Redundancy support portal launched by Bucks Skills Hub
Buckinghamshire Council have warned of job losses because of the pandemic
Buckinghamshire Council discussed the future for local businesses at a recent meeting.
Buckinghamshire Council Leader Martin Tett is among many locals concerned for businesses and employees amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At a budget scrutiny meeting, he was asked how the council has budgeted with so many uncertainties. including the issue of support for businesses.
Councillor Tett explained there is a worry over the level of job losses Buckinghamshire could see:
“One of my big, underlying concerns is – have we made enough provision for the impact of the third lockdown?”
“When furlough ends, I’m anticipating significant additional numbers of people will be made redundant, candidly. And that will suddenly hit people very hard and their ability to pay council tax.”
“Likewise, I’m anticipating the third lockdown will be the death knell – sorry to put it in quite dramatic terms – for a number of businesses who have been on life support for the last ten months.
“And that, again, will impact on our business rate collections.
“There are two big areas – both individuals and businesses – where I think there is a higher risk now than there was when we put those assumptions together in the autumn of last year.”
However, recognising the difficult situation many employers and employees find themselves in, Bucks Skills Hub is sharing its online portal on redundancy.
Last year they spent several months speaking with local groupss and businesses about the different services and support they offer.
John Browning from BSH says its about helping everyone involved in redundancy issues:
"If you are facing redundancy it can be very confusing about 'Where do I go first? Where do I go? Who do I talk to?'
"Same for businesses, if you're a small business having to make redundancies it might be the first time you've had to do that.
"So where do you start? That is the idea, to try and bring all these things together in one place."
"You might not know the process or that there is a legal process you have to follow.
For those facing redundancies or who have been made redundant, there is also a wealth of information on BSH about what to do next.
This could be reskilling or even just advice on how to update your CV.
On this, John says its important people realise what is right for them and that skills are transferrable:
"I will be perfectly honest, I was made redundant at the end of 2019 and I was unemployed for 6 months.
"It was a very stressful time so I know exactly what people are feeling.
"I spent everyday chasing the job boards, making sure my CV was a match for jobs I might go for.
"These activities not only keep you busy but make sure you're ready for any jobs that might come up.
"Some people are going to have to change careers, for example we know the hospitality industry has been really hard hit.
"Sadly, people from this industry are likely to be made redundant but they have transferrable skills.
"People in hospitality are often 'people people' and many will have health and safety training, both of these skills are highly sought after in the Health and Care Sector."
Another option Bucks Skills Hub wanted to highlight was the option of taking a short course from Buckinghamshire College to Department of Education courses.
These can allow people to update a particular area of their skillset quickly, but could result in a range of new opportunities.