Jobseeker holds sign in bid to find employment

THIS man took to the streets to find work – as an independent report recommended a new training centre to plug a Humber-wide skills shortage.

Martyn Connolly, 26, worked as a factory operative for an agency for two years until work dried up a month ago.

Since then, he has applied for more than 40 jobs with no success. With a baby due in September, yesterday he took drastic action.

At 9am, he headed to Cleethorpe Road with a placard saying 'Need An Outdoor Job', and spent the morning appealing for work.

He said: "I've been on benefits for a month now but with a baby on the way, I have to get out there and do something – anything.

"I just need something that will pay the bills. I keep applying but the work isn't there; companies are laying people off.

"I'd love to work with gardens and ponds but employers want landscaping qualifications which I can't afford to get."

Mr Connolly is one of the thousands who could benefit from recommendations made by the Skills Commission, an independent body of experts appointed by the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

It examined skills shortages, consulting energy firms, blue-chip businesses, schools and colleges, trainers, voluntary organisations, local authorities, emergency services and dozens of small and medium enterprises. Today, it released the Humber Skills Challenge report, recommending that a Humber-wide skills centre be set up to train people for the 65,000 engineering jobs expected to become available by 2020.

It was one of 36 recommendations made that could help reduce the 6,350 people that were claiming job seekers allowance in North East Lincolnshire in April – and plug a gap in the labour market. They also suggested setting up a careers hub, to collate information and advice, and the LEP's Employment and Skills Board to take charge of local skills issues – which will meet for the first time next week.

Chairman of the group Nic Dakin, MP for Scunthorpe, said: "If these jobs were available now we would have the numbers of people available but they would be insufficiently skilled to fill them.

"If we do not act now, we will be in the same position by 2020 and will have to import skills and expertise while our own school leavers and young adults continue to languish in unemployment."

The report was released after a major parliamentary vote on the future of the renewables industry that could effect the area – see page 12 for coverage, and see tomorrow's Telegraph for an in-depth look at the report and its recommendations.

If you can offer Mr Connolly a job, contact him on 07563472121.