News from the UK and around the world

CIPD warns of Slow Jobs Recovery

With the economy beginning to show signs of recovery, CIPD chief economist John Philpott has predicted a "jobs-light recovery", which would involve a gradual increase in net job creation and continued high unemployment for another six years. Official figures show that UK unemployment has risen above 2.5 million. A new CIPD report, Jobs: The impact of recession and prospects for Recovery claims that job losses in the current downturn have been far less severe than in the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s. But the biggest losers this time have been men, full-time employees and UK-born workers, the report says.

UK Job Centres 'failing small businesses'

Job centres are not fulfilling the needs of smaller firms and must be urgently reformed, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Research by the FSB showed that fewer than one in five small businesses use Jobcentre Plus to hire staff. A third of respondents said they found the Jobcentre Plus network "ineffective", while around half the businesses surveyed said they did not use job centres enough to give an opinion on their effectiveness. With unemployment expected to rise to three million by the end of 2009, and the number of under-25s on jobseeker's allowance having risen by 80 per cent in the past year, the FSB said that job centres should be doing more to establish links with small enterprises. The organisation called for a dedicated small business manager to be appointed in each job centre, research to examine how funding allocated to unemployment, training and business support initiatives is spent and an overhaul of the Jobcentre Plus website.

Start-Ups Sought For Incubator Initiative

The Carbon Trust is on the lookout for innovative clean-tech companies to join its expanded Incubator Programme. Through the scheme, start-up "green" businesses can get up to £70,000 worth of advice and consultancy in areas such as business development, corporate finance, product development, market research, and intellectual property protection. Since its launch back in 2004, the scheme has helped 90 new companies, and now the government-backed agency is looking for a further 25 start-ups and spin-outs to join in the next wave of support. It is thought that the 90 companies already incubated through the programme have raised around £86 million in private funding - £19 million of that investment being pumped into firms that joined the scheme in 2008-09. A recent survey carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills found that industry experts believed that clean-tech would be the fastest growing sector of the UK economy by 2020.

Communitybuilders Fund Open for Business

The UK Government's long-awaited Communitybuilders Fund has opened to applications. The £70 million scheme is an investment fund to facilitate a commitment made by the Government to build more cohesive, empowered and active communities. It will provide loans, grants and mentoring support to a range of community anchor-type organisations across England. It is designed to help empower citizens and communities by strengthening the resilience of multi-purpose community-led organisations through a mixture of financial and advisory support. The fund will be categorised into three investment packages: Development packages will consist of bespoke business support based on an initial needs assessment and leadership grants of £2,000 for staff development and training. Feasibility packages will consist of further business support of up to 5 days and grants of up to £20,000 to use towards project development of a growth plan. Grants of up to £75,000 and 30 days of support will be available for larger projects. Investment packages will be tailored for investees who are ready to develop, grow and expand their role within the community. Investment will consist primarily of loans between £50,000 and £2,000,000 offered at 5% for an initial three year period of a ten year loan term.

First-Ever Survey Shows Emerging Market Banks Growing Interest in Climate Change

Amid growing pressure on developing countries to join an international climate treaty later this year, a new Ceres report shows that emerging market banks are beginning to integrate climate change considerations into lending and other business decision-making, but that significantly more attention is needed. The report, commissioned by the German development finance institution DEG - Deutsche Investitions - und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbh-found strong evidence that most Asian, Latin American and other emerging market banks are aware of the wide-ranging business impacts from climate change, such as the growing physical risks from increased drought and flooding and the growing investment opportunities associated with renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate adaptation projects. Despite these trends, the report shows that only a small number of banks are financing clean energy programs and fewer still are participating in carbon trading projects. The report, Addressing Climate Risk: Financial Institutions in Emerging Markets, authored by RiskMetrics Group, a leading provider of risk management and corporate governance services to the global financial community, features a survey of financial institutions in emerging markets. The report found that a growing number of emerging market banks are responding to climate-related risks and opportunities, primarily by implementing climate-specific policies, elevating board of director oversight and boosting investments in clean energy and carbon-trading opportunities.

New Opportunities for Green Graduates

A new work placement scheme has been launched in the UK to encourage talented graduates to explore a career in two key environmental industries. Higher Education Minister David Lammy used his keynote address at the Universities UK conference in Edinburgh to announce the Low Carbon Future Leaders initiative. Up to 1,500 graduates will get the chance to gain paid work experience in the low carbon vehicles and marine energy sectors, two industries that are predicted to expand rapidly over the next few years. Initially, the programme will focus on providing opportunities in the marine energy sector in the South West of England and the North East low carbon vehicles hub.The new scheme is being introduced as part of the Government's Backing Young Britain campaign, which is pumping £40 million into creating new internships and work placements for both graduates and non-graduates.

