville.

The additional £50 million will support COVID-19 education recovery as schools return to full time face-to-face learning. The announcement meets another commitment for the first 100 days of this government.

In addition, £65.5m permanent funding will be allocated annually to councils from 2022-23, which will help remove barriers to councils employing these additional staff on permanent contracts and meet the local needs of children and young people.

Ms Somerville said: “Our vision for COVID recovery and our priorities for Scottish education remain unchanged. Recruiting more permanent staff will be one of the cornerstones of recovery alongside the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff intensified support for reducing inequity, and enabling the highest quality of learning and teaching.

“The £50 million funding will allow councils to recruit more teachers and pupil support assistants next year. Looking further ahead, the additional £65 million annual funding delivered as part of the local government settlement will support councils to recruit these additional staff on permanent contracts.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Resources Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “This additional baselined funding is a welcome resource as we progress into education recovery. Prioritising the educational, as well as, health and wellbeing needs of our children and young people is essential for us all.

“Having the ability to recruit both teachers and support staff with certainty is one part of how we can ensure Councils can deliver the most effective experience for all.

“We do however, look forward to continuing to work with Government to address broader recruitment and retention needs that supports the delivery of high quality education to all.”

Since the start of the pandemic 2,700 additional teachers and support staff have been recruited through £190 million from the Scottish Government.

The government’s commitment to recruit 3,500 additional teachers and pupil support assistants during this Parliament, including this 100 days commitment, is over and above those already recruited using this funding.

SP Energy Networks £1.58 billion plan for Scotland unveiled

  • SP Energy Networks sets out plans to invest £1.58 billion in Central and Southern Scotland between 2023 and 2028
  • Investment is critical to the UK hitting its Net Zero targets, with the UK set to see circa 30 million EVs hit the streets and 22 million heat pumps installed in homes by 2050.
  • Critical upgrades will be required to connect an additional 3GW of renewable generation as Scotland revolutionises transport and heating infrastructure at speed.
  • Proposals include £30m Net Zero Fund to support innovative, low carbon community projects across SP Energy Network’s licence areas.

SP Energy Networks has today launched its draft RIIO-ED2 Business Plan, detailing the £3.2 billion of investment required to ready the UK for an electric future, of which £1.58bn would be in Central and Southern Scotland’s distribution network.

Running from 2023 to 2028, the draft plan sets out SP Energy Networks’ vision for a network that can meet the challenge of Net Zero across 105,000km of network and 30,000 substations and will benefit millions of customers cross Scotland, England, and Wales.

The work will kick-start the much-needed growth in low carbon technologies required to reach the Scotland’s climate ambitions. Across Central and Southern Scotland, the investment would enable the connection of over 370,000 electric vehicles, 210,000 domestic heat pumps and an additional 3GW of low carbon electricity generation connected during the five-year period.

To help deliver this mammoth task, SP Energy Networks plans to recruit more than 1,100 green jobs across its licence areas (Central and Southern Scotland and Merseyside, Cheshire, North & Mid-Wales and North Shropshire), with thousands more indirect jobs supported over the five years.

Frank Mitchell, CEO of SP Energy Networks, said: “The scale of the task at hand cannot be underestimated. If the Scotland is to hit its Net Zero targets, we must deliver one of the largest, fastest upgrades of our critical infrastructure this country has ever seen.

“We deliver an essential public service – keeping the electricity flowing to 6 million people across 3.5 million homes and businesses. This is an important and privileged role and it’s one we never take for granted, but it is so much more than just ‘keeping the lights on’. This investment is vital and with five months to go until COP26, launching this plan shows our commitment to getting the job done for our communities across the Scotland.

“In RIIO-ED2, we need to respond to our customers’ changing needs as we move towards Net Zero. We’ve set out our plans to continue delivering exceptional service, supporting our most vulnerable customers, and taking on a more proactive role in our communities.

“Our customers already rate us at over 9 out of 10 for satisfaction and we plan on going even further. We will be a partner that supports their journey to Net Zero, bridging the gap from ambition to action to make sure that we leave no-one behind in the energy transition.”

At the heart of SP Energy Networks planned investment across its licence area is:

  • developing a network that’s ready for Net Zero by continuing to adapt the world-class network to be more resilient and more reliable, using innovative, flexible, and efficient solutions. Innovation and efficiency embedded in the plan will save £173m for customers.
  • being the trusted partner for customers, communities, and stakeholders by engaging more with customers and communities, supporting them by offering enhanced and tailored services, and going further for vulnerable customers. A proposed £30 million Distribution Net Zero fund will support innovative, low-carbon project proposals to enable communities to realise their ambitions, and £62.5 million of social benefits will be delivered through the provision of support services to more customers than ever before.
  • readying the business for a digital and sustainable future by embedding new digital approaches, innovation, and process redesign to save customers more than £60 million and by putting sustainability first in order to reduce our carbon footprint by 38% by 2028.  

