Posts Tagged uk jobs
Carbon Capture Industry to Create 100,000 Jobs in the UK
In the light of the 2010 pre-election Budget, which focuses on economic recovery and industrial investment, the government unveiled its multi-million pound Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Industrial Strategy. Chantel du Plooy takes a look at the CCS scheme, exploring the benefits it could hold for Britain’s future
“Massive growth opportunity”
It is no secret that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions pollute the atmosphere and contribute significantly to global warming and climate change. Through the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives, the UK could confine the CO2 produced by sources such as fossil fuel power plants and store it underground.
According to the IPCC special report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage, it has been estimated that CCS applied to a modern conventional power plant could reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere by as much as 80-90%.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband has therefore identified the CCS sector as an industry of great potential.
“CCS presents a massive growth opportunity for the UK. We have a strong, established and skilled workforce in precisely the sectors needed to get CCS deployed at scale. And we have some of the best potential sites in Europe for CO2 storage under the North Sea.”
The energy secretary believes that investment into the CCS sector could enhance the UK’s economy by £6.5 billion a year and will create sustainable jobs for 100,000 people by 2030.
The government’s CCS plan will involve intensive research in order to develop strategies to place the UK at the forefront of ground-breaking carbon dioxide capturing technologies. This will be funded by a £90 million pot set aside in April 2009.
Strategy
In recent weeks the government awarded two power companies, German E.On AG and Iberdrola SA’s Scottish Power with undisclosed amounts of money from the CCS strategy’s funding to study carbon capturing technologies. The funding will pay for 12 months of engineering and refining plans to build power plants with CCS technology.
According to the UK Press Association, the organisation that puts the best plans forward will receive government funding to build the UK’s first CCS coal-fired power plant at either Kingsnorth in Kent or Longannet in Scotland. The title holder will run the plant from 2014 for 15 years.
In the meanwhile, Ed Miliband branded Yorkshire and Humber as the UK’s first low carbon economic areas for CCS.
“Yorkshire and Humber is well placed to see the benefits from the jobs that investment in CCS can bring, other regions will too,” he said.
According to the energy secretary, the region encompasses the UK’s largest CO2 producers as well as academic expertise; and it is uniquely positioned near potential storage sites.
As a result, the government has announced that it will invest £6 million into a CCS joint venture between Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), Vattenfall of Sweden and UK-based Doosan Babcock. Together with three universities, the partnership will create the largest combustion CO2 capture pilot plant in Europe at SSE’s Ferrybridge Power Station in Yorkshire.
The £20 million Yorkshire project will be co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Northern Way partnership.
Concerns
Although CCS technology is a potential way for the country to reach a low-carbon future, the carbon benefits still need to be established.
The IPPC report also indicated that in order to capture and compress CO2 at a newly built coal-fired plant, more energy will be required and it could increase fuel needs by 25-40%.
However, more recent reports from the American Coal Utilization Council, unveiled that with appropriate research, development and deployment, sequestered coal-based electricity generation in 2025 won’t need as much energy.
Another cause for concern is the storing of CO2 in the sea where a risk of increasing ocean acidification could be possible.
Pledge
The Carbon Capture and Storage Industrial Strategy is aimed at researching and identifying any potential risks associated with the technology.
Not only will the endeavour place the UK in the lead with regards to CCS strategies, but it will also boost jobs, stimulate the economy and drive the country’s low-carbon future.
What’s more, the government has pledged that no new coal-fired power stations will be approved without CCS technology, which could suggest that the idea of CO2 capturing is here to stay.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Getting More Women Into British Boardrooms
As Britain celebrated International Women’s Day, the government encouraged blue chip firms to invite more women into their boardrooms.
Chantel du Plooy takes a look at where the UK currently stands on the issue of gender equality and what it will take for our country to finally get the balance right.
“Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”
This year’s International Women’s Day marked its 99th anniversary with the slogan “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All”.
When Women’s Day was first held nearly a century ago, its purpose was to help women around the world with the fight against female discrimination, voting rights and better pay. Today, it is mostly dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments and successes of women.
On the eve of this year’s annual celebration, Kathryn Bigelow, appropriately became the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar for her internationally acclaimed film The Hurt Locker.
If it took women 82 years of filmmaking to succeed in that category, however, how long will it take them to get onto the executive payroll?
