Archive for January, 2009
January 23, 2009 at 7:40 pm
· Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged alex salmond, career, environmental jobs, green energy, green jobs, isle of lewis, jobs, renewable energy, siadar wave farm, unemployment
A new 4 mega watt wave farm to be built on the Isle of Lewis was approved on 22nd January by the Scottish Government.
The Saltire Prize winning project is one of the first marine renewable energy projects to be approved in the UK.
Following on from initiatives in Northern Ireland and England to create green jobs to conserve energy and beat unemployment, the new wave farm will provide the island with 70 new environmental jobs.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said in a statement:
“Today’s announcement is a significant step in Scotland’s journey to become a world leader in renewables. The Siadar wave farm will be one of the largest consented wave electricity generating station in the world.
“This is proof of Scotland’s unique opportunities in renewables and evidence that we are already on the way to seizing every opportunity to maximise our natural resources and capability to generate clean, green energy.
“This is good news for the Western Isles and for Scotland but its long-term potential is global.”
Energy produced by the wave farm will be enough to power around 1,800 homes, and the farm will be one of the world’s largest.
The local community on the Isle of Lewis are excited about the creation of the wave farm. Mp Angus MacNeil said:
“Having visited the site and met with those involved in it, I know that this news will be greeted warmly, and that the community will now be eager to move forward to the construction phase.”
Numbers of green jobs are expected to expand this year, as the UK faces job losses in other sectors such as manufacturing and finance. If you are looking to change jobs, investing your career in an environmental job could be the wisest move you ever make. Check out the listings on JuicyJobs.biz now to start your search.
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January 23, 2009 at 7:36 pm
· Filed under Charity news ·Tagged Voluntary jobs, volunteering, third sector, volunteer, jobs, employment, vtalent year, new opportunities white paper, Kevin brennan, gateshead council
V, the volunteering organisation for 16-25 year olds, unveiled a new scheme for young people in early January.
vTalent Year, which provides £10.5 million in funding for voluntary activities, is scheduled to begin in March. The programme is part of the Governments New Opportunities White Paper and backed by Minister for the Third Sector Kevin Brennan.
Gateshead Council is among those that have been chosen to pilot the scheme. Here, the council hopes to provide 1,000 young people with the chance to change and enhance public sector services for the better.
Young people will be given 44 week placements within Gateshead Council’s Children and Young People Service, and at least 40% of those places will go to young people not in employment, education or training.
Councillor David Napier, Cabinet Member for Safer, Stronger Communities and Culture, told the Associated Press:
“Our inclusion in this innovative new scheme follows hot on the heels of Gateshead Council’s Year of Volunteers in 2008, and volunteering is very much something we continue to invest in.
“Offering full time volunteer placements will not only help us to help young people develop vital skills that will never leave them, but we see it as an opportunity to shape our home-grown local talent so those that choose a public sector career can be confident and effective future council employees.”
Similar schemes are being rolled out in councils around the country. The announcement of the programme comes after ministers called for better volunteering opportunities to be created as a recession survival strategy. Volunteering placements can give young people the skills and experience they need to get into work, which they may be blocked from by costs or poor local facilities. If you are looking to find a volunteering job, check out JuicyJobs.biz for listings.
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January 23, 2009 at 7:26 pm
· Filed under Charity news, volunteering ·Tagged Voluntary jobs, ethical career, volunteering, career, sex life, Tim Loughton
The advantages of volunteering jobs for people between positions, or already working and looking to move into an ethical career, have often been reported on JuicyJobs.biz. There is, however, one advantage that so far has been missed.
Conservative MP Tim Loughton, also the Shadow Minister for Children, came out with a statistic about something not normally discussed in the House of Commons.
The comments were made during a heated Parliamentary question and answer session in which MPs were debating issues around funding for volunteer organisations.
Mr Loughton claimed that “a survey showed 17 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds said volunteering had improved their sex lives.”
He also explained that, as well as self-esteem which boosts confidence in the bedroom, volunteering jobs are generally healthy, both psychologically and in terms of career-building:
“We are all well aware of the excellent work voluntary groups do to promote social cohesion and to engage young people in their communities, and of the excellent qualities volunteering brings,” he said.
Mr Loughton later said that he had used the statistic only to regain the attention of his rowdy fellow MPs.
Besides improving your sex life, however, a volunteering job can be just what is needed if you are looking to move into an ethical career with a charity, the public sector or an environmental job. Volunteering can help fill your time constructively if you are between jobs, improving your state of mind, building your CV and connecting you with useful contacts. If you are working, but need experience before you switch careers, a part-time volunteering position can provide you with the knowledge you need for a new ethical career path, without you having to take the leap and leave your old job first. To find out about great volunteering opportunities, check out JuicyJobs.biz.
