Government plans green jobs for unemployed builders

Out-of-work builders will be given jobs making homes more energy efficient, under a government plan to boost the environment and the construction industry in one go.

The new Energy Efficiency Employment Initiative hopes to place builders made redundant in jobs insulating homes and businesses by Christmas.

As part of the initiative, energy companies will be asked to take part in local employment partnerships to find jobs for builders who do not find work within six months of losing their jobs.

Jobcentre Plus will offer a job brokering service while the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will work with sectors to develop new routes into energy efficient jobs.

Work and pensions minister Stephen Timms said it was a win-win initiative.

He said: “Home owners want to insulate their properties so they can cut down on the amount of energy they waste, saving on their bills and the construction industry wants workers who can help them meet that requirement.”

Skills secretary John Denham also announced the set up of a new “clearing house” that will aim to match apprentices at risk of redundancy with new jobs.

He said the government would also create a construction task force of key sector employers and unions to advise on long-term employment issues.

He said: “With employers we have agreed that construction will create 42,000 new apprenticeships by 2012.”