Although Britain has come a long way in diversifying our companies, we are definitely not on standard yet. A recent study by the Government Equalities Office unveiled that 60% of the public feel that there aren’t enough female directors in big companies.
Rightly so, because according to the Cabinet Office, merely 10% of directors at our top 100 companies are women and 62% of FTSE 250 firms don’t have any female executives at all. At this rate, experts believe gender equality in boardrooms will only be evident by 2070.
“More serious action” is Bequired
On International Women’s Day, Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed his concern about the lack of gender equality in British companies.
“We all recognise the value of strong role models for women in all walks of life – and there are many in politics, the arts, public services, sport and the third sector, but there are too few in Britain’s boardrooms.”
He added that this was especially worrying considering the fact that more than half of graduates every year are female.
As a result, the government’s new Equality Bill will compel companies to reveal their strategies for hiring female talent; and a new parliamentary proposal, Women for Boards, will promote the issue.
However, if firms don’t comply, the Prime Minister said that the government will be forced to take “more serious action to ensure companies recruit from the diverse pool of exceptional talent we have in the UK”.
The Benefits of Greater Equality
Ruth Spellman, chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute, told Business Times Online that one of the reasons companies failed during the recent global financial crisis was because they weren’t diverse enough.
“If you can build a diverse workforce that you keep intact, you will do better in tough times.”
Silka Patel, an executive assistant at Cisco, added that a diverse team brings varied ideas.
“If we employ the same person again and again, we will never grow the company.”
A country that sets the standard for gender equality in businesses and the social arena is Norway. After Gro Harlem Brundtland became the first woman prime minister in 1981, the country started implementing female quotas of 40% within the public and private sectors.
Norway’s first male Minister of Children and Equality, Audun Lysbakken, recently told Forbes that gender equality is a business necessity, because when institutions exclude half of the available talent, their performance is more likely to suffer.
“By making gender equality mandatory through regulations and welfare reforms, we’ve made it easier for women to work and have a family,” he added.
The Road Ahead
Gender equality doesn’t mean overlooking strong male candidates in order to recruit average female ones.
The new Equality Bill calls for “positive action”, where companies will be encouraged to hire a person from a minority group over someone from a majority group if they are equally qualified.
However, at the end of the day, each boardroom seat should be given to the individual who is most capable of fulfilling the role.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Karren Brady Brings a New Style to the Apprentice
Times are changing on the hit BBC show The Apprentice. Not only has Lord Alan Sugar taken on a government role as the new Enterprise Tsar to the Prime Minister, but Margaret Mountford has resigned. She will be replaced by the “First Lady of Football” and former Birmingham City managing director, Karren Brady.
Who is Karren Brady and what makes her such a corporate success? Chantel du Plooy takes a look at Karren’s career and the role she is expected to play on The Apprentice Series 6.
The new Margaret
With Lord Sugar appointed as a Labour peer, the BBC Trust has called for a rescheduling of the programme. It wouldn’t be appropriate for The Apprentice to give additional media coverage to the Labour party when a general election is due. As a result, viewers will have to wait until July or August for the show to air.
Sadly the audience will also need to make peace with the absence of Margaret Mountford, who alongside Nick Hewer advised Lord Sugar since the show started five years ago.
The 56-year-old corporate lawyer was a natural. She played her role as Lord Sugar’s “eyes and ears” flawlessly, knowing just when to lift a brow, roll her eyes or speak.
In the Guardian, Kira Cochrane wrote that Margaret “combines a steely core with acute moral and business judgment.”
Before and during her time on The Apprentice, Margaret didn’t care for fame and that is what made her such a keeper. She left the show after finishing the fifth series to focus on her PhD studies in papyrology, leaving an extremely important role vacant.
Before news broke that Karren Brady would be her successor, many experts set their own characteristics for the “new Margaret”.
Tim Teeman, arts and entertainment editor of the Times, said that The Apprentice could risk losing its mystique if they opted to appoint someone glamorous to replace Margaret.
Daily Telegraph television critic Mary Evans added: “It’s quintessentially British to have the slightly older woman. We don’t do glamour in Britain; we do sensible, regal and sound. We have the candidates for eye-candy and it’s important that they are looking across the boardroom at the craggiest faces.”
Ironically enough, apart from the very attractive 40-year-old Karren Brady, the other candidates vying for the position were equally enchanting. These included 39-year-old the Ultimo Gel bra founder, Michelle Mone and 37-year-old entrepreneur, Martha Lane Fox.
