New homes being built in Pennywell will mean more than 60 new job opportunities, all part of a major job-creating partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council. Our main photo shows L-R Cllr Cammy Day, Courtney Rankine an Urban Union apprentice and Cllr Frank Ross.
Urban Union, the development consortium behind the ‘Pennywell Living’ regeneration scheme in the north of the city, has signed up to the Council’s Development Accord, which together with other local partners aims to create more job opportunities for local people.
As part of the agreement, Urban Union has committed to delivering at least 60 brand new entrant positions on the Pennywell development, including 39 apprenticeships, together with a further 180 work placement opportunities.
Supporting Urban Union will be a host of development partners brought together by the Council as part of the ‘Joined Up for Business’ scheme, including Skills Development Scotland, Capital City Partnership and Jobcentre Plus.
Speaking at the signing Councillor Frank Ross, Convener of the Economy Committee, said: “Our Economic Strategy aims to support the city’s economic growth, help unemployed people into work and to support businesses. Joined Up for Business is an excellent example of what we are aiming to achieve and I am delighted that the Council is signing up to be part of it.
“This scheme complements our ongoing projects such as the Edinburgh Guarantee, which has already helped more than 1,000 young people into employment or further education. Our Modern Apprenticeships scheme is also popular with several people working on it at the moment.
“Any project that gives people the chance to either use existing skills or helps them to develop new skills is very welcome and will show companies such as Urban Union that there is a workforce out there that can make a valued contribution to the workplace and, in turn, help to sustain a healthy and vibrant economy.”
Urban Union is the second company to sign up to the Development Accord and the collaboration between the organisations has been established to ensure recruitment and training needs are met by offering employment positions to people within the local community.
Janice Russell, Director of Urban Union’s said: “As well as delivering new homes to north Edinburgh, Urban Union is fully committed to creating jobs and apprenticeships as well as opportunities for existing businesses. Since May this year we have already created 11 new entrant positions at the Pennywell site. By signing up to the Development Accord agreement we hope to leave a positive and lasting legacy for the local community at Pennywell.”
Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, added: “The Council has committed £42m to the Pennywell development, which will breathe new life into the north of the city and create hundreds of quality affordable homes.
“Good housing and access to jobs are major steps in tackling poverty, and working in partnership with companies such as Urban Union and the local community will help to improve the future wellbeing of local people, as well as attract more people to the area.”
Pennywell is the largest housing project of the City of Edinburgh Council’s 21st Century Homes programme which has pledged to build 1,400 homes for sale and for rent in the capital. As well as homes, the Pennywell project is also set to deliver a range of community benefits a public park, community facilities and private and shared gardens.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
