Tag Archives: employer

Business, Business Finance, Employment

Cardiff Capital Region celebrates commitment to Real Living Wage

Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) is now accredited as a Real Living Wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation. The Real Living Wage accreditation formally recognises CCR’s existing commitment to fair pay and driving inclusive economic growth.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate based on the cost of living. In Wales, more than a tenth of all workers (12.9%) earn less than they need to get by, with around 161,000 jobs paying less than the real Living Wage.

CCR is also a tenant in Cardiff University’s sbarc|spark, Wales’ first Living Wage building which means all tenants are obliged to pay the real Living Wage to employees and onsite contractors.

Kellie Beirne, CCR’s Chief Executive, said:

“Fair economic opportunity is central to CCR’s ambitions to foster good growth across our Region. Our accreditation as a real Living Wage employer formally recognises our long-standing commitment to ensuring fair wages within our organisation, a milestone that sets the standard for businesses across our Region.

“By transitioning to a Corporate Joint Committee, CCR has gained new powers and responsibilities as an independent public body which has made formal accreditation possible, allowing us to carve our own identity and mature as an organisation. This will lay the groundwork for us to build upon our wider vision of regional prosperity.”

Councillor Huw Thomas, Leader of Cardiff Council and Deputy Chair, CCR Committee, adds:

“I am pleased that Cardiff Capital Region has gained the real Living Wage Accreditation. Since becoming a public body earlier this year, CCR’s commitment and determination to further fairer working in our Region aligns with Cardiff Council, which was the first capital city to become a real Living Wage City in 2019.

 

“As Chair of the Cardiff Real Living Wage Steering Group and Action Team, I’m an advocate for fair wages, which keep money within our local economy. After the Steering Group was recognised as ‘Local Champions’ at the Living Wage Champions Awards ceremony this summer, I’m glad to see further progress being made to strengthen the commitment to fair pay across the City Region.”

 

Councillor John Spanswick, Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council and Portfolio Lead for Economic Inclusion said:

“This is a very welcome pivotal move by the CCR team and it augurs well for future growth across the Region. Economic inclusion is the watchword for our ambitions to be a fairer and more prosperous Region.

By shining a spotlight on this issue we are taking determined steps to support our colleagues and demonstrate how valued everyone is.”

Katherine Chapman, Director, Living Wage Foundation said: “We’re delighted that CCR has joined the movement of over 14,000 responsible employers across the UK who voluntarily commit to go further than the government minimum to make sure all their staff earn enough to live on.

“They join thousands of businesses that recognise that paying the real Living Wage is the mark of a responsible employer and they, like CCR, believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.”

Human Resources, News

Younger generation say they have skills to succeed, but almost 90% worry that employers don’t recognise their potential, survey reveals

  • 87% of 16-24 year olds believe they have essential digital skills
  • Yet optimism and ability not matched by opportunity – 87% also believe employers focus on experience over potential, is holding them back

London, UK; 15 July, 2022: As the world marks World Youth Skills Day on Friday 15th July, a survey of 500 16-24 year olds revealed that 87% are optimistic about their ability to find a new role, with 4 in 5 declaring they feel prepared with the essential and digital/IT skills needed for existing and future job roles.

However, new research from Arctic Shores, the psychometric assessment pioneer, also reveals the same percentage (87%) believe employers focus too much on past experience and not enough on potential when hiring.

Despite their optimism, 3 in 4 young people felt that a lack of relevant experience or confidence in having relevant skills has held them back from getting a new job.

Furthermore, nearly half (48%) of all those surveyed have dropped out of a recruitment process even when they were still keen on the job, with lack of fairness (27%) the most common reason for doing so.

Half of those surveyed don’t believe or don’t know if they have enough experience on their CV to get their dream job, with 43% believing the CV to be an outdated hiring method. When asked what employers should determine their ‘potential’ based on in the recruitment process, ‘personality’ (39%) was most popular. This was as opposed to academic results, application forms and ability to pass tests.

When looking for a job, over half (54%) of all respondents want training and development the most from their employer, as opposed to remote working (16%).

