Archive for March, 2009

Low carbon buildings programme was ‘too popular’

March 26, 2009 at 7:08 pm · Filed under Green News ·Tagged , , , , ,

A few weeks ago, it was reported here on JuicyJobs that the government would be closing its low carbon buildings programme early; a somewhat confusing move given countless announcements by the Prime Minister that green jobs and sustainable building were top priorities. Now, it emerges, the scheme was simply “too popular” to cope with demand and ran out of money.

The programme gave grants to public buildings to switch to sustainable energy, and began very successfully. Following the announcement that the scheme would be closing early, schools, hospitals and other public buildings have been left high and dry, having planned the changes but having no money with which to fund them.

The BBC reports that Great Missenden School in Buckinghamshire had applied for a grant to install solar panels, but were then told that there was no more money left and are now looking for alternative funding sources.

The government was advised by the Renewable Energy Association that the money it had allocated to solar panel installation grants was not enough and that the idea would be much more popular than anticipated. The REA also warned that money earmarked for grants for other forms of renewable energy would go unspent. Regardless of this, the government proceeded with its original budget for the scheme, now leaving many public buildings disappointed.

For a government that claims to be going green, promising to cut carbon emissions, create green jobs and invest in environmental technology, this is an embarrassing result. It seems to have been a case of the government having its heart in the right place, but not thinking straight before going ahead with the scheme. Better planning has to be done in order for green schemes to achieve the respect and widespread popularity they need to be effective, and more cooperation and consultation between the government and expert associations such as the REA is needed if real change is to be made.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Third Sector Office appoints social enterprise director

March 26, 2009 at 7:04 pm · Filed under ethical jobs ·Tagged , , , ,

If you can’t find an ethical job that suits you down to the ground, why not create one? Social enterprises are one of the top priorities for the government at the moment, and even the Conservatives are getting on board, saying that a more ethical way of doing business is what is required to create a more sustainable economy.

In a bid to encourage people to set up social enterprises, the government is looking to make social enterprises more attractive, and, well, explain what they are. Social enterprises are one of those things that many people talk about, but few are clear on what they actually are. The truth is, “social enterprise” is an umbrella term that describes a number of different business models, and new changes coming about in the Office of the Third Sector look set to make the whole thing much clearer to anyone interested, or already working within the sector.

This week, the Third Sector Office set about making things more official and bringing more and better leadership into the area of social enterprises. Liz Liston-Jones, formerly a policy officer at the Office, has been appointed Social Enterprise Policy Chief. Ms Liston-Jones will direct the Office’s policy on social enterprises and most importantly, their finance.

This is one of many steps to make the third sector more accessible, professional, high-profile and attractive to investors, volunteers and ethically-minded business people. Let’s hope there are many more on the way. The credit crunch has proved that the traditional and unscrupulous way of doing business can and will eventually self-destruct, and it now falls to the government to make clear that organisations can both turn a profit as well as giving something back to a cause to create a sustainable economy.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Will the public sector girls take over in the credit crunch?

March 26, 2009 at 7:00 pm · Filed under ethical jobs ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

It has been widely reported that women are the worst sufferers of the credit crunch job cuts. This is because in this recession, rather than industrial lay-offs, it is retail that is shedding layers of its workforce, and retail primarily employs women. Women working in ethical jobs in the public sector, however, look set to actually improve their position as the economic slowdown takes its toll.

The government has injected more money into the public sector in order to stimulate the economy, and if the current employment patterns are anything to go by, that means more jobs for women. Currently, the public sector is increasing its female workforce, with 60% of new doctors and 58% of recruits to civil service fast track schemes being female. So, more public sector jobs, following this pattern, could mean more women advancing in the public sector than men.

The other factor to take into account too is the rise in male unemployment. Though women working in wage labour are suffering, when it comes to the professional ranks, more men are being made redundant. This is because men in general command greater salaries – something women still haven’t been able to equalise – and so save companies more money by leaving. To place those job losses in a domestic context, if more male partners are being forced out of their jobs, more female partners will simply have to take up work, more work, or better paid work.