“As tough as they come”
Karren Brady, the current vice-chairman of West Ham United, might already be familiar to The Apprentice fans after she featured in a series of one-off appearances. She also led a team on Comic Relief does The Apprentice and rose over £750,000.
However, Karren’s media career began at the age of 18 when she started working at advertising company Saatchi & Saatchi. She moved on to become an Account Executive at London Broadcasting Company (LBC) where her paths crossed with publisher David Sullivan.
Sullivan made her a director at his company when she was only 20-years-old. Three years later, she took over the management of Birmingham City Football Club. Although Karren didn’t know much about the sport, she directed the company back into profit. She became the youngest Managing Director of a PLC in the UK and improved the average gate of the Club from 6,000 to 30,000.
When she left Birmingham City after sixteen years, many were disappointed. Dough Ellis, former chairman of rivals Aston Villa told the Birmingham Post: “I’ve a great deal of respect for her business acumen and what she has done for the football club. I used to sit next to her in FA meetings and got to know her well.
“She’s as tough as they come and it’s a huge loss for Birmingham City Football Club. She’ll be missed enormously.”
Unlike Margaret, Karren enjoyed a lot of media attention during her career. She hosted her own TV show, Brady Bunch, presented Central Weekend Live and wrote a string of columns for UK newspapers.
She was also awarded Cosmopolitan magazine’s Woman of the Year in 2006, named Business Woman of the Year in 2007 and won the NatWest Every Woman Award in 2008. In between all her professional duties, she is also a wife and mother of two.
While Karren Brady doesn’t have Margaret’s mystique or matriarchal image, she does bring a wealth of experience and business smarts to the table, along with lashings of energy, wit and style.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Procrastination: A “sure Ticket For Failure”
During the recession, employers had to cut costs in any way, shape or form to keep afloat. As a result many employees were made redundant and their tasks were added to other workers’ trays. Those of us lucky enough to have a job in 2010 will therefore need to work much harder to manage our workloads and meet deadlines. It is not the time to procrastinate or postpone any project, but what if you can’t help it?
Chantel du Plooy takes a look at what procrastination is, how it affects your success and what you can do to put a stop to it.
Procrastination and the reasons behind it
Procrastination is more than just postponing a task until tomorrow. It is delaying tasks regularly.
It could be a new project or even an old one, but somehow you just can’t seem to sit down and finish it. Why is that?
In Procrastination: Why You Do It, What To Do about It Now, Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen writes that the psychological causes of postponing tasks generally include anxiety, low self-esteem and a self-defeating mentality.
People sometimes put off starting a new project because it seems too daunting and they are insecure about where to begin. Others avoid the task because they fear they might fail and would therefore rather not try at all. Some even thrive on the last-minute rush, which they believe motivates and inspires them.
Most people prioritise their workload first and then start working. Procrastinators are also busy. They are chatting to colleagues, nipping out for a quick smoke or running an errand. However, the most common vacuum of a procrastinator’s time is the internet.
According to BBC News, British workers spend an estimated 233 million work hours a month surfing social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Wasting time on the internet is also the easiest to get away with because it appears as if a person is working. Ironically enough, procrastinators might even consider what they are doing to be work. Checking emails, sorting files and research are all part of a to-do list but they also keep you from starting or finishing more important tasks.
In the world of a procrastinator, there is no time for double-checking or putting in extra effort on projects. It is all about last-minute running around and delivering rushed results. Regrettably, most procrastinators actually believe that this slap-dash approach works for them.
How it affects success
Procrastination is often confused with laziness, a loss of ambition or a lack of willpower, but it is actually more severe than that. Chronic procrastination could even be a sign of an underlying psychological disorder.
A lifestyle based on constant rescheduling isn’t pleasant either. According to the University of Cambridge Counselling Service, procrastinators are frequently overwhelmed by feelings of guilt, inadequacy, self-disgust, stress and depression.
Sarah (45) a sales manager from London can immediately spot procrastinators in her team.
“In sales, putting off tasks could lead to a lost deal and that is why I struggle to rely on someone who delays following-up on clients,” she says. “To me, procrastination is damaging to a person’s career and a sure ticket for failure.”
How to overcome procrastination
Nick (28) a marketing consultant from Manchester, believes it is possible to kick your postponing habits.