Frank Mitchell explains: “When the current infrastructure was built, homes used gas or solid fuel for heating with only twenty appliances running on electricity – compared to more than fifty now.

“Over the next two decades, we expect to see that demand rise significantly, as millions more electric vehicles and heating systems come online.

“Our network has served us well over the last fifty years. Now is the time to invest so it stands ready to continue that service in a truly decarbonised future.”

SP Energy Networks has engaged with over 15,000 customers and stakeholders on the Business Plan and will continue to engage and consult ahead of the submission of the final plan in December 2021.

Changing the chemistry at Scotland’s environment protection agency

Leaders with ambition to help Scotland achieve net zero and address the climate and biodiversity emergencies have an important opportunity to shape the work of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The agency, which is changing to meet the challenges of tomorrow, is seeking applications for two new board members.

SEPA is Scotland’s principal environmental regulator. Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment, helping communities, and businesses thrive within the resources of one planet. The agency calls this One-Planet Prosperity.  

As a member of SEPA’s Agency Board, applicants can help the organisation tackle local, national and international challenges, ensuring it continues to work with communities, NGOs, businesses and others to make a positive impact on Scotland’s stunning environment. The new members would join SEPA’s board in January 2022.  

SEPA Chairman, Bob Downes, said: “With the eyes of the world turning to Scotland, to COP26 and global Net Zero ambitions in November, there has never been a better time to join a future focused and progressive environment protection agency addressing some of the biggest challenges and opportunities of our time. 

“Our role is wide-ranging, including environmental regulation, flood forecasting and warning, helping Scotland mitigate and adapt to climate change, monitoring and reporting on the state of our environment and resolving environmental harms. 

“Being a SEPA Board member is an exciting opportunity at a critical moment for the environment and through our Agency Board recruitment, we want to attract members who have a passion for making a difference for Scotland’s environment and its people.” 

Candidates from diverse backgrounds with varying experiences and skills are being invited to apply for the board appointments, which have become available as two existing candidates come to the end of their time as members. 

Downes continues, “we’re creating a board that reflects the diversity of Scotland and are working with Changing the Chemistry to encourage applications from under-represented communities by sharing information about the role and what to expect from the application process.” 

SEPA currently has 10 Board members, who come from a variety of private, public and voluntary sector backgrounds and bring with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise, as well as passion for environmental issues. 

“Applicants don’t have to have an environmental or science background to join the SEPA Board,” Downes says. “We are looking for people with strategic analytical capabilities and experience, skills that could have been developed across a range of business and government sectors, within social enterprises or voluntary positions.” 

SEPA’s board is responsible for the organisation’s overall direction and performance, including its efficiency and effectiveness as a public body. It also enables the agency to deliver its statutory purpose of delivering environmental protection and improvement, while contributing to health and well-being benefits, and sustainable economic growth. 

SEPA’s One Planet Prosperity strategy involves working with businesses to help them meet – and go beyond – environmental compliance, for example by reducing their use of water, carbon-based energy and raw materials and by cutting or designing-out waste. 

Appointments to SEPA’s Board are made by Scottish Ministers and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland. Appointments are normally for a four-year term with the possibility of a further term, subject to evidence of effective performance and satisfying the skills, knowledge and personal qualities required on the Board at the time of re-appointment. 

As an organisation, SEPA has adapted to operating in a completely new set of circumstances and will continue to make changes to deliver in the most powerful and effective way. 

Following the global health pandemic and a significant and serious criminal cyber-attack, SEPA is focused on building back better. 

Members of the Board will work with the Chair and other board members and contribute effectively to the setting and monitoring of SEPA’s corporate strategy.  

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Board recruitment opportunities can visit the SEPA hub, sepa.org.uk/Board and join an information session hosted by Changing the Chemistry on Monday 28 June at 6pm.

Edinburgh sees biggest taxi surge in UK since lockdown eased

Ride-hailing app, FREE NOW, has reached a post-Covid record level of bookings since indoor hospitality reopened on Monday 17th May.

With its data showing an 38% increase in demand week-on-week in the UK, the company is now recruiting 10,000 more drivers as national restrictions ease further and social mobility grows to meet the growing demand that is set to sky-rocket once the UK fully reopens.  

