Green energy and young people: two welcome investments in today's budget

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24/03/2010

Image caption goes here Groundwork welcomes continued financial backing of youth training.

Groundwork – a leading provider of environmentally focused employment schemes – has welcomed measures set out in today’s budget for continued financial backing of youth training alongside a 'green' investment bank, to stimulate the renewable energy market.

The two areas are entirely interconnected for Groundwork, which works with deprived communities throughout the country, as providing our young people with 'green skills' will enable them to join the low carbon workforce of tomorrow.

Groundwork's Chief Executive, Tony Hawkhead, said: "This is great news for thousands of young people struggling to find work.

"Young people are our future assets and it makes sense to invest in them. These measures will provide more opportunities to build their skills and confidence while boosting their ability to find future employment.

"By investing in ‘green jobs’ for young people, Groundwork will play its part in creating a long-term legacy that benefits the environment both locally and globally, with trained young people able to use their skills to benefit the UK for decades to come."

Groundwork has been managing employment projects since the early 1980s and, in partnership with the National Housing Federation is currently delivering one of the largest non-local authority Future Jobs Fund employment schemes, aiming to provide over 6,000 jobs for young people by May 2011.

Chris Hames, 21, had always worked on his parent’s farm in Wales, but with the recent economic pressures on the industry, he had realised that it was necessary to look outside agriculture for employment.

Despite being confident and reliable (with significant experience and success as a Referee in the Welsh Premiership) there were no opportunities for Chris until he heard about what the Future Jobs Fund could offer.

With FJF support Chris is now working as a Countryside Officer with Groundwork, helping to capitalise on his practical agricultural and environmental skills. It also enables him to continue working out in the countryside that he enjoys so much.

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Groundwork Manifesto 2010

We spend a lot of time feeding back knowledge gleaned from our work with the communities we serve to politicians from all the major parties and this year we decided to encapsulate what we felt by putting together our own Groundwork Manifesto. It focuses on 5 key areas for improvement:

Communities: All political parties express their commitment to give more control over local services to local people. This principle is to be warmly welcomed but it needs to be accompanied by the right kind of support to help communities make the most of these opportunities, particularly in areas where there is greatest need and, usually, least capacity.

Retrofitting: More than a quarter of all carbon emissions are generated by our homes and, with more than four million people now facing fuel poverty, it’s time we took coordinated action to ensure everyone has a warm, insulated home and to allow people to reduce their domestic carbon emissions. Our current reliance on market incentives and energy providers to reduce emissions will not achieve the UK’s legally binding targets.

Changing behaviour: People need help to take the practical action needed to tackle climate change and energy consumption. There is strong evidence to suggest that working with people in groups is one of the most powerful ways of achieving lasting change. The third sector is already working out in the communities, schools, businesses and other organisations to help change behaviours and limit personal environmental impacts, but much more of that is needed.

Low carbon economy: One way out of the economic crisis is to kick-start a green economy through programmes of investment and the creation of green jobs. This approach is backed by policymakers from across the political spectrum, yet it accounts for only a tiny fraction of government investment.

Young people: With the country struggling to emerge from recession and the next generation by turns pilloried and praised in the media, there has never been a more challenging time to be young. With the right support and encouragement, young people can be positive agents of change in their neighbourhoods. We need to trust, empower and enable this passionate and formidable force for good.