“I use to be the king of delaying stuff,” he admits. “I always felt the urge to push back certain tasks I don’t like or projects that seemed too large.”
Now, Nick forces himself to complete the jobs he doesn’t enjoy first and breaks it up in manageable sections.
If you struggle with procrastination like Nick, here are five tips to helping you overcome it:
1. Break it up: Instead of seeing the project as one big task, break it up into manageable portions.
2. Identify your time vacuum: Find out what you tend to do instead of working. If it is checking emails or surfing the internet, log-off during the period you spend on a project and set time aside to respond to all your emails at once.
3. Invest in the right equipment: Make sure you have enough user-friendly stationery like a proper diary, pens, pencils and note pads etc.
4. Prioritise your time and tasks: Although prioritising is a procrastinator’s nightmare it is a lack of structure that is allowing you to think you have all the time in the world.
5. Reward yourself: Competing with your first nature is hard work, treat yourself to something enjoyable to help motivate you to complete a task at hand.
In a year where employers will expect more from you, rise to the occasion. If you are able to impress your bosses at a time when they need you most, you can be sure to benefit from it later.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Chris Evans: Trying to Find Success in Wogan’s Shadow
After 27 years of entertaining millions every morning, Sir Terry Wogan left the breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. Chris Evans, mostly known for his eccentric behaviour and bad boy attitude took over the golden microphone in January this year. Will he manage to woo Wogan’s audience?
Chantel du Plooy investigates whether Chris Evans has what it takes to fill the legendary broadcaster’s shoes.
The ultimate icon
After almost three decades hosting Europe’s most loved breakfast show, Sir Terry Wogan has moved on to a different slot. The 71-year-old Irish presenter will host a new two-hour show on Saturdays, which involves performances from an 11-piece band in front of a 350-seat audience.
During his time on Wake up to Wogan, Sir Terry was voted as the station’s Ultimate Icon. He created an intensely popular show and generated fans across the nation, whom he refers to as Togs (Terry’s Old Geezers/Gals). During his final three months as host, Wogan accumulated a hard-to-beat average of 8.1 million listeners per week.
Industry experts believe that his successes as a presenter have much to do with his ability to talk about any subject and pull it off.
However, the show must go on and Britain’s most adored radio station and its 13.47 million listeners have a new hero to make.
The road to Radio 2
The 43-year-old Christopher James Evans has made a name for himself in both television and radio over the last 27 years. Starting out at Piccadilly Radio in 1986 he moved on to stations such as BBC GLR, Radio 1 and Virgin Radio.
Evans did a series of television programs like The Big Breakfast on Channel 4 and OFI Sunday on ITV. He also managed to set up two production companies in this period, Ginger Production and UMTV.
Between 1996 and 2002, Evans went from hosting successful shows and being acclaimed for it to someone who was synonymous with late-night boozing, skipping work and clashing with management.
After disappearing from the spotlight for a couple of years, Evans returned in 2005 and started to ease his way back into presenting at Radio 2. First as a stand-in on bank holidays, then in a permanent slot on Saturdays between 2 and 5pm before eventually landing the celebrated weekday Drivetime shows in April 2006.
Evans took over the Drivetime mic from long-time host, Johnnie Walker. The switch caused quite a stir, with 1000 listeners complaining. However, by August 2006 RAJAR audience figures showed that Evans had attracted only 150,000 fewer listeners than Walker did on his last show. By October 2006, his audience was up 109,000.
In 2007, Evans married golf professional Natasha Shishmanian and their son, Noah was born in 2009. Evans shared his personal experiences with his listeners and Lesley Douglas, former Radio 2 head, admires him for it.
“Chris Evans is a lesson in how to connect with people. His listeners lived through his wedding, his house move and the birth of his son – he shared his joy, and listeners responded,” she wrote in the Guardian.
Last year Evans won two Sony awards, including Music Radio Personality of the Year.
And now, he finds himself hosting the best slot on the most popular radio station in the UK. Now, that’s impressive.
On his first show, Evans played Beatle classics and assured listeners that he is a new man.
“Buckle up now guys,” he said. “But not too tight for it’s going to be a long but pleasant ride. This time I can guarantee there will be very little, if any turbulence at all, but of course that doesn’t mean we’re not going to have fun.”