Since England moved from stage 2 to 3 in the lockdown roadmap last week, taxi journey numbers on the FREE NOW app are approaching pre-pandemic levels, with daily volumes fluctuating around 90% of values from early March 2020, before the first lockdown.

Demonstrating a level of increased confidence amongst Brits, there has been a 150% increase in rides compared to the earlier stage of the lockdown in April. On May 17th, bookings during ‘Beer O’Clock’ – between 5 and 6pm – skyrocketed 107% week-on-week, as people could go to an indoor restaurant or a pub after work for the first time since early November.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular day for travelling last week was Friday largely thanks to a huge growth in the evening as people were hitting the pubs and restaurants. Friday and Saturday night between 11pm – Midnight became the busiest ride-hailing time slot of the week for the first time this year.

On a regional level, in London, it seems that the West End is alive again, with Tottenham Court Road experiencing a whopping 188% rise in rides week-on-week, and Leicester Square 184%, the two largest increases in requests in the capital. 

Among other cities, Edinburgh registered the highest overall weekly growth (108%) with Leith Walk (up by 400%) and Royal Mile (up by 330%) being among the hottest spots.

In Reading, bookings to and from Reading Uni tripled, similarly to Hove Lawns in Brighton and Hove. 

Mariusz Zabrocki, General Manager at FREE NOW, comments: “It’s great to see the UK come alive again as the restrictions continue to ease, following what has been an extremely tough year for all, including the travel and transport industry.

“With many people having lost their jobs during the pandemic, we’re pleased to be recruiting such a large number of drivers across the UK; it’s essential that we can keep up with the growing demand so people can move freely with ease.

“Unlike some of our ride-hailing competitors, we focus on putting driver wellbeing first, and we look forward to welcoming more drivers to the FREE NOW family.” 

Global PR firm Weber Shandwick on the hunt for three new apprentices in Scotland

Weber Shandwick, the world’s most award-winning communications company, has joined forces with Kelvin College to recruit three Modern Apprentices.

The firm, which employees a team of 50 consultants, creatives and designers in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, is enjoying a great start to 2021 and has already bolstered its team with five new recruits this year.

Natalie Buxton, Managing Director of Weber Shandwick in Scotland, said: “We believe that the more open, varied and diverse we are as an industry the better the work we will do. So, whether you’re a school/college leaver, returner or interested in a new career, we are looking for smart people from all backgrounds who are restless and want to do impactful work.

“Our aim as a business is to nurture, grow and retain talent. I joined the company as an Account Manager 15 years ago and many of the team here came on board early in their career and have worked up through the ranks to senior positions.

“The apprentices will get the opportunity to work with some of the communications industry’s best talent, not just here in Scotland, but with colleagues across the UK and globally.”

The apprentices will enjoy a combination of formal and on-the-job training and can expect to gain an understanding of strategic planning, creative, media relations and digital strategy across a range of sectors, including consumer, tech and energy.

Apprentices are full-time, paid employees who will earn while they learn and can be based at any of the company’s offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen.  The apprentices will receive a Living Wage for a twelve-month contract and will earn a SVQ Level 7 Qualification at the end.

Weber Shandwick has won some of the most prestigious awards in the industry; in 2020 Weber Shandwick was named to Ad Age’s Agency A-List and honoured as PRovoke’s Global Agency of the Decade. The agency was also nominated as one of the Best Places to Work in 2019.

Senior Associate Rebecca Halligan, who joined Weber Shandwick through the apprentice scheme in 2017, said: “Becoming an apprentice at Weber Shandwick was an excellent way to join the world of PR.

“I was allowed the opportunity to develop my skills in the areas I enjoyed and have been able to maximise on my potential since joining the team. From working on big brands since day one, training in offices across Europe, and being welcomed with open arms into the team, Weber Shandwick apprenticeship programme is an unbeatable start to a career in communications.”

Find out more at: https://www.webershandwick.com/work-at-weber/careers/?gh_jid=5260202002&gh_src=90759b712us

Police Scotland: Positive Action Team recruitment event

Police Scotland’s Positive Action Team will be hosting an online information/recruitment event aimed at people from Minority Ethnic communities across Scotland.

This event will give attendees and their families a fantastic opportunity to hear from serving Minority Ethnic officers and their experiences as a police officer in Scotland as well as the opportunity to ask questions.

The event will also focus on the recruitment process and the training, with a unique insight in to life at the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan from a Minority Ethnic perspective.

