Tag: Scottish Power

Scottish Power supports Young Person’s Guarantee to aid Green Recovery Plan

ScottishPower today confirmed it will commit to the Young Person’s Guarantee as part of its overall plan to support the UK’s Green Recovery.

To avoid a ‘lost generation’, the new Young Person’s Guarantee aims to ensure all 16-24 year olds in Scotland get the chance to succeed through an apprenticeship, job, training, further education or volunteering.

The commitment by ScottishPower marks the start of 2021’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week (1-5 March). 

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. It is the UK’s only integrated energy company and generates 100% green electricity.

A Principal Partner for the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow later this year, it is investing a total of £10bn in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise.

Under the Guarantee, it is making five commitments to help young people at this critical time:

  • prepare young people for the world of work through work experience, volunteering and work-based learning opportunities
  • engage with and provide opportunities to young people who face barriers to work
  • create work-based learning, training and upskilling opportunities for young people
  • create jobs and opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, paid internships and work experience
  • create an inclusive workplace to support learning and enable young people to meet their potential

ScottishPower already has a range of successful apprenticeship schemes, scholarships, internships, summer placements and other opportunities to support people either entering the workplace for the first time, from school leavers to graduates, or those returning after career breaks.

Under Young Person’s Guarantee, it is committing to furthering its opportunities for young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds around the UK. This will include grassroots pre-employment schemes in local communities for young people in and around Glasgow.

Sheila Duncan, ScottishPower’s HR Director, said: “The theme for Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2021 is Business Backing Talent and what better way to show our commitment to the future of our young people than by committing to support Young Person’s Guarantee.

“Young people are quite simply the future of our business and we know how successful our apprenticeship and employability schemes can be in terms of attracting, training and retaining talent.

“The past year has been incredibly difficult for our young people and accessing opportunities to help energise their careers shouldn’t seem out of their reach. 

“I’m delighted we’re supporting the Guarantee and we’re fully committed to ensuring there are a wide range of exciting opportunities available to them as we strive to deliver a better future, quicker.”

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Apprenticeships are a key part of our work to support our young people, who have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

“The Scottish Government is committed to helping our young people and we have dedicated £25 million to increase apprenticeship opportunities in response to Covid-19.

“Not only do these valuable opportunities provide essential experience to progress, they are also hugely beneficial to our employers and businesses.

“Apprenticeships are also a crucial aspect of our million Young Person’s Guarantee, which since November has created around 18,000 opportunities for people aged between 16 and 24 to help them into work, education or training.

“I want our young people and employers to know we support you and will continue to do all we can to build a strong economy recovery for Scotland.”

Scottish Power employees encouraged to volunteer with added day off

ScottishPower has confirmed staff will be given an extra paid day off work this year to volunteer in their communities or with charities they support.

With ScottishPower recently unveiled as a Principal Partner of the United Nations climate change conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow this coming November, employees are being encouraged to apply to be among the thousand-strong volunteer force needed to help the delegates and visitors in and around the event.

It is likely employees will require 36 hours of time to dedicate to roles at the event. ScottishPower has confirmed that its enhanced volunteering policy will also cover this added requirement for staff successfully chosen to support the conference.

The UK’s only integrated energy company generates 100% green electricity and currently employs around 5,500 people at sites across the UK, including 1650 at its Glasgow-based HQ.

The international summit, due to take place at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) on 1 – 12 November 2021, is expected to bring together the largest gathering of heads of state ever hosted in the UK.

The improvements to the company’s volunteering policy were confirmed by Sheila Duncan, HR Director. She said: “Our belief is that a better future, quicker should exist for everyone. And in our quest for net zero, we should also be striving for a more inclusive and fair society where nobody is left behind.

“We are proud of the role we take in working and volunteering with our communities and customers, while giving support to those needing assistance.

“Following a challenging year where everyone has stepped up and shown incredible resilience and flexibility in difficult circumstances, we felt it was important our staff were rewarded for their unwavering commitment.

“The pandemic has hit home the value and importance to be gained from helping those in need. And as a large organisation, we’re in the fortunate position that we’re able to help. We would encourage everyone to take advantage of this improved policy and will provide all the support necessary.”

Under the improved policy, staff can choose any community or charitable activity under the following headings and apply via their line manager:

  • environmental work and conservation projects;
  • fundraising for community projects or charities; and
  • the administration of public events.

Scottish Power signs C-19 Business Pledge

ScottishPower has today signed up to the C-19 Business Pledge, highlighting its commitment and efforts to help customers, colleagues and communities through the COVID-19 crisis and into the recovery phase. 