Time
Chris Evans isn’t Terry Wogan. He doesn’t have an Irish accent, he’s not naturally funny and his voice doesn’t soothe the soul in quite the same way. But he is quirky, spirited and wildly entertaining. Let’s give the man some time to warm up his seat and win our hearts.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Adam Crozier: The New Man in ITV’s Transformation Hot Seat
After several months without a chief executive, ITV has handed the reigns over to 46-year-old Royal Mail boss, Adam Crozier. Television networks have suffered during the downturn, putting pressure on industry leaders to enhance viewer and advertising interest whilst adapting to new media trends. With no broadcasting experience, will Adam Crozier succeed in modernising the established ITV?
Chantel du Plooy finds out why chairman Archie Norman chose Crozier and what the new chief executive’s challenges will be.
Driving ITV forward
Britain’s media industry is currently proliferated with digital channels and online TV. This new trend in the sector intensifies the job of free-to-air commercial broadcasters to attract viewers and to keep them.
During the last decade, the network endured extreme lows. With the media industry changing almost overnight, ITV wasted time and resources on mistaken opportunities like OnDigital and FriendsReunited. This was made even worse by an advertising recession.
Michael Grade, former ITV executive chairman failed to meet the high targets he set in 2007. Objectives included £150m in revenue from online sales by 2010 which he then extended to 2012.
Last April, Grade’s decision to act as non-executive chairman provoked an eight-month search for a suitable chief executive. However, pressure from the board led to Grade departing the company altogether, leaving ITV with two vacant driving seats.
In November, Archie Norman, ex-Asda boss who is renowned for saving ailing companies, was appointed as chairman.
After necessary cost cutting measures and the introduction of knock-out programmes such as Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, ITV ratings improved and advertising interest increased. As a result, Norman could focus on the most important thing the company needed: another visionary at its helm.
“We’ve already got a disproportionate number of star broadcasters. We need someone who will bring this company together and drive it forward,” he told The Independent.
Enter Adam Crozier.
“Steely resolve”
After completing his studies in business organisation at Heriot-Watt University, Crozier sold Pedigree pet food at Mars UK. He moved on to selling advertising at Telegraph Newspapers before becoming joint UK chief executive at global advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi.
Between 2000 and 2002, Crozier restructured the conventional Football Association (FA). He lifted eyebrows by appointing Sven-GÖran Eriksson, the first ever foreigner to manage and coach England’s team; secured funding for the Wembley stadium; and doubled the FA’s turnover.
In 2003, Crozier joined Royal Mail. During his six years at the group, Crozier managed to transform a company that lost £1m per day into one that made £1m per day.
Unfortunately, modernisation meant cutting jobs and overworking staff which in turn lead to the much-publicised national strikes. Crozier showed exceptional negotiating talents through union talks, but while government was planning to part-privatise and eventually privatise the group, Crozier decided to seek greener pastures.
According to The Guardian, ITV searched long and hard for their new chief executive, but Crozier was Norman’s first choice. Crozier’s personified leadership skills impressed the newly appointed chairman and Norman felt he also embodied “the steely resolve” that ITV needed.
Rising to the challenge
There are also sceptics who can’t see Crozier achieving success in a broadcasting role.
One senior media sector banker expressed his fears to The Independent:
“The view is that he is a lucky devil, slipping from one slightly mixed bag to another. ITV is back to a cabaret act with Archie and Adam, but neither have media experience – when you’d think ITV would have played it straight with a media person.”
Although the concerns are valid, Norman has made it perfectly clear that ITV doesn’t need a programming expert. Rather, it requires someone to transform the entire company.
Crozier won’t slash costs or shed jobs, but he will need to reorganise ownership of hits like The X Factor or negotiate online money making rights. The new ITV chief executive will also have to boost advertising revenues through preventing talents like Peter Fincham to move to independents.
However, Crozier’s biggest challenge will be to revolutionise ITV so it becomes a serious contender in the multimedia arena. With regards to his new workload and all the challenges that lie ahead of him, Crozier remains confident.
“The entire media sector is going through enormous change and that presents both great opportunities and significant challenges for everyone in the industry,” he told BBC News.
“The objective for ITV is to rise to those challenges and put itself at the forefront of change. I am very much looking forward to working with the people at ITV and leading the transformation ahead.”
Only time will tell if Adam Crozier will be able to drive ITV in the right direction. One thing is for sure: his trials and tribulations will be broadcast for all to see.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Mentoring Relationships: The Key to Success?