Saturday 5th June 2021: 10am – 12pm

To sign up, please contact the following email address:

recruitmentpositiveactionteam@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Scottish Power confirms major recruitment drive

180 posts to include first ever apprentices in onshore wind business

ScottishPower today announced its highest trainee recruitment drive since 2016 as it welcomed COP26 President Alok Sharma to the UK’s largest onshore wind farm on the outskirts of Glasgow.

Today’s announcement will see 180 separate opportunities for young people to join the company’s operations in Scotland, England and Wales. For the first time in the company’s history, apprenticeships in its ScottishPower Renewables’ onshore wind arm are on offer.

A Principal Partner for the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) to be held in the city later this year, ScottishPower is investing £10billion in the UK over five years – £6 million every working day – to double its renewable generation capacity and drive forward decarbonisation.

Its plans include new solar, wind and battery infrastructure, green hydrogen facilities and undertaking the mammoth task of upgrading parts of the country’s energy network to accommodate the expected rapid increase in demand for electricity.

The posts, which range from renewables to networks; procurement and IT, vary from graduate apprenticeships to pre-apprenticeship programmes for school leavers as well as opportunities for those looking to retrain from other industries.

They include:

·         Graduates across Engineering, Procurement & IT

·         Apprenticeships across Craft & Project Management

·         Trainees programmes for Adult Craft & Engineers

·         Graduate Apprenticeships

COP26 President Designate Alok Sharma said: “Growing our economy while becoming greener provides fantastic opportunities and I am pleased to see ScottishPower, a Principal Partner of COP26, will be adding so many new green jobs to its current workforce.

“As we move towards our net zero 2050 target, it shows we don’t need to choose between cleaning up our environment and growing our economy. I look forward to continuing to work with ScottishPower and others as we move towards COP26.”

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of ScottishPower, said: “Roles like these will sit at the very heart of delivering the UK’s net zero ambition as well as the wider green economic recovery. With COP26 coming to the UK this year, there couldn’t be a better time to join us and be part of the green industrial revolution.

“Increasingly people want to work for an organisation that shares their values and strives towards a clear and common purpose they can get behind. Everything we do at ScottishPower is about helping tackle the climate emergency and build a better future, quicker for everyone. It’s a big challenge, but it also makes ScottishPower a hugely inspiring place to work with opportunities to innovate and challenge yourself at every turn.”

Sheila Duncan, ScottishPower HR Director, added: “There are so many opportunities within an energy company that people might not think of, from project managers to quantity surveyors.

“They all share one thing in common, and that’s helping us play our part in decarbonising the UK’s energy. Whether someone is starting out on their career or looking to retrain from elsewhere, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.”

ScottishPower is one of the largest employers in Scotland and currently has around 5,500 staff at sites across the UK, including 1650 at its Glasgow-based HQ. is the first integrated energy company in the UK to switch to 100% clean energy generation and produces all its electricity from offshore and onshore wind. 

Earlier this year, ScottishPower signed up to the new Young Person’s Guarantee and committed to furthering opportunities for young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds around the UK. This includes grassroots pre-employment schemes in local communities for young people in and around Glasgow.

It is a Principal Partner for the COP26 conference and is developing an energy model that will play a significant role in reaching the UK’s world-leading climate change targets.

Job opportunities with Aldi

ALDI RECRUITING 20 COLLEAGUES IN THE EDINBURGH AREA

Aldi, the UK’s 5th largest supermarket, is recruiting new colleagues to work in its Dalkeith and Hermiston Gate stores opening in September 2021, as a result of its continued popularity and growth across Scotland.

In a welcome boost to the Scottish economy, and to support its expansion in the area, Aldi is looking for 20 Store Assistants across Edinburgh, with training for the role starting in June.

Aldi is a multi-award-winning employer that offers one of the best working environments and competitive benefits packages in the UK supermarket sector, with the majority of Aldi colleagues now receiving a minimum rate of £9.55 per hour, rising to £10.57.

Aldi also creates opportunities for colleagues to develop and progress and has flexible contracts available, as well as healthcare and lifestyle perks for all.

Here, Aldi colleagues give insider tips on how to land a role with the supermarket:

  1. Visit the store before your interview

Deputy Store Manager, Jim Sandhu says: “I’d suggest visiting your local store to watch the team and its daily running. This type of exercise can help candidates demonstrate their knowledge of the store, and display a sound understanding of how it operates. When applying for my role, I had a chat with the Store Manager, who kindly gave me some of their time. This put me in a very strong position in the interview as I was able to speak knowledgeably about how a store operates and identify some of the main challenges a Deputy Store Manager would face.”

