East Lothian Council to create two apprenticeships to help plug gap in workforce
School leavers will be invited to apply for the modern apprentice posts in the council's road services department which will run for two years and pay the national minimum wage.
Despite admitting there may be no job within the council at the end of the placement, a report to council said the opportunity would give unemployed young people the experience and skills to find work once completed.
Setting out the reasons for the apprenticeships, the report said: 'Within road services we currently have a number of vacancies including one road officer and one senior road officer.
'We have tried to fill posts but have been unsuccessful. The two modern apprenticeship 'Trainee Roads Officers' would equip unemployed recent school leavers with the necessary skills and experience for them to compete more effectively in the current employment market.
'They would also greatly assist road services at a time of reduced resources and increased workloads. The 'Trainee Roads Officers' will cover distinct areas of project work across the teams within road services. The post holders
will be involved in a number of projects and will assist officers and team
managers in the delivery of this service.
'This will include but not be limited to producing designs, assessments, reports, drawings and contract documents for Engineering works and assisting with the supervision of works.'
The posts will be open to male and female school leavers aged between 16-19 with an extended age of up to 29 for those who are disabled or care-experienced . Applicants must reside in East Lothian.
Apprentices will be paid the National Minimum Wage which is currently £7.55 per hour for under 18s, £10 an hour for 18-20 year olds and £12.21 per hour at age 21 and over.
The report said the trainees would also achieve an HNC Civil Engineering qualification working with Edinburgh College and with mentoring support from road services.
It added: 'If no post is available within the Road Services team to achieve positive destination beyond the apprenticeship period, East Lothian Council will work with the individuals to assist them in securing employment; within the wider marketplace including both agency work and more permanent
employment.'
By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter
Like this:
Like
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
3 days ago
- The National
Calls for ‘farcical' North Berwick parking plans to be shelved
East Lothian Council had expected to have parking meters operating on the seaside town centre's streets last month but have hit snags getting planning permission from their own officers. Now the local authority has confirmed that earlier proposals to phase in the scheme by introducing off street charges in car parks, due to be introduced last April, have also been delayed after it was not practical to start charging people until the meters were in place. READ MORE: Scottish construction firm set to go into liquidation Since April 13, planning applications have been lodged seeking permission to install the meters in the conservation area. However, five have had to be withdrawn – one of them twice – while the rest remain undecided. The local authority insists the withdrawal of several of the applications is 'normal practice' in the planning process but declined to go into details over what was wrong with the initial proposals beyond saying it was due to 'accessibility of the proposed locations'. The pavements in some of North Berwick's town centre streets are narrow and already become clogged with tourists during busy periods. [[North Berwick]] is the first of five East Lothian towns due to see parking charges brought in with consultations ongoing over similar plans for Dunbar, Tranent, Haddington, and Musselburgh. East Lothian MSP Paul McLennan, who served as a councillor on the local authority before being elected to Holyrood said, in his experience, the number of application withdrawn was not normal. McLennan said the North Berwick scheme should be put on hold while consultations in other towns were being carried out. He said: 'The process has been poorly planned and in North Berwick it should be halted until decisions are made elsewhere in East Lothian.' Fellow East Lothian MSP Craig Hoy, who also served as a councillor and has been an outspoken opponent of town centre parking charges across the county, described the North Berwick situation as "farcical'. READ MORE: World's tallest cinema in Scottish city 'at risk of closure' He said: 'This is farcical. It goes to show that East Lothian Council hadn't thought through either the impact of parking charges on residents or the practical consequences of installing parking metres in historic and conservation areas in the town.' An East Lothian Council spokesperson said: 'Following ongoing consultation work, the proposed placement of a small number of parking meters was changed. "This was in relation to accessibility of the proposed locations. As is normal practice in the planning process, the previous applications were withdrawn and new applications for the amended locations were submitted.' On the decision not to introduce car park charges in April as originally proposed, they said: 'Off-street charges haven't been introduced. We are seeking to deliver the overall proposal at the same time rather than in parts.'
Business News Wales
5 days ago
- Business News Wales
'Resilient' Welsh Businesses Remain Positive About Economic Outlook
Welsh business leaders have confidence in the strength of the economy and in the growth expectations for their own businesses despite high operating and people costs and the expectation of additional taxes later this year. Key indicators from Grant Thornton UK's latest Business Outlook Tracker show that business leaders are optimistic about the UK economy, with 86% of respondents expressing a positive outlook. While UK labour statistics in June reported falling vacancies and increased unemployment, recruitment investment intentions remain strong, with 96% of businesses expecting to either increase or maintain investment in recruitment over the next six months. Mid-market businesses regard high operating and staffing costs as a significant challenge, potentially exacerbated by the increases in employer National Insurance and National Minimum Wage contributions introduced in April. Among Welsh respondents, 52% said these changes had caused them to reduce or freeze hiring, and 42% said they'd had to cut jobs. The majority (66%) also expect further tax increases before the end of the year. Despite these pressures, businesses feel supported by government strategy and are optimistic about their future prospects: 68% of respondents agree government policy promotes economic stability. 78% agree government policy support business growth. 80% agree that the Industrial Strategy will support the growth of their business. 84% of the mid-market businesses expect revenue growth for the next six months to remain steady 64% expect profits to increase in next six months Alistair Wardell, Partner at Grant Thornton UK and Head of Restructuring in the South of England and Wales, said: 'Welsh businesses have learnt to treat uncertainty as the new normal. From steel and manufacturing to tourism and agriculture, companies across Wales are showing remarkable resilience despite ongoing challenges from trade disruptions to policy changes at home. 'That's not to say it's been easy. Welsh businesses continue to grapple with rising costs, particularly following the National Insurance and National Minimum Wage increases in April. Whilst there's cautious optimism about government direction, many expect further tax pressures ahead. 'What's encouraging is that Welsh businesses are actively preparing for growth, with recruitment intentions remaining strong. Companies are demonstrating real adaptability – adjusting pay structures, carefully managing prices, and making strategic investment decisions to protect their margins.'
Edinburgh Reporter
6 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Bid to turn former East Lothian pub into convenience store
A Musselburgh pub that closed one year after changing its name is set to be turned into a shop with its own beer store. Convenience store chain USave has applied to turn the Fisherrow Tap, in the town's New Street, into a shop seven months after it called last orders for a final time. The pub, which was previously known as The Hole in the Wa', had reopened as the Tap in October 2023, but in December it announced its closure. The plans for the new shop have been lodged with East Lothian Council asking for a change of use from public house to retail store as well as planning permission for the internal fit out. Floor plans for the new shop reveal a section has been identified as a 'beer store' to be included in what was formerly a seated corner of the public bar. The public bar and lounge will be merged into one large sales area with office space at the back retained. USave says it is one of the fastest growing chains of shops in Scotland with around 200 branches. It already operates a store on Musselburgh High Street and the New Street branch, if approved will be its second in East Lothian. The chain says it aims to provide a 'one-stop-shop' for all essentials and has been involved in supporting local and community causes including teaming up with Edinburgh Helping Hands to provide football practice sessions for children as well as supporting the Viral Kindness Scotland project which created a free hub for local services and people in need to find each other during the pandemic. The planning application is currently with East Lothian planners and can be viewed on its website. By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
