Local jobs should be advertised locally first

IN 1986 I was appointed manager of a new building site in Padstow. My first job was to recruit a labour force of skilled tradesmen.

I was aware of Hobby ’Oss day and the existence of two ’Osses, and that outside the May Day period these were ‘stabled’ in two pubs. So I went to each pub, and drank a glass of best ale, explaining that local men should get the news first.

Next morning, I was able to recruit all except some specialist contractors to construct roads and services, at wages higher than expected, but within the budget set by a firm based in a more expensive part of the country.

The result was that labour relations on site were excellent, the town benefitted to the maximum from provision of the new homes, which were at ‘affordable to local people’ prices originally.

Building tradesmen are usually recruited via Job Centres and therefore from a wide area. Although builders earn well, much of their earnings is taken up in travel to work – 40 miles each way being common.

Frequently, builders recognise fellow tradesmen travelling in the opposite direction to work in the town the other was coming from.

Myself and some other St Austell residents traded jobs with similar tradesmen from the Falmouth area. This benefitted our pockets, but also improved life in general, as well as cutting down on pollution from our vehicles.

Had I advertised the job vacancies via the Job Centre, men would have travelled from Plymouth and similar distances, while Padstow people would have made similar journeys in the opposite direction.

If similar jobs had been advertised in recent years, EU rules required that all vacancies be advertised throughout all EU countries – the result was that many local men were unemployed, while others travelled from East European countries, often flying home every other weekend while living in unsatisfactory accommodation here.

If the government took the simple step of requiring Job Centres to advertise jobs in local areas only for six weeks, much unnecessary travel would be avoided.

It might also help young people with college or university qualifications to find employment nearer home, instead of heading to major cities in search of work.

Job Centres kept a Professional and Executive register years ago, which also helped those with higher qualifications to find employment, but I understand this no longer exists. Mike Baker St Austell, Cornwall