  1. Do some desk research

Kelly Stokes, Recruitment Director at Aldi, says: “We always want to see that applicants have done their homework, as that shows how invested an individual is in joining the business. We are currently in an ambitious growth period and are constantly on the lookout for people who are hungry to learn more about us and our ways of working. Candidates who put extra effort in when doing their research put themselves in a great position to start their application and their new career with Aldi.”

  1. Show enthusiasm

Store Manager, Jade Shallow says: “You have to display a willingness to work hard, to be passionate and to be committed to the role.  If you can clearly showcase those three areas, then you’re not only going to show that you want to give your best at Aldi, but you’ll also be in a strong position to get noticed by the hiring manager in the first place.”

About the roles available:

Job title: Store Assistant

Salary: £9.55 per hour rising to £10.57

Job description: Hardworking and enthusiastic candidates are being targeted for Aldi’s Store Assistant positions, carrying out responsibilities such as accurate and efficient till operation, stock management and merchandising.

Full training will be provided for Store Assistants over a six-week period and roles are available from 15 to 30 hours a week, with a realistic prospect of progression.

Apply here.

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director at Aldi, said: “We are really excited about the vacancies that have arisen across the Edinburgh area, as Aldi’s increased popularity and customer demand for quality products has allowed us to continue with our ambitious growth plan, and create further employment opportunities across Scotland.”

“Working at Aldi means more than just having a job; we really care about our colleagues, both personally and professionally. On top of our fantastic benefits, such as the competitive pay and benefits package, Aldi continues to offer a great working environment and real opportunities to progress within the business.

“We take immense pride in supporting the career development of all our colleagues and invest time and resource in them, in order to keep everyone motivated, fully engaged, continuously challenged and importantly, happy.”

Applications and more information on all of Aldi’s store positions can be found on Aldi’s recruitment website: www.aldirecruitment.co.uk/stores.

Police Scotland to hold online recruitment event

Police Scotland is hosting an Online Police Recruitment Event for people from minority ethnic backgrounds.

We are continuing to diversify our workforce, so we are able to represent a forever changing and more diverse Scotland.

The event will be held via Microsoft Teams on Thursday 15th April from 6.30 – 8pm.

To sign up, please email your name and the date of the event to:

recruitmentpositiveactionteam@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Capital Theatres is recruiting for recovery

Capital Theatres is looking to appoint three key individuals to its team – Director of Finance & Business Services, Director of Development & Head of Creative Engagement.

Under the leadership of a new Chief Executive Fiona Gibson, Capital Theatres is moving into an exciting new strategic phase as it spearheads the cultural and economic regeneration of its communities in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is now recruiting for three key positions to help it move successfully forwards, including a new post for Head of Creative Engagement, further developing its increasing focus on community engagement and developing artistic talent, and a new Director of Development who will lead the fundraising campaign to support the redevelopment of the King’s Theatre as well as a variety of creative projects.

It’s current Director of Finance, Iain Ross is set to retire after 11 years with Capital Theatres and so the third role is set to steer the organisation financially as it charts its way through recovery and seeks to expand its creative vision.

Director of Development; an important role in the future strategic direction of the organisation, the post will be responsible for devising and implementing a creative and innovative fundraising strategy, of which a key priority will be the King’s Theatre Redevelopment Campaign.

Building on the success already achieved in the early phases of the capital appeal, the new Director will lead the public launch of a high-profile capital campaign, which will see the century-old, iconic landmark in Edinburgh transformed and restored it to its former glory, ensuring its future for generations to come.

Head of Creative Engagement; a new role for a special person who can grow and develop all aspects of the Creative Engagement programme, centring on Capital Theatres’ strategic ambition to co-create high quality projects that make a real difference inside the local communities it serves.

The role will also lead on increasing community engagement around the King’s Theatre Redevelopment Campaign, develop the Studio as a ‘go-to’ venue for emerging artists and new work, pioneer alternative performance experiences for audience members whose needs are not met by traditional models and evolve the organisation’s award-winning engagement activity with people living with dementia.

Director of Finance and Business Services: Resilience and longevity of the theatres is paramount and the Director of Finance & Business Services is pivotal to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the organisation.

The role will manage the financial business case for delivery of the King’s Theatre redevelopment project, along with financial decisions support for the broader organisational strategy including collaboration and co-production with cultural consortia and artistic partners, revenue growth through trading and the cashflow planning and reporting requirements of public and private fundraising.

More information on the roles and details on applying are available at https://www.capitaltheatres.com/about/jobs