OVER HALF (59%) of the country’s young people (19-25) say they are interested in working in the green economy, according to new research released by British Gas. But 38% of those interested say they don’t feel they have the skills to get a job in the sector.
According to the research, a quarter of young people (26%) don’t feel the training and job opportunities currently on offer do enough to help develop skills they can use throughout their career.
The research shows that young people see the green economy as a route into secure, long-term employment. More than three-quarters (78%) say they recognise the importance of the green economy to the UK’s growth over the next 10 years.
When asked what would help more young people get a job in the green economy, the research showed that 38% of young people want companies to offer apprenticeships, 50% say that more work experience and internships need to be offered, while 21% called on school career advisors to give students more information on jobs and training opportunities in the green economy.
There is a currently a push to improve the options for young people within the hospitality sector. Earlier this month a group of top London hotels committed to providing 1,000 new job opportunities for young people by 2015.
Luxury hotels group Red Carnation Hotels, which has hotels in Belgravia, Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Kensington, has joined the campaign with one of the biggest commitments, promising 100 new jobs for young people in the next two years. In an interview for March’s Footprint, general manager Jonathan Raggett, explained:
“We’ve pledged 100 new jobs for young people over the next couple of years. As we speak, I’ve got 22 vacancies on the website – I’m looking for everyone from engineers for the maintenance team to waiting staff and assistant managers. I like to promote from within but there’s talent out there. And there’s been no better time for us to attract it.
“One of the most exciting things in my job is seeing bright people come in with good opinions on a range of subjects – from social media to sustainability. I can learn from them. We can start to bring in these bright people from schools and university but we have to do it properly,” he added.
- The full interview is available in this month’s Footprint, out next week.
