Frank Field: It’s vital Birkenhead people sweep board with new jobs

Jul 20 2011 Birkenhead News

THE race is on for the new jobs that mark the opening of ASDA’s new Birkenhead store. We need the help of Birkenhead’s voluntary organisations to make sure Birkonians sweep the board with these new appointments.

When the good news was announced by ASDA that they would build a new store at the top of the precinct I asked for a meeting. Would the Birkenhead store meet ASDA’s record at Breck Road in recruiting local people?

I asked the local authority to the meeting at which we were assured that we would be told in plenty of time when ASDA would start recruiting.

ASDA would then lay on training courses for successful staff taking up the new posts.

The local authority aim was to host training courses so that constituents who wanted to work would be helped to the front of the recruiting queue.

Ever since I have been sending off emails asking when the starting pistol for the jobs’ race would be fired.

We now have the date but it is too late for the local authority plans to come into action. Other ways must be found to get those jobs to local people.

Now, step forward Birkenhead’s voluntary movement. I have called a summit for 8.30am this Friday.

The aim is for all those bodies – like Tranmere Community Project and Beechwood Community Trust – to alert their members to the jobs coming on stream. Next week I will write on the practical steps we will take.