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January 16, 2009 at 10:53 am
· Filed under ethical jobs ·Tagged 2012, ethical career, ethical job, green career, interview, olympics, volunteer, volunteering
As local authorities and central government attempt to stave of unemployment during the recession, progressive plans to provide volunteering jobs at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics are unveiled.
The Personal Best Programme will be launched in Hammersmith and Fulham. The project gives unemployed and unqualified people living in the area an opportunity to develop valuable skills, and potentially take part in hosting the Olympics in three years’ time.
Participants in the scheme will gain a volunteering qualification that is nationally recognised, providing them with vital skills and experience as well as an activity to build self-esteem during their period of unemployment.
The participants will be guaranteed an interview for a volunteering role at the London Olympics, applicants for which are expected to be in their thousands. Although only 10 people will be selected to be Olympic volunteers, all participants can benefit from the scheme.
The Personal Best Programme has been trialled successfully in 11 London boroughs. The London Development Agency and the Leaning and Skills Council hopes that the scheme will eventually help 7,000 Londoners in every borough.
Group Director for Olympic Legacy at the LDA Tom Russell said: “We have already seen participants turn their fortunes round through our pilot scheme. They have gained a new confidence and achieved that first job or qualification.”
Olympics aside, volunteering can be a fantastic way to further your search for an ethical job or a green career. You can gain new skills, valuable on-the-job experience, make useful contacts, and even be first choice for an interview if a vacancy crops up. There are more psychological advantages as well; part-time or full-time volunteering whilst unemployed can boost self-respect, help you make friends, and fill hours that would normally be spent endlessly checking your email account and post box. If all of this sounds like a good idea to you, why not check out JuicyJobs.biz for great volunteering jobs?
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January 16, 2009 at 10:49 am
· Filed under ethical jobs, green jobs ·Tagged CV, ehtical career, environmental jobs, environmental sector, green job, job, jobs, network, recruitment, web 2.0
Finding a job in the current economic climate can seem like an impossible task, with stories of redundancies hitting the headlines every day. The ethical and environmental sectors, however, are in fact growing as the credit crunch wears on.
You’ve probably read all the usual job advice on how to behave in an interview, how to tackle recruitment workshops, and so on and so forth. In our multimedia, interactive world there are new tricks to learn in the hunt for jobs, making the most of the technology you have access to from your laptop. Check out these top tips!
- Facebook PRO-file: Social networking is not just about socialising. It can help your professional life too. The rumours that recruiters check Facebook profiles to suss out prospective candidates are true, so make sure your profile is suitably professional. That means no silly photos or bad language. Put your work numbers and email addresses on there (but remember to reset your security settings to ensure only people you know see these). Use the “about me” section not to waffle on about your favourite films, your cats, and how you like long walks, but to record your relevant achievements and most impressive job titles. See it as a CV but one step better; a CV you can easily embed video, photos and audio into!
- Make your CV say more about you: Imagine a busy recruiter sieving through hundreds of CVs. How many times do you think they will read the phrase “works well under pressure/in a team/on own initiative”? Probably too many. To make your CV stand out, try giving more of a personal feel by avoiding clichés, and using short but relevant examples to illustrate your skills. You could even add a short video or audio file of yourself explaining why you want to work in the sector you are applying for, showing off your confidence, multimedia savvy and ability to stand out. Finally, try and get a quote from an employer as well as a reference. This will stick in a recruiter’s mind, as you have already gone to the trouble of getting a reference for them.
- Get online: Aside from Facebook, there are other online or mobile technology tools you can use to your advantage. Use social networking and profiling sites like LinkedIn as mini-CVs and link them all together. Start using Twitter to update people on your progress in the job search; letting them know where you are interviewing might lead to them putting you in touch with an inside contact.
- Stay in touch: Make it as easy as possible for potential employers and contacts to get hold of you. Create an email signature with your full name, all mobile and landline numbers, email addresses and online profiles in it. As well as this, it’s a good idea to go old-fashioned and have business cards printed, again with all of your contact details and your area of expertise or job title on them. They are cheap and easy to have printed, but can make all the difference when meeting a new contact by chance.
- Network: Although technology and the web makes job hunting easier, there is still no replacement for meeting people in person if you want to make an impression. There are hundreds of events going on all over the UK for professionals to meet and exchange advice and news. A quick online search will bring up a list of hosting companies in your area, and joining the guest list is normally free. Events usually charge for entry, but meeting other people working in your sector face-to-face can be invaluable. Make sure you maximise your time at these, getting to know people and passing on your contact details.
The environmental sector is about to boom, so start setting yourself up now in order to catch the wave! Check out the listings on JuicyJobs.biz for great job opportunities.
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