Leeds City College vice-principal for adults, community and higher
education; Councillor Adam Ogilvie, Leeds City Council executive member
for leisure and skills; Alison Niven, retail operations director for Land
Securities and 17-year-old Chloe Judge, a business and fashion student,
who is among the first to use facilities at the new centre
A new centre offering people advice on jobs and access to learning and skills training has been launched the at White Rose Shopping Centre.
The Point, run in partnership between Leeds City Council, Leeds City College, Land Securities, Job Centre Plus and the National Careers Service, was opened by Beeston and Holbeck councillor Adam Ogilvie who said:
“This is an excellent new resource which will provide communities across the city access to intelligence on the increasing retail opportunities which have been generated as a result of the significant investment in the city. The Point will look at ways in which local people can benefit from the diverse jobs market and range of expertise available within the local area and the White Shopping Rose Centre.
“I would encourage anyone who wants to find out more about getting into the retail sector to visit The Point for useful information and advice on the next steps.”
South Leeds Life first reported on the opening of the new centre last week.
Excellent… but where is the voluntary sector input? It is critical that those who have most difficulty getting jobs and least experience of working find employment to avoid repeated worklessness from one generation to the next which both costs the taxpayer a fortune and is a horrendous waste of people’s talents. All the evidence is that the voluntary sector is best suited to making links and providing support to the most disadvantaged – resources should be targeted on those who have most difficulty getting jobs not those who will get them anyway. Shops at White Rose should be encouraged to take on local unemployed people and any expansion of White Rose should require a significant proportion of new jobs to be made available to local people as a condition of planning approval.