Hounslow Council say it is the key to a sustainable economy
Hounslow Council’s leader has called on all companies in the borough to pay a living wage. Cllr Steve Curran’s clarion call came after he launched the Council’s Skills and Employment Strategy before business leaders, education chiefs and charity executives this week.
Cllr Curran said: “I know that it’s still a tough business environment out there but I believe good progressive businesses, whether they are small, medium or large, know the value of paying a living wage.
“London is an expensive city in terms of housing costs and rising rents, so it makes sense to pay a decent wage not only in terms of social justice but retaining valuable staff.”
The presentation of the strategy also featured a short film made by students from West Thames College on the benefits of becoming an apprentice.
Cllr Curran said the Skills and Employment Strategy was pivotal to creating a sustainable economy for Hounslow.
He said: “It’s crucial we all work together to invest in the future of our young people to keep our borough booming. This strategy helps address what we need to do together, businesses the public and voluntary sector, to achieve our aim of creating a fair, prosperous, economy for all.”
The strategy aims to:
• Reduce mismatch between demand and supply in skills
• Improve access to information, advice and guidance for residents and employers
• Create a new job brokerage team
• Address unemployment in the west of the borough and other groups where employment lags behind the London average, such as women and some ethnic groups
• Reduce the number of our young people in care who are not in employment, education or training
• Create 300 new apprenticeships in the borough
• Encourage businesses to nominate a skills champion who will be the first point of contact for the Council on skills and employment issues
July 2, 2014