Ed Halliday, Direction of Operations at futureproof, the technology training company, commented: “At futureproof, we see that many candidates are optimistic about getting some kind of job post-graduation. However, despite the volume of available positions, this is not the case with tech roles. Many candidates are conscious that they need additional extra training to become job-ready – even if they have gone through a tech-related degree.”

Wider concerns

As the country grapples with rising prices and supply shortages, it’s unsurprising that 72% of young people have concerns about the cost of living crisis, with 37% likely to change jobs as a result. However, with the employment process focusing on experience alone, it will be challenging for younger people to get into higher paying roles. More worryingly, over a fifth (21%) feel hopeless for the future.

Robert Newry, CEO of Arctic Shores, added: “As we look to the future world of work, sadly there is a huge mismatch between young people’s optimism in finding a new role and the hiring processes that are currently in place.

“The results reaffirm the urgent need to rethink the hiring process and redefine what employers should look for in candidates; otherwise the social mobility gap between those lucky enough to have specific skills and those that don’t will widen. Why are companies willing to pay ever increasing recruitment fees and inflated salaries for experience rather than growing talent? As roles and skills evolve with digitisation, recruitment needs to follow suit. Scrapping the CV and hiring for potential will address the mismatch and restore the optimism in our younger digital generation.”

News

Aegon UK formally accredited as a Living Wage employer

Aegon has informally adopted the real Living Wage with its workforce for many years but the official accreditation enables Aegon to now go beyond the commitment to its workforce and extend the positive impact to its supply chains. Now, as well as requiring in-scope suppliers of regularly contracted staff to pay the real Living Wage, Aegon is encouraging all of its UK suppliers to adopt the real Living Wage and its non-UK suppliers to identify and adopt an ethical pay standard.

The real Living Wage commitment formalises the fact that everyone working at Aegon receives a minimum hourly wage of at least £9.50 in the UK or £10.85 in London. Both rates are significantly higher than the government minimum for over 23s, which currently stands at £8.91 per hour.

In Scotland, more than 15% of all jobs pay less than the real Living Wage – around 350,000 jobs. Despite this, Aegon has committed to pay the real Living Wage and deliver a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work.

The real Living Wage is the only UK wage rate calculated according to the costs of living. This recognition means that Aegon is choosing to pay the real Living Wage on a voluntary basis, recognising the value of their workers and ensuring that a hard day’s work receives a fair day’s pay.

Mike Holliday-Williams, CEO at Aegon said: “Aegon is delighted to be recognised as a Living Wage Employer. People are at the heart of the business and make Aegon a great place to work.

“We have been committed to paying all employees the real Living Wage rates informally for many years now. But with this formal accreditation, we will now be able to work with third parties to encourage them to do so as well to ensure more people have a fair and equitable future.”

Richard Lochhead, Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work says:

“It is fantastic to see Aegon UK become formally accredited as a real Living Wage employer. Ensuring staff are fairly remunerated is fundamental to Fair Work and benefits individual workers as well as business – by improving retention and productivity, and reducing recruitment costs. The Scottish Government encourages all employers regardless of size or sector to pay the real Living Wage.

“I congratulate Aegon UK in making this public commitment to Fair Work and I encourage all employers to follow their lead.”

Peter Kelly, Director of The Poverty Alliance said: “Too many workers in Scotland are in the grip of poverty and employers choosing to pay at least the real Living Wage can loosen that grip. Payment of the real Living Wage allows those in work to become more included in society, better meet their everyday needs, and feel that their value and hard work is recognised by their employer. Congratulations to Aegon on their Living Wage commitment, and I hope more organisations follow their lead by becoming Living Wage accredited.”

Lynn Anderson, Living Wage Scotland Manager said: “Aegon joins a growing movement of over 2,000 employers in Scotland who together want to ensure workers earn a wage that meets the cost of living.

“Having paid their own employees the real Living Wage for a long time, the formal process of accreditation meant that Aegon were able broaden their impact by extending the Living Wage commitment to regular workers employed through their supply chain. We hope Aegon’s Living Wage accreditation will inspire similar action from other large employers, to recognise the important leadership and influencing role they too could have in growing the Living Wage movement.