Within the public sector, and in particular civil service, men still hold the greater majority of high paid executive positions, but even some of these men face redundancies. When the recession begins to abate and those positions become available again, will a fairer share of women take them up and finally balance out the very top of the public sector workplace? This remains to be seen. One thing is certain; women in professional vocations could do very well out of the recession if they play it right.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Public sector pay rises in recession

March 26, 2009 at 6:57 pm · Filed under ethical jobs ·Tagged , , , ,

The Guardian reported this week that whilst the average private sector worker’s wages have fallen by £16 per week, the first fall in eight years, the public sector worker fares much better.

Public sector wages have in fact risen by £14 per week on average. There is bound to be a backlash soon, but before opinion pieces and blogs begin the usual complaining about jobsworths and lazy council workers, let’s look at the people working in those ethical jobs within the public sector.

Nurses are one group who have benefited from public sector wage increases. The role of nurses has long been underplayed in the UK, and wages for them, considering the unpleasant, antisocial and emotionally demanding nature of their work, have often been forgotten. Essentially, the wage increase for nurses is long overdue, and, as the pressure grows to care for more and more people as public health declines and less people are able to afford private care, it will not be long until the NHS needs further rejuvenation to cope with demand.

Then there are teachers, another group often vilified by the press for having the audacity to have a six week summer holiday and still demand a decent wage. The fact is, the education sector is crying out for qualified teachers, and without reasonable pay scales – there is little chance for teachers to progress in their careers without moving into private education or becoming a headteacher – it’s no wonder. Better pay for teachers doesn’t just benefit those teaching now, either. Making teaching more attractive will bring in more talented and better qualified teachers in the next generation, meaning better education for our children. In traditional Chinese culture, teaching is regarded as one of the most important professions, and it’s time we had a similar attitude here.

Critics of the public sector will argue that the gap between public and private sector workers is widening, creating two separate societies. They go on to say that it is irresponsible to pay public sector workers more as private sector workers suffer. This is nonsensical. If public sector workers are paid less, private sector workers will not be paid more. Organisations in the private sector will not simply decide to even the playing field at their own expense. Equally, if public sector workers are paid less, or there are more job cuts, the sector will be less able to deliver the services that, due to the credit crunch, more and more people are relying on for care and financial assistance.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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Voluntary organisations join forces

March 20, 2009 at 10:50 am · Filed under volunteering ·Tagged , , , , , , ,

Isn’t it lovely when people get together? Especially when those people are working to promote the third sector and improve services for people in need. In early March, 16 representative of voluntary sector organisations gathered in a summit meeting to discuss the future of volunteering jobs.

The meeting comes as no surprise, as the sudden focus on volunteering brought on by the economic down turn means that it’s time to prepare for more work than ever before in the sector.

The volunteering organisations decided that there is safety in numbers. The agreement was reached to work together to give a coordinated public response on volunteering policy issues, and to lobby government together for funding when appropriate.

This new approach means that voluntary sector bodies will consult each other before meeting policymakers, meaning that they will be better prepared and have the ability to make better cases for funding grants and positive policy decisions.

Justin Davis Smith, chief executive of Volunteering England, said: “The broad range of voluntary sector bodies represented at this week’s voluntary sector summit shared our enthusiasm to increase links between organisations.

“By creating a united front, we hope to make a stronger voice for volunteering, with our ultimate goal being to embed volunteering and mutuality in the DNA of our society.”

All of this is great news for anyone working for the voluntary sector, or people looking to find volunteering jobs. A stronger volunteering sector can not only provide better services to the people that rely on them most; it means that volunteers themselves will enjoy better employment protection and more recognition for their often unsung good work. It may even mean that voluntary organisations will have the leverage and exposure to recruit more volunteers, which many people will find a welcome change.

Author
Rachel Charman, a writer for JuicyJobs; Ethical Jobs UK – an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair trade services and support sustainable living.  For job seekers Juicyjobs can help you find the ideal ethical jobs in London.

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