Just returned from the Guildhall where I collected an award from Alan Johnson on behalf of Hobson & Porter to recognise our commitment to local employment. It was a great networking event and gave me the opportunity to talk to all the great and good of Hull, but it did make me think "what have we really done to deserve this recognition?".
Employing and developing a local workforce (myself excepted, as I live in sheffield?) makes good business sense, but the pledge that we made should be supported by hard evidence if it to have real impact. That's why we have committed to work with organisations such as Construction Works to ensure that we are held to account.
Commitment to local employment can be proactively encouraged through pledges and charters, but will only be delivered when it forms part of an integrated procurement strategy. Local authorities and regeneration projects can achieve this by structuring tender bids and PQQ's to favour suppliers that can demonstrate a local and sustainable supply chain. This should include not only local economic benefit in terms of training and respending, but also the carbon efficiencies that are associated with buying local.
Let's hope that when the billions of pounds that are spent nationwide over the coming years to retrofit the housing stock are handed out, that this work is delivered by local companies, and that the procurement process actively encourages this outcome.
