Creating yet more green jobs throughout the UK, South Yorkshire solar power company A Shade Greener and sister company Nationwide Solar are planning to increase their workforce from 120 to 300 throughout 2011.
The two companies are reportedly guaranteeing an interview to anyone suitable who lives within an hour’s drive of Tankersley, near Barnsley and has been unemployed for three months or more.
Both companies, which were launched in October 2009, have taken advantage of the Government’s feed-in tariff (FiT) and as a consequence have grown from just eight employees to 120 in just over a year as demand for solar installations continued to grow.
The news has been welcomed by Enterprising Barnsley, the European-funded program which supports businesses in the region with the potential to expand.
Angela Pedley from Enterprising Barnsley said; “We are delighted to hear about the possibility of so many new jobs with a company we have been working with. It just shows that renewable energy is a real growth industry and it is great news for the region.”
Nationwide Solar director, Russ Cowan said, “Enterprising Barnsley's help and assistance has been invaluable. They have recognised that renewable energy is a growth industry.”
“We are trying to make South Yorkshire the renewable energy capital of the UK. So we can do our bit for the environment and create jobs. It is a win-win situation,” continued Cowan.
To cope with the extra work the two firms plan to interview anyone considered suitable, with the aim of taking on the first of the 300 in the New Year, said Russ.
“We are taking on new staff virtually on a weekly basis, just to keep up with demand – four started this week alone. Many of those we have taken on had been made redundant from the construction industry, such as roofers and electricians. But we also need everything from sales staff to surveyors,” concluded Cowan.