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‘New deal’ to help Leeds jobless under 25s
FRESH HOPE: Carpentry and joinery student John Gibson, 17, at the Leeds College of Building.
Groundbreaking plans are being drawn up in Leeds that could force developers working on major new schemes to offer jobs to local young people.
Leeds City Council is in talks with leading firms to regenerate a rundown stretch of south Leeds, bringing scores of new offices and industrial and retail properties as well as new housing.
The area under discussion follows the stretch of Dewsbury Road from Beeston to Churwell, and the big-hitting companies around the table include Land Securities, owners of the White Rose Centre.
As part of any future planning permission agreement, the council intends to stipulate that, wherever possible, new jobs, apprenticeships and training must go to local residents.
And Morley councillors are pressing for that legal obligation to be extended further still, so that the under 25s are the first in line for any new positions created under the so-called South Leeds Partnership Strategy.
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Coun Robert Finnigan (Morley Borough Independents, Morley North) has dubbed the scheme the ‘New Deal’ and says he hopes it will help rescue a ‘forgotten generation’ of young people.
He said: “Significant parts of south Leeds have large pockets of unemployment: Morley, Holbeck, Beeston and Cottingley, amongst them. And unemployment in the under 25s is a big issue.
“It’s not just school-leavers who are facing difficulties, it’s the university graduates who are well-educated and have a lot to offer but cannot get a foot on the career ladder.
“We need to refocus and do what we can to create jobs and apprenticeships for the under 25s. We know youth unemployment is rising, and as a council we are limited in what we can do, but if we can work with the private sector, we can negotiate to create new employment opportunities.
“It’s giving something not just back to the community, but it is targeted at those who are having the toughest time at the moment, the under 25s.”
A report by the Work Foundation last week showed around 16 per cent – around one in six – young people in Leeds aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, work or training.
Coun Finnigan wants the council to use planning powers – called section 106 laws – to obligate developers to make appointments from the young local workforce.
The laws are often used to order developers to create new roads or public open spaces as a condition of granting planning permission. They have in the past been used to insist upon the creation of local employment opportunities, though the South Leeds Partnership Strategy would be the first time where jobs had been specifically set aside for the under 25s.
The move was today welcomed by John Gibson, 17, from Woodlesford, near Leeds, who is studying carpentry at Leeds College of Building.
He said: “I think it’s great news that there are going to be jobs guaranteed for young people to work on such big regeneration schemes in Leeds.
“Around 85 per cent of students at my college move straight into employment when they leave, but it’s good to know that jobs are actually going to be set aside so close to home for people like me.”
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Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
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Chris R
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 01:39 PMIs all well and good promising employment to the under 25's But what about the older people out there!! i am 45 years old, divorced, mortgage, child support and currently unemployed, when are the government or local authority going to start helping people like myself, after my second redundancy in the space of three years!!!!
gaynor07
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 01:14 PMAll new developments should have local people given the opportunity for these jobs, they are after all going to benefit from having the business in the area with motorway links etc etc. Its ok these people saying oh yes we will employ local people and employ local people to build these new premises, but how many really do and what percentage are locals, few and far between. Investment is needed in the South Leeds Area which inturn should employ local labourers, craftsmen, administrationoffice staff. We've had many projects started through our local council, how many of these have employed local people. I am to be made redundant in the next 2 weeks so come on all these new investors in the area what jobs have you to offer me 27 years admin experience. I will let you know people how many offers I receive.
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