Security companies in Scotland are raising the profile of security as a viable career choice for jobseekers in a new project.
Launched via teleconference and involving over 100 participants from across Scotland, Security Works: Scotland is a joint project between the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) and Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions. The aim; to assist security recruiters by educating Jobcentre Plus staff on the careers available within the security industry, with the goal of ensuring that the right candidates are put forward for security roles.
Every Jobcentre in Scotland will be taking part in the two-week project, of teleconferences andf opportunities for Jobcentre staff to visit BSIA member companies to see the varied tasks that candidates could end up doing.
Trevor Elliott, pictured, Director of Manpower and Membership Services at the BSIA, took part in the launch event. He said: “As the trade body representing the UK’s private security industry, the BSIA is delighted to be involved in the Security Works: Scotland project. Actively engaging with Jobcentre Plus staff will place our industry at the forefront of the recruitment process, and raising awareness of the wealth of opportunities within our sector will ultimately ensure that the appropriate calibre of candidates are put forward for security roles.”
Robert Mckay, Head of DWP 2014 Commonwealth Games Delivery Team, added: “With the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games now less than six months away, we wanted to acknowledge the important role that security will play in making the event a success. Although specific requirements for the Commonwealth Games will be a part of this project we also hope that Security Works: Scotland will have a lasting legacy in forging stronger relationships between Jobcentre advisers and the security companies they help to recruit for.”
Visits to Scottish security employers will be a part of the learning, and four BSIA member companies – VSG, Argyll Ltd, G4S and Securitas – are opening their doors to Jobcentre Plus staff over the coming weeks. Also in the teleconferences: Palmaris Services Ltd and Securigroup Services Ltd.
Roger Riach, Branch Manager for Securitas in Edinburgh, welcomed the project as an opportunity to challenge misconceptions about the security sector. He said: “The opportunity to work with the BSIA and the DWP Security Work Scotland Project means that we will be able to make people aware that the industry isn’t just about recruiting at all costs and putting people out on poor contracts and in poor conditions. This has been the tarnished image of security for too long. Securitas aims to educate both future colleagues and DWP staff of the benefits of not just working for Securitas but of the industry as a whole, making them aware that security can be a career and not just a stop gap.”
Brian Newlands, Regional Manager – Scotland for G4S, likewise said: “As the largest employer within the private security industry in Scotland, G4S is delighted to support the BSIA Security Works Scotland project. We believe that by providing Job Centre Plus staff with an insight into the diverse and varied roles which the modern security industry has to offer, they will be better equipped to advise those looking for employment or a change of career – who perhaps may not have considered a career within the security industry – with a more informed understanding of what our sector has to offer.”
BSIA member companies with a presence in Scotland wishing to forge closer relationships with Jobcentre Plus staff can still get involved, by emailing the BSIA’s Scottish Representative, Willie Clark, on [email protected]