GMI Announces New Country Rankings for Corporate Governance

GovernanceMetrics International (GMI), the corporate governance research and ratings firm, has announced new country rankings based on overall quality of corporate governance. GMI publishes research and ratings for 4,207 companies in 45 countries. Out of this global universe the highest ranked markets were Ireland, with an average overall company rating of 7.44, followed by the UK (7.36), Canada (7.35), Australia (7.32) and the US (7.18). GMI ratings are scaled from 1.0 to 10.0, with 10.0 being the highest. The new country rankings were based on GMI's most recent company ratings. 565 of the companies covered by GMI are from emerging markets. South Africa ranked the highest among this emerging market peer group, with an average overall rating of 6.49. The average overall rating for all emerging market companies covered by GMI was 4.09. Singapore's average rating of 5.07 ranked number one among the Asian markets covered by GMI. Within the Latin America region, Brazilian companies ranked the highest, with an average overall rating of 4.01. The lowest ranked countries worldwide included China (3.01), Mexico (2.48) and Chile (1.96). GMI ratings, research reports and e-Alerts are used by a wide array of global financial institutions.

Innovative Online Community Launched at Clinton Global Initiative Will Fight Poverty in Africa

At the recent Clinton Global Initiative Fifth Annual Meeting, President Clinton introduced a unique commitment between General Mills and CARE called 'Join My Village,' an innovative online community that is fighting poverty in Malawi through the empowerment of women and girls. General Mills is ready to donate up to $500,000* to increase economic and educational opportunities for women and girls in approximately 75 villages in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Through simple and fun online activities - answering a quiz question, telling a friend about Join My Village, or joining a village team - $1 will be unlocked by General Mills and will go to CARE's poverty fighting programs in the Malawi villages (limit of 3 activities per person per day, and unlocking up to $15,000 per online village team or $150,000 in total). Additionally, General Mills will match personal contributions dollar-for-dollar for up to $50 per donor, $15,000 per village or $150,000. Visitors to Join My Village will be invited to join one of ten villages on the site that represent the approximately 75 villages in Malawi supported through Join My Village. Village team members will get to know the women and families in Malawi through frequent updates, photos and stories. They also can track how dollars are creating change and improving lives in Malawi. CARE will distribute all funds raised directly to Malawi to provide economic opportunities for women and increase access to quality education for girls. Join My Village is setting out to drive measurable and long-term positive impact with women and families in Africa by tapping into the inherent power of women to connect with, and provide strength for, other women.

International Students in UK Double

The number of non-European foreign students studying at UK universities has almost doubled in less than 10 years, research has found. International students provided a bigger source of income for UK universities in 2007/08 than government grants for research, according to an annual trends report, published by Universities UK. Students from outside the EU pay more for courses at UK universities than their European counterparts. The report shows that one in ten enrolments in 2007/08, some 229,640 students, were from outside the EU. This is compared to 117,290 students in 1998/99, an increase of 96%. In total, £1.88 billion of UK universities income came from non-EU students in 2007/08, compared to £1.76 billion from government research grants. China provides the most students to UK universities, with 19,385 enrolments for first degrees, and 21,990 enrolments for all post-graduate degrees.

Usher Donates $1 Million to the Launch of 'Powered by Service' - an International Movement to Seed Youth-Led Service Projects

Usher's New Look (UNL), a non-profit organization supporting youth to use their talents and become corporate and community leaders, has announced Powered By Service-a bold new initiative to rebrand service and fundamentally change the role of youth in communities. Powered by Service is designed to get young people in the world over-involved in changing the most pressing problems facing them and their communities --whether it be preventing malaria, stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS, ending gang violence or increasing access to clean water. The goal of Powered By Service is to mobilize over 5,000,000 youth in a global call to service that will ultimately touch the lives of 50 million individuals. At the Clinton Global Initiative, Chairman and Founder of UNL, Usher Raymond IV, pledged $1 million to Powered By Service to support young people as they address the world's most pressing problems through innovative service projects. Young people all over the world can participate in Powered By Service. Participants will have access to online toolkits and opportunities to apply for financial resources to support their projects. Grants will be awarded to exceptional service ideas so that youth are not only called to serve, but have the tools they need to create real change. Usher has personally contributed $1 million to the initiative, but this is bigger than any single person or organization. The Corporation for National and Community Service's Learn and Serve America, the United Nations Foundation, EarthEcho International and numerous other organizations and individuals contributed to the initiative to ensure it reaches youth both in the U.S. and abroad. One of the first projects that Powered By Service will address is the Nothing But Nets campaign to end malaria. Millennium Equity I also announced its commitment of $7.4 million to Powered By Service to address the global digital divide and make advanced technology accessible for all service projects. Collectively, the partners have provided more than $8 million in funding for youth service initiatives. Founded in 1999, Usher's New Look (UNL) empowers youth from under-served communities by providing them with the economic and educational building blocks necessary to become corporate and community leaders.

