July « 2010 « Go To Recruitment Employment Blog

26/07/2010

Police officers ask for second job

Law enforcement recruitment agencies would be aware of a recent report about North Yorkshire police officers. It showed that many of these officers are now getting second jobs.

A strange fact but one that demonstrates a sign of the times, is that no police officer is allowed to have secondary jobs without the permission of the Chief Constable. The revelations that 185 Police officers have been granted permission, represents about 10% of the North Yorkshire police force.

There were certain assurances made by the force’s head of professional standards, stating that the force has a strict policy on secondary jobs and the requests are scrutinised to make sure that the officer can always work at there full potential as an officer and there can be absolutely no conflict of interest.

This report is unsurprising in the current climate and I can only presume that these numbers of officers or in fact any public worker having a secondary job, will only increase.

Filed under: Uncategorized — Goto @ 09:39

20/07/2010

Outsourcing is the answer

A sign of out times is that many healthcare recruitment agencies and education recruitment agencies are looking more and more at the private sector.

This in fact is probably the right move to make, with many public bodies now trying to outsource as much of there operations as possible, to make the cuts that are requested by them. Capita, the UK’s largest outsourcing firm, has already stated the number of local authority contracts, have increased dramatically and they expect this only to rise.

This increase could generate £60m for the firm, whilst the local authority will adhere to the 30% cuts in budget it needs to realise over the next 3 years. The new fiscal policies have also meant that many private firms are looking at the UK and rubbing there hands, even those as far away as India. Many companies see this as an opportunity as providing a cheaper option for the local authority and it wouldn’t be a surprise if some services are conducted overseas.

Unison spokesperson Karen Jennings, did put an air of caution with the private sector bonanza and especially pointed to healthcare. Her reservations were that if this route took momentum then private healthcare providers could eventually have more power than the NHS and start dictating which services will be provided based on profitability and what to charge for this service. A system that goes against the very principal of the NHS.

Filed under: Uncategorized — Goto @ 09:59

16/07/2010

Unemployment figures set to increase

The emergency budget has come and gone and now the realisation of what effect these policies will have is setting in. For public sector recruitment agencies it does not make pleasant reading as predictions of unemployment rising to 3 million by 2012.

The forecast came from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). This is on the back of today’s unemployment figures dropping by 30,000 in the 3 months to May to 2.47m but with the expectation of substantial public Sector jobs to go, it was worked out that the economy would have to grow by 2.5% a year so that the private sector to accommodate all the job losses. The OBR predicts only a 1.2% this year and only reaching 2.5% after 2.12.

Police jobs are particularly under threat, with funding cuts that could lead up to 60,000 police officers to go by 2015. The figure was based on the Treasury warning departments that there could be as much as 40% cuts.

A separate study showed further worrying news for employment agencies, with jobs in construction, science and manufacturing at half the levels the same time last year.

It seems that with radical shake up happening across the public sector, we all have to brace ourselves for what can be a bumpy ride. If however in a few years time the finances and the operations of many public sector departments are running at similar levels but with half the costs involved then surely it will be seen as a victory for ConDem…. but that is a big if.

Filed under: employment agencies,public sector recruitment agencies — Goto @ 10:10

12/07/2010

1000’S of jobs at risk due to being greener

A report compiled by analysts at Civitas has worried manufacturing recruitment agencies by saying 1000’s of manufacturing jobs could be threatened over the coming years.

The threat stems from the burden of Green Energy policies that have been introduced to satisfy the European Union. Energy bills have already increased by 21% and this figure could rise to as much as 70% by 2020. The EU targets are set at 15% of the country’s energy must be via clean sources by 2020 and that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 34% by the same date.

The report outlines that the costs involved in turning electrical intensive manufacturing to a more greener state, could prove to be crippling and it will be no surprise when these manufacturers decide to relocate overseas. Across the whole industry this could put 250,000 jobs at risk over the next 10 years.

In my view this is a hard balancing act Britain has to of course be seen to help the environment and cannot be blamed if there are higher electricity bills doing so. However maybe the government could act on other measures to counter act these costs, in the precarious state our economy is in at the moment I for one would be eager to keep as many companies happy with being set up in the UK and not put these jobs at risk.

Filed under: manufacturing recruitment agencies — Goto @ 11:07

09/07/2010

IMF Downgrades British Economy

The International Monetary Fund gave one of its largest downgrades for a developed country, when it lowered its growth forecast figures for Britain in 2011 from 2.5% growth to 2.1% growth.

The figures were less than the independent Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) which predicts a 2.3% growth in 2011. Recruitment agencies would have also been concerned by the OBR prediction that 600,000 public sector jobs could go.

The IMF added the global economy is actually recovering faster than initially expected and even increased its forecast for growth in the US and China. The problem they stressed was with Europe’s debt crises which will delay’s the continent’s growth.

IMF has asked governments to get to grips with their banks and push ahead with financial reforms. This is to encourage the flow of credit to the economy.

In response to this downgrade view, it is of course a concern but it is on the back of making fiscal changes that will hopefully tackle the debt in Britain. A catch 22 I suppose, but from my point of view this strategy will hopefully reward Britain in the future.

Filed under: recruitment agencies — Goto @ 09:55

05/07/2010

Graduate public jobs at risk

Graduate recruitment agencies would have been concerned by the government’s willingness to cut unprotected division’s by 25% over the next 4 years.

With 39,000 public sector `non- frontline` jobs filled by UK graduates yearly, then even if just a fifth of these jobs were lost due to funding that would double the amount of graduate unemployment. This warning came as 1 in 10 graduates failed to find work last summer in the midst of the recession.

The findings that came from the Higher Education Statistic Agency, also showed that the number of graduates working after 6 months dropped from 62% to 59%, that is around an addition 6,000 graduates. It was also shown that there was an increase in the number of graduates that took up further studies.

I obviously take this news with concern but of course with a certain realisation, just because the cuts will be happening in the public sector we have no way of knowing if the private sector could accommodate these individuals. The key to any economy is forward thinking people and that is what graduates can supply. I believe that although there would be areas of detrimental affect from this budget, other gateways will open.

Universities minister David Willets said that these figures show that employers are continuing to recruit graduates in large numbers.

Filed under: graduate recruitment agencies,Uncategorized — Goto @ 10:10