The Pledge – founded by former UK Cabinet Minister, Rt Hon. Justine Greening and UK entrepreneur David Harrison – encourages employers to pledge to help employees, customers and communities across Britain get through the crisis.

Crucially, businesses are asked to focus on how they will tackle the challenges of recovery as well as the challenges of keeping going through coronavirus. 

ScottishPower Chief Executive, Keith Anderson, signed the company’s networks, retail and renewables businesses up to the Pledge, saying he is proud to highlight the company’s support for its people, customers and communities. 

He added: “Since coronavirus became part of our daily lives, we’ve been working hard at ScottishPower to ensure our efforts provide the right support – not just to see us all through the crisis, but to help get the country back on its feet as well.

“More than ever, we know the difference our help makes and the C-19 Business Pledge is a great platform to showcase all we are doing across all our businesses for our customers, our colleagues and our communities. 

“Our message is clear – we are here for you – whether that’s supporting you to work in a different way, keeping the energy flowing to your homes and businesses, generating the clean energy we all want, helping you manage your finances during these difficult times, or supporting the most vulnerable in our communities. 

“By continuing to work together, we can achieve a better future, quicker which will make a real difference and benefit all of us in the longer term.” 

ScottishPower’s efforts to support customers, colleagues and communities through the COVID-19 pandemic have included: 

Customers

·      SP Energy Networks working round the clock to keep the power flowing to 3.5 million households across the UK, ensuring people can continue to work and stay connected to family and friends as well as going the extra mile to protect power supplies to critical facilities like hospitals, health and social care facilities and essential shops.

·        Our ScottishPower retail business providing residential and small business customers with the flexibility to adjust their direct debit payments to as little as £5 per fuel per month or take a payment holiday of up to two months if they are struggling financially.

·        ScottishPower retail issuing pre-loaded payment keys/cards with available credit or remotely adding credit to meters for prepayment customers unable to top up their meter due to illness, self-isolation, or financial difficulties. 

 Colleagues

  • Introducing an employee volunteer scheme that allows staff to get involved in local and national initiatives both during and outside normal working hours. This has resulted in employees getting involved in the likes of sewing PPE and scrubs for frontline NHS staff across the country and apprentices volunteering with charities providing vital food delivery services.
  • Promoting and supporting positive mental and physical health for employees.
  • Keeping employees informed and supporting them to work well at home and ensuring those performing critical roles are supported to work in line with government guidelines.

 Communities

  • Supporting partner organisations – thanks to almost £2 million previously awarded from SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund. This has helped provide the resources and capabilities for partner organisations to respond, enhance and extend their vital services during the COVID crisis. The monies, invested in new electric vehicles and improved infrastructure, are now helping provide patient transport, free transport and bike hire for key NHS workers, as well as essential food supplies to vulnerable people and rural communities.
  • Providing funding of more than £50,000 from our networks business for partner organisations who provide additional support services for vulnerable customers on our Priority Services Register. This has helped them deliver key services such as essential food and medicine deliveries.
  • Donating PPE from ScottishPower Renewables’ offshore wind team to a local NHS hospital in East Anglia.

Over and above this, ScottishPower advocates the importance of a green recovery being at the heart of the country’s economic recovery, providing a driving force that will help us all move closer to net zero.

 The C-19 Business Pledge has now received the backing of employers representing more than three million people, staff and students throughout businesses and universities.

As well as ScottishPower, these include BP, Barratt Developments, Everton Football Club, Compass Group, Coca Cola, Persimmon Homes and Severn Trent Water. It has also received the backing of more than 60 Members of Parliament, across all major political parties. 

Justine Greening said: “With the future of many employers hanging in the balance and incredibly tough times unfolding in sectors across the UK, businesses face many incredibly difficult decisions. But those organisations – who are able to – can have a huge role in battling the impact of coronavirus and make a real difference in these uniquely challenging times. 

“In spite of everything, lots of employers have already shown amazing initiative and commitment to helping people affected by coronavirus. The C-19 Business Pledge is all about encouraging as many businesses and universities as possible to get involved and then helping them do that faster and better by sharing all the great work that’s already been done. 

“The early response from businesses across the UK has been incredible and it is great to see ScottishPower making this commitment too.” 

For more information on what ScottishPower is doing to support people and businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, visit https://www.scottishpower.com. 

For more on the C-19 Business Pledge visit www.c19businesspledge.org.

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