Vision for a Nation: Universal Access to Eyeglasses for the People of Rwanda

Adaptive Eyewear, a UK-based not-for-profit organisation which aims to provide vision correction solutions to people in the developing world, was recognized at the recent Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Fifth Annual Meeting for its exemplary approach to address the significant shortage of eye care specialists and lack of vision infrastructure in Rwanda. Adaptive Eyewear is seeking $400,000 in matched funds to distribute self-adjustable eyeglasses that utilize innovative technology which can correct up to 90% of refractive errors. Vision for a Nation is being implemented in three phases. Phase one is underway and funds raised through CGI will be used to support the implementation of phase two, which is a scaled-up programme to screen approximately 300,000 Rwandans. In phase two approximately 50,000 pairs of eyeglasses will be distributed via trained health workers. Phase two will determine the most effective distribution method to ensure the programme can be scaled to a national level (an estimated 7.5 million people) in phase three.

Protimos Makes Two Commitments to Support African Legal Programs at the Clinton Global Initiative

At the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative 2009, Protimos announced two new Commitments to support the legal environment in Africa. The first to launch a regional Judicial Action Group (JAG) in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the second to create the Green Light Program, an initiative aimed at safeguarding the intellectual property rights of indigenous African communities in their local biodiversity. JAG will build the capacity of local judiciary across Sub-Saharan Africa, through practical support, empowerment, and training, to address the lack of capacity within local courts to handle issues of emerging complexity. Members will be drawn from amongst leading Commonwealth judges and former judges, primarily from Sub-Saharan Africa. The project will be managed in partnership with the International Commission of Jurists Africa Programme, and the International Lawyers Project, among others. Protimos, along with implementation partners including Fauna and Flora International, Phytotrade Africa, and Amnesty International, also commits to the alleviation of poverty through the creation of The Green Light Program. The Green Light Program will support the development and implementation of an international, legal Protocol, through which the consent of a community will be negotiated in an equitable and mutually beneficial manner, before any use of the communities' natural resources may occur. Protimos is an organisation of lawyers who provide access to the legal process for indigenous and marginalised communities, in order to help prevent or rectify the exploitation of their natural resources. Protimos believes that legal empowerment can provide communities with a significant means by which to lift themselves out of poverty.

PEPFAR, USAID and General Mills Partner to Improve Food Processing in Africa

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced a public-private partnership with General Mills, a leading U.S. food company, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) that will improve the capacity of small and medium-sized food businesses across sub-Saharan Africa to produce healthy, fortified food products. The partnership will link the technical and business expertise of General Mills and up to nine additional food companies with up to 200 small and medium-sized mills and food processors in 15 sub-Saharan African countries. The partnership aims to improve the ability of these small and medium-sized enterprises to produce high-quality, nutritious and safe food at affordable prices. The partnership, which could potentially reach a value of $21 million, will also benefit an estimated 1.6 million smallholder farmers who supply these businesses. A key component of the United States global Food Security initiative is to help countries link small farmers to local markets to increase family income and food security. By improving the manufacturing and business practices of these local firms, this partnership will strengthen that local market for small farmers and will enable the businesses to produce better quality food products at lower costs. Through PEPFAR, America supports life-saving antiretroviral treatment for over two million people in Africa. This public-private partnership is part of the ongoing effort by Secretary Clinton and the State Department to engage non-traditional actors, including the private sector, in international development and diplomacy.

Women's Campaign International Commits to Enhancing the Leadership of Liberia's Rural Women

At the annual Clinton Global Initiative in New York, Women's Campaign International (WCI) made a three-year long commitment to empower rural Liberian women to take an active role in the redevelopment of their communities. As Liberia emerges from more than a decade of civil war, many reconstruction projects have been set into motion throughout the country; but too often, rural women are marginalized from this process. WCI will offer leadership and management training sessions to rural women, providing the knowledge, skills and support they require to fulfill their potential as effective political and economic leaders in their communities. A comprehensive needs assessment is currently being conducted to ascertain the capacity and limitations of Liberia's rural women's governing body, the National Rural Women's Group. Based on this assessment, a three-year plan for WCI's Leadership and Economic Empowerment Program for Rural Women Leaders will then be established for implementation throughout the country's fifteen counties in collaboration with Liberia's National Rural Women's Group and the Liberian Ministry of Gender. Women's Campaign International is a United States-based, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing the participation of women in political, democratic, and market processes worldwide.