During the downturn, most British companies focused on managing costs, often at the expense of employee development. With a recovery looming, however, it is necessary to reinvest in training. This need not be a costly affair. Asking knowledgeable members of staff to mentor their less experienced colleagues is an inexpensive way for companies to up-skill their workers.
Chantel du Plooy takes a look at the advantages mentoring relationships can have on an organisation and its employees.
An age-old concept
Mentoring is an ancient notion that traces back to Greek Mythology, in which “Mentor” was the name of the advisor to Odysseus’ son, Telemachus.
These days, it is common in the entertainment industry, where experienced actors and actresses take it upon themselves to teach a newcomer the ropes. According to Glamour Magazine, Kate Winslet and Angelina Jolie are presently mentoring Freido Pinto, the break-out star from award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.
It is not only interns and trainees who have the need of a mentor, however. Everybody can benefit from one, regardless of their age, job sector or experience level. In fact, according to Dr Sunny Stout, author of Business Coaching, Wisdom and Practice, people who become successful have, on average, 12 mentors during their life.
The CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) describes mentoring as a relaxed and “longstanding form of training, learning and development” with great benefits to all parties involved.
Grow your own
A recent study by Cranfield School of Management, called Nurturing Talent, suggests that UK employers should “grow their own” movers and shakers.
Developing the skills of current employees instead of headhunting others can save a company a significant amount of time and money in the long run.
Investing in employees’ career growth also helps companies to retain talent, because staff are more likely to stay if they are being developed.
Sarah (45), a regional manager from Kent, discovered that being a mentor to others encouraged her own self-improvement. Patience, understanding and problem-solving are three of the key characteristics she developed while supporting, guiding and counselling her staff.
“I’ve learnt that staff are extremely important assets to a company and need to be treated with the relevant respect,” she says.
“You can’t ignore the effect environmental and personal issues have on any employee’s performance. That’s why I had to adapt myself to provide guidance on a professional and an emotional level. This has proved rewarding to my team, our company and myself.”
Managers who do not have the time to mentor their staff could hand the mantle over to experienced members of the team. Asking senior employees to guide, advise and support their junior colleagues not only saves the company money that they might otherwise have to spend on costly training courses, but also boosts the morale of the mentors themselves. They feel that their knowledge and insight is appreciated and needed.
The mentor role is a perfect match for mature workers who are reaching retirement age. Instead of retiring outright, they could spend a few hours in the office everyday mentoring a younger member of staff. It’s a great way to stay both intellectually stimulated and economically active.
In an interview with The Times, Dr Ros Altmann, a governor of the London School of Economics, advises employees over the age of 60 to consider going part-time and mentoring younger colleagues instead of retiring outright. She believes retirement should be a process, not an event – and what better way to conclude a career than by creating a protege?
The benefits of having a mentor
According to the CIPD, a mentoring relationship improves a person’s skill development, goal management, networking influence and self confidence.
David (27) a lawyer from Manchester describes the effect numerous mentors have had on him during his career as “profound”.
“I have learnt priceless bits of information. I have soaked up lessons in the industry that are only gained from years in the practice,” he says.
Although mentoring is crucial to personal growth, David believes it is equally important to stay true to yourself and not become a younger version of your advisor.
“The greatest advantage of having a first-rate mentor at work, or in life for that matter, is the ability to become an even better one yourself.”
Pay it forward
As we grow older, physical change is unpreventable. Emotional, personal and professional growth, however, depends entirely on the choices we make.
There is certainly a lot to gain from asking an individual you admire and respect to become your mentor, at work or in another area of your life. In the process of sharing his or her knowledge and abilities, your mentor will have the opportunity to learn something from you, too.
As Winston Churchill once said, we “make a living by what we get” but “we make a life by what we give”.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Getting Promoted in 2010
It is a new year, and thankfully, the job market is picking up. Does this mean it is the time is right to seek pastures new? Or, should you rather stay loyal to your current employer, grow your skills and aim for a promotion in 2010?
Job market growth
After a tough 2009, where redundancies were common, 2010 started off with brilliant news for jobs. A survey conducted by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and KPMG revealed a growth in staff appointments for a fifth successive month.
Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC commented to The Telegraph: “As we head into 2010, the recovery of the UK job market is accelerating. Employer confidence is increasing and vacancies are on the up.”