“Our Living Wage employer network includes lots of smaller employers as well as other iconic brands like SSE, Standard Life Aberdeen, Barrs, & D.C. Thomson.”

Since 2011 the Living Wage movement has delivered a pay rise to more than 45,000 people in Scotland and put more than £240 million extra into the pockets of low paid Scottish workers.

News

Five top tips to make the jump into a coding career

The art of coding is reported to enhance productivity and communication within businesses, therefore, it is fast becoming a sought-after skill by employers1.As the tech industry continues its exponential growth and becomes an integral part of every business, where’s the best place to start for a career in coding?

Online smartphone retailer, e2save, enlisted the help of developers in a range of roles, to share advice for those looking to break into a career in coding.

Don’t worry about which language you learn at first

Learning code is just like learning a new language and takes patience and hard work. Luke Davis, founder of Pandog Media, advises simply picking a language you enjoy: “Whatever language you choose to learn, take it at your own pace. I started coding in Python last October and I had moments where I saw other people doing these really cool projects and I felt like I was way behind and never going to get there. I skipped steps and tried to reach them without knowing the syntax and I got lost in it all. So I stepped back, focused on the course I was following and got back on track.”

Get some practical experience

When it comes to using code in practice, whilst theory and courses are a great option, learning with practical and relevant tasks are often most effective. Gulliver Whaite, Logistics Manager at Huel, advises: “I had an issue and an end result I wanted, so I just had to work out how to reach it step by step. I spent time Googling each line of code until eventually, I had a script that did what I wanted – and I was motivated because it would save me time.

“So find something you want to achieve, then work on that and only that. The rest follows much easier once you’ve started, and starting is much easier if you’re motivated.”

Use all the tools at your disposal

There are plenty of methods to help you start your coding journey nowadays, often with different options to suit different learning styles. Incorporating your learning into everyday life can be an extremely effective learning tool, which can be achieved with various coding apps on the market. Platforms like SoloLearn, for example, provide thousands of lessons in coding available across multiple devices, so you can easily learn on-the-go, or dedicate more time to lessons at home.

Other platforms, such as Udemy, often run free trials or offers on courses such as “Automate the Boring Stuff”, which can be a fantastic resource for people who are looking to automate daily tasks and save time.

Find a community

Kimberley Cook is a director at codebar, which runs global coding workshops for underrepresented groups, her advice is to find like-minded people to help: “Learning a new skill is hard, regardless of what it is. Find a community, such as codebar, so you can regularly get together and chat with people who are also learning. You’ll be able to support and guide each other whilst also learning new skills from on another at the same time.

“Find a mentor who is experienced in the area you want to work in and ask to catch up with them regularly. They’ll also be able to give you advice and support along your journey.”

Remember there’s no right way to learn

It can be easy to get caught up in what others are doing or recommending, but the most important thing is to take it at your own pace and remember there’s no right or wrong way to learn to code, Luke says: “You can use online courses, YouTube videos, books – just choose anything that makes it easier for you to understand the language.”

Kimberley adds: “Don’t feel pressured to do a bootcamp, there are so many resources out there to try. My method is likely slower than getting a teacher or an app, but the things I learnt are much more relevant and entrenched in my brain. When it comes to language, Python can be great for beginners, but ultimately just pick something you enjoy and go with it.”

Karl Middleton, mobile expert at e2save, commented: “Whether it’s for a new career or simply just a hobby, learning to code can provide you with plenty of valuable skills you can transfer into your day-to-day life. All of the tech we use in modern life is powered by some form of code, so beginning to understand this can unlock all kinds of new and exciting opportunities and experiences

“By no means is coding the easiest thing to learn, but it’s certainly not impossible. There are so many apps, platforms and groups that exist now to help everyone from beginners to seasoned professionals.”

To find out more about the best apps to help you learn something new, visit: https://www.e2save.com/community/top-apps-to-help-you-learn-something-new/