Networking can help Jobseekers

New research from career management specialists PCS indicates a significant shift in the way people are approaching the job market. Out of 220 clients surveyed, over half (55%) had secured their current role through networking. Only 18% had found their role through advertisements or online. PCS believes networking can provide people with opportunities to move into a job that provides a better fit for their skills and interests. According to the company, although networking has been the most successful route historically for executives and directors, more middle and senior managers are adopt networking as the favoured route to market. 16% of respondents had secured their role through recruitment companies whilst 11% chose to set up their own business.

Global Employment Survey finds Job Markets Improving around the World

A quarterly global survey of hiring and firing trends covering more than 7000 organisations in 34 countries has found job prospects for professionals and managers improving for the first time since the autumn of 2008. The 'Global Snapshot' from the international recruitment firm, Antal, asked 7397 companies in major markets in Western and Eastern Europe, Africa, India, China and the USA whether they were currently hiring at professional and managerial level. It then asked whether they planned to do so in the coming quarter and whether they were currently letting staff go or were planning to do so in the next three months. Current hiring across the globe was up from 46% of respondents in the spring to 50% now. And the percentage of organisations intending to hire in the coming quarter was up from 44% to 48%. At the same time the percentage of organisations intending to shed staff had fallen from 35% in the spring to 25% now. The highest current hiring levels amongst the larger economies were in France (54%), UK (50%) Belgium (50%) and Germany (46%). The lowest level of hiring was in Switzerland at 35% of businesses surveyed, reflecting the economy's reliance on the financial sector. After a dip in demand for staff in the spring, hiring in Egypt had rebounded to make it the most vibrant job market in the region with a hiring level of 61%. Despite the evident end of the 'boom' market in the Gulf, hiring levels in the UAE were still relatively robust at 46% and looked set to rise to 49% in the coming quarter. Although the economic picture in the USA is somewhat mixed, the latest Snapshot suggests a definite improvement in the professional and managerial jobs market. The percentage of organisations hiring has risen to 55% from 43% in April and, of those intending to hire in the coming quarter, to 56% from 34%. Furthermore, firing levels are down, albeit marginally from 38% to 34%.

Cautious Optimism Continues Despite Mixed Signals

Public sector employment rose by 13,000 in the second quarter of the year, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics. In contrast, employment in the private sector fell by 230,000. Despite fears of cutbacks in the public sector, recruiters say there are no signs that the market is about to implode. However, according to the TUC, more than 700,000 public sector workers could find themselves out of work due to public spending cuts, claims a new TUC report. Their report says that a cut of 10% of public sector staff would result in 2.9% of the UK workforce losing their jobs, with Merseyside and Wales particularly hard hit. There is also evidence that despite fewer jobs, jobseekers are flocking to job boards, with 64% reporting an increase in unique users, and 68% seeing a rise in CV uploads.

Innovative Industrial Biotech Fund Launched

Up to £2.5 million funding is being made available to carry out feasibility studies into how industrial biotechnology can be used to produce high value chemicals. The Government's April 2009 New Industry, New Jobs report highlighted the potential impact that industrial biotechnology could have, in particular by shifting the focus of the chemical industry away from oil to one based on renewable and biological substances. Ministers are in the process of creating an Industrial Biotechnology Fund to support R&D over the next five years, but in the meantime they have allocated £2.5 million for the Developing High Value Chemicals Through Industrial Biotechnology competition. Managed by innovation support body the Technology Strategy Board, funding is available for industrial biotech developers, higher education institutions and the chemical sector to undertake short, six month-long feasibility studies. Projects should look to replace existing petrochemical-derived products with more efficient and sustainable alternatives, such as agricultural feedstocks, novel biocatalysts, and innovative transformation technologies. Interested organisations have until 12 November to register their intention to apply, while actual applications have to be submitted by 19 November.