Although an increase in job vacancies is reason enough for renewed optimism, nothing is cast in stone. KPMG partner and head of business services Bernard Brown, warned: “The prospect of possibly extensive public sector job cuts in the second half of 2010 casts a long shadow over everything. The jobs market has been cushioned in recent years by continued public sector expansion.”
Career growth
With a job market that can turn either way this year, advancing your potential at your current organisation seems like the safest option. The plus side is that growing your career and skills can also have an advantageous effect on your future.
Job development can lead to increased responsibility, a promotion and even a salary raise. A promotion at work has psychological benefits and looks fantastic on a CV when the time does come to change companies.
New Life Network, experts in career advice, believe that promotion, praise, popularity, prestige, productivity, pay and protection are the reasons why people feel motivated to advance professionally.
According to their strategy, a promotion won’t safeguard you from redundancy, but it will “make it easier for you to get another job somewhere else. More experience and a healthy track record of success improves your employability”.
Six tips to you get promoted
According to several authority sites on career advice, the following six tips are the most common when aiming for a promotion at work:
1. Make your boss look good for hiring you: Through being helpful and friendly towards co-workers and supervisors, you will get a healthy reputation at work. In any company, networking is essential and therefore you need to develop strong relationships. This will ensure your colleagues know who you are and how you add value.
2. Become a safe pair of hands: Be someone your boss can rely on to get the job done, no matter what. Through making yourself indispensable, you can safeguard your current position and slowly pave your way forward.
3. Communicate your plans to management: Let your supervisors in on your new career plan. This way they will make note of you endeavours and they might be able to let you know if and when they will consider staff promotions.
4. Develop your skills: Initiate growing your skills through attending courses and workshops that will benefit the company. Learn more about your organisation as a whole, the organisation’s business strategy, where they are headed and how you can contribute to this goal.
5. See challenges as opportunities: Be positive when challenges are thrown your way, it is an excellent time to show management what you are made of. Be a problem-solver, think of creative new solutions to old problems and find better ways to use company resources.
6. Exceed expectations: If you only do what your company pays you to do, why would they promote you? You need to get involved with work from the next level up. Volunteer for extra projects, expand your role and learn more about other aspects of the business. However, be careful not to take on too much and risk doing your own workload poorly.
Remember, nothing happens overnight. If you work hard, you will in due time reap the fruits of your labour. Best of luck!
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
Automotive Industry: How Deep is the Well of Public Money?
The recession’s devastating impact on manufacturing and automotive jobs, has urged the Government to step in. Through initiatives such as the Scrappage Scheme, the Automotive Assistance Programme (AAP) and the Automotive Council, the Government is trying to safeguard uncertain jobs.
But they can’t continue to bail out the automotive industry with public money for ever. Sooner or later the well must run dry and who will suffer most then?
Government initiatives
In an attempt to increase manufacturing, the Government brought in and extended the Scrappage Scheme. In coalition with car dealerships, the scheme provided 300,000 UK citizens with a £2,000 grant to trade a vehicle older than 10 years in, for a newer model.
Although the scheme increased sales and manufacturing, the funding ran out quickly. The Government decided to extend the scheme with an additional £100m.
The Government’s AAP initiative provides struggling motor companies with £2.3bn in loan guarantees. Apart from supporting recession-hit automotive companies, the AAP aims to develop green technologies, fund research in UK vehicle manufacturing and create new jobs.
Tata Motors was first to benefit from the AAP with a £10m loan towards building electric cars in the UK.
Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson commented to The Independent: “The Government is determined to help the car industry to exploit fully the opportunities offered by green manufacturing. Today we are backing Tata as Tata backs Britain.”
The Government also played and important role in the uncertain General Motors (GM) Europe buy-out plans. They negotiated back and forth with Canadian car parts maker, Magna on the best possible deal for Vauxhall UK and its workers. Even when GM decided not to sell the European arm, the Government said it would provide financial support.
“GM will be looking for financial support and the UK is prepared to underwrite it. This is a first-rate UK company with a good future,” Lord Mandelson said about Vauxhall UK.
Future Challenges
Three major challenges face the British motor industry. Firstly, it relies heavily on exports however; sadly manufacturing currently exceeds consumer demand by 20% .
Secondly, the exchange rate is working against UK manufacturing. If a currency is strong in the country where cars are manufactured but weak where they are sold – it creates high costs for production while the selling income declines.
And thirdly, the industry needs to rapidly cut automotive carbon emissions.