Scots Given Incentive to Tell Apprentices: "You're Hired"

Employers can receive £2,000 to recruit a redundant apprentice under a Scottish Government scheme. Up to £1.7 million European Social Fund cash has been made available for "Adopt an Apprentice", the first project to be supported through the Government’s skills development programme ScotAction. The scheme offers an incentive for firms to take on apprentices made redundant as a result of the recession and is available to both public and private sector employers, as long as they agree to employ the apprentice for a minimum of 12 months. It is hoped the initiative will help get 575 redundant apprentices back into work. The Scottish Government had already pledged £16 million funding this year to create up to 7,800 new apprenticeships. Organisations cannot apply for the cash incentive directly, but are encouraged to link up with a training provider, who will find them a suitable apprentice and liaise with Skills Development Scotland to secure the £2,000.

Subsidised Internship Scheme for Small Firms

Up to 10,000 subsidised internships are being created to help small businesses recruit university graduates. Under the scheme, small and micro enterprises will be able to claim £100 a week to cover part of the graduate’s wages – this amount will then be topped up by the employer. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the initiative, which has been devised in partnership with lobby group the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), at the Labour Party conference in Brighton. The 10,000 placements include 5,000 first announced at the August launch of the Government’s Backing Young Britain campaign. They will be funded through a grant administered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

New Contest Set To Reward Ethical Firms

A prize package worth £5,000 is up for grabs to the company that can prove they put sustainability on an equal footing to making a profit. Ethical entrepreneurs are invited to enter this year’s Ethical Business Advantage Awards, a competition run as part of the Pledging For Change initiative - a community interest company looking to promote sustainable business practices. One lucky ethical business will receive bespoke development support worth £5,000 to help their firm grow and succeed. The prize includes specialist assistance in areas such as marketing, website development, rebranding and creating a clear business message. The awards are open to entries from owners of businesses that: Operate on an ethical or sustainable basis; are members of the Pledging For Change community (this is free for businesses that are not yet registered); are members of the Pledging For Change Business Image Advantage Group. The £5,000 prize package will be given to the business that can show they will benefit the most and provide the most ethical product or service. In addition, the entrant’s drive, ambition and enthusiasm will be taken into account. For further information about the Ethical Business Advantage Award and to enter online, visit the Pledging For Change website

Employers and Staff putting more into Pensions

Employers and staff have increased their contributions to defined contribution (DC) pension schemes over the past two years, according to a survey by consultants Mercer. Since 2007, employers have raised their average contribution from 6.8 per cent to 7.25 per cent, while employees have raised their input from 3.6 to 4.65 per cent. This means that total contributions have risen by 1.5 percentage points to 11.9 per cent. The findings show that both firms and staff are recognising the importance of such schemes despite the competing cost pressures of the downturn. Most (92 per cent) of the 345 companies surveyed said they were not planning to make any reductions to contribution rates in the near future. Most of those surveyed (78 per cent) said their principal aim in DC pension provision was to provide a benefit that was valued by employees. But the survey revealed that many felt there was still some way to go on this, with only 16 per cent saying the pension was currently highly appreciated by staff.

Symantec launches its First Graduate Scheme in Europe

IT security firm Symantec is to launch its first graduate recruitment scheme in the UK and Europe, in a move that will offer some good news for the ailing graduate recruitment market. The US Fortune-500 company, best known in the UK for its Norton anti-virus and security software, will take on 25 UK graduates and a further 13 interns in 2010. It will visit a string of universities and exhibit at the National Graduate Recruitment Exhibition in London’s Olympia on 9-10 October. Its recruitment campaign also features a Facebook portal to connect directly with students. The firm, which employs 17,500 people globally, says its business is booming because of the growth of the web and the need for security, given the ever-increasing threat of cyber crime. As well as the 25 UK graduates, Symantec will take on another 14 from other European countries under the scheme.

The Easiest Time for a New Job in Financial Services?

It's been a tough two years and, although the jury is still out on the strength of the recovery, investment banks and other financial institutions are beginning to re-hire, as they anticipate a pick-up in advisory mandates and debt and equity underwriting, says City website, 'Here is the City'. Hundreds of thousands of financial markets jobs have gone since August 2007 (according to Reuters, 195,700 in New York alone), but firms have been cautiously adding to headcount over the last few months. According to Here Is The City, firms are simply too under-resourced to capitalise if the markets and the economy pick up and have started selective hiring, taking on additional staff in larger numbers.

Oxford University Accepting Applications for Human Rights Law Masters

The University of Oxford, Department of Continuing Education is now accepting applications for the Master's in International Human Rights Law 2010-11. The aim of the degree programme is to train and support future leaders in the field of international human rights law. A central objective of the course is to ensure that participants not only know but can also use human rights law. The curriculum places roughly equal emphasis on the substance of human rights law, its implementation, and the development of human rights advocacy skills. Application deadlines: 20 November 2009, 22 January 2010, 12 March 2010.