In order to address these challenges a partnership between the Government and the motor industry was created. The Automotive Council is chaired by both Lord Mandelson and former Ford chief, Richard Parry-Jones.
At a recent seminar for Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), Lord Mandelson expressed his concern for the future of the industry. He also commented on the joint venture and said that manufacturers must share the responsibility of the UK supply chain.
“For our part, Government will make sure that good suppliers can prosper here. We will actively seek out more companies to locate here. We’re supporting the research base in a big way, especially in low carbon,” Lord Mandelson added.
A drying well?
According to the Times Online, public spending will decrease over the next three years. The country has huge public debt which could increase to £175bn in the current financial year. As a result cost savings need to be made.
Since the UK went into recession, the Government has been using massive amounts of public money to support the automotive industry as well as the banking and finance sectors.
As more funding is needed to bail out companies who directly affect the UK economy, it seems as if other industries could be trailing behind.
Hopefully the current initiatives to assist the motor industry will be sustainable enough, leaving the new Government with time and funding to focus on other sectors too.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text
“Teflon” Terry Leading Channel 4 Into a New Era
Lord Terrance Burns has recently been made the new chairman of Channel 4. In a lengthy battle to find the best candidate, Ofcom chose the former Marks & Spencer chairman as their favourite.
Burns joins the company at a difficult time, not only for the broadcaster but also for the industry in general. He faces serious challenges and will need to excel from day one.
Chantel du Plooy takes a look at the problems looming ahead and discovers why Lord Burns is the best man for the job.
Challenges facing Lord “Fixit”
Lord Burns will start at Channel 4 without delay. Although Luke Johnson’s retirement from the broadcaster won’t be effective until end of January, Burns will need to step in immediately as chairman-designate.
Terry’s first job will be to find a suitable replacement for chief executive Andy Duncan. Duncan will leave the company before the end of the year, leaving little time for Burns, former Treasury secretary, to settle into his new role.
The economy has influenced each and every sector; however, the media industry has taken a huge hit. Brands have cut their advertising budgets drastically. And now, broadcasters have to experiment, innovate and pioneer new ways to improve a station’s viewer numbers and also increase its charm offensive to attract more advertisers.
Government has rejected the channel’s request for public money. Therefore the broadcaster’s future depends on a combined venture between Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide. The complicated venture is something that Lord Burns will need to secure.
Another challenge for Burns and members of Channel 4’s top management include the Conservative government’s promise to cut the broadcaster’s executive salaries. The promise will be effective if the Tories win the next election.
These off-putting demands are no secret to Lord Burns and it is with exceptional glee that he joins the team. He commented in a statement: “I am delighted to be joining Channel 4.
“This is a time of great change as we experience the impact of the rapid development of digital technology in the communications sector and Channel 4 has a very special and continuing role to play.”
Lord Burns isn’t dubbed Lord “Fixit”, or even in some circles, “Teflon” Terry, for nothing.
Colette Bowe, the chairman of Ofcom, Britain’s media regulator expressed her confidence in Lord Burns and said: “I am delighted that we have been able to appoint someone of Terry Burns’s calibre.
“He has an outstanding record of public service and a real depth of commercial expertise. He will provide strong leadership at a time of considerable change in the broadcasting world.”
Liking “tricky problems”
As a British Economist with honorary doctorates and professorships from five British universities, Terry Burns has had an interesting career to date. Burns has experienced a colourful job roles as Professor, Chief Economic Adviser and Permanent Secretary to the Treasury.
He has been chairman of a magnitude of leading companies like Abbey Nation plc, Marks & Spencer Group as well as the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestra.
In 1983, Terrance Burns was knighted. In 1995 he received the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) and was made a life peer as Baron Burns of Pitshanger in the London Borough of Ealing in 1998.
He has a reputation for sorting out scandals and according to the BBC News, Lord Burns commented that he likes “tricky problems”.
One such a problem which Burns sorted was in 1999 where he reversed the Lottery Commission’s decision successfully. In just over two months he managed to convince the commission to award the franchise to Sir Richard Branson’s People’s Lottery without including Camelot from the bidding.
Excelling from day one
A man like Lord Terrance Burns, who has worked in different high-profile positions over the years, hardly needs advice on how to cope with being “the new guy”. But the entire media industry will wait with baited breadth to see how he gets on in his new role.
Chantel is a regular contributor of career advice and jobs news for leading UK Job Board http://www.careersandjobsuk.com Link text