A Boost for Sustainable & Green Jobs in Singapore & Australia

As Singapore actively positions itself as a
key Asian centre for clean technologies, clean energy, energy efficiency,
environmental management, green buildings, sustainability reporting, as well as
water and waste management, it will see significant growth in jobs in what is fast
becoming known as the sustainability sector.
This is the view Amida, a global recruitment business, which has set up
in Singapore. And in Australia, the government should drive job creation in the
clean energy sector with a new body to help co-ordinate skills, education,
industry and immigration policy, according to GE Energy’s Tim Rourke, who
proposes setting up a Clean Energy Jobs and Innovation Council.

Amida release:

Singapore Location for Specialist Recruitment

Firm to Manage Asian Growth in Green Jobs

As Singapore actively positions itself as a
key Asian centre for research and development in clean technologies, clean
energy, energy efficiency, environmental management, green buildings,
sustainability reporting, as well as water and waste management, it will see
significant growth in jobs in what is fast becoming known as the sustainability
sector.

This is the view of Andy Clapham, Regional
Director Asia for Amida, a London headquartered global recruitment business
dedicated to sustainable development, which has set up in Singapore to work
with governments, the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“Globally, there is significant growth in
green jobs and we are seeing this starting to happen in Asia, where  Singapore is well positioned to not only
create new jobs but also be the centre for regional recruitment,” says Mr
Clapham, who has  a track record of
building teams and developing new markets in Europe and Asia.

The Amida business will be officially
launched in Singapore next week (25 October) when three directors from London
will also be present. They are:

Aaron George, Managing Director and
co-founder, who has over 10 years’ experience in the recruitment industry,
specialising in town planning. In his early career he developed his expertise
in a management capacity running offices recruiting into the consulting
engineering, construction and property sectors. Aaron has worked on global
recruitment campaigns with a number of large multinational clients and leads
Amida’s business in the energy and engineering sectors.

Greg Brooks, founding director, has worked
exclusively with environmental, sustainable design and multi-disciplinary
consultancies throughout his recruitment career. Greg leads Amida’s sustainable
design and energy efficiency business, and will be leading the development of a
new office in Australia later this year.

Martin Blake, Non-Executive Director, is a
sustainability expert and visionary leader, with over 25 years practical
experience, having recently deployed one of the most successful carbon
management programmes in the world. Widely travelled and in demand as a speaker
and advisor, will be spending most of his time in Asia Pacific.

Mr Clapham started setting up the Singapore
office in June this year and already has six locally employed consultants. The
key areas of specialisation in the region include recruitment for Architecture
& Design, Construction, Property Management, Sustainability and Renewable
Energy.

Though perhaps unusual for a recruitment company,
Amida has a sustainability policy of its own and says it is focused on creating
a better world by facilitating talent into organisations who will create a more
sustainable future for us all.

Its client base, up to now served by its
European and South African offices, includes a wide array of firms and public
authorities, ranging from architects, environmental consultancies, engineering
firms, construction companies, large global corporations to SME’s.

Source: www.amida.com

Paul Osborne, AAP Senior Political Writer

October 6, 2011 – 4:14PM

AAP

The federal government should drive job
creation in the clean energy sector with a new body to help co-ordinate skills,
education, industry and immigration policy, the jobs forum has been told.

In a closed session at the forum in Canberra,
GE Energy’s Tim Rourke proposed setting up a Clean Energy Jobs and Innovation
Council to advise the government.

In his presentation, obtained by AAP, Mr
Rourke said the council could help bring the government’s clean energy future
agenda “into the mainstream”.

He said it could put business chiefs together
with representatives from fields of research, education and training, finance
and investment, generation operators and developers, as well as the states and
territories.

“The challenge to transform and innovate
for a clean energy future will require the best of our resources – human,
financial and, of course, energy – to make it happen,” Mr Rourke told the
forum.

Mr Rourke said the passing of the
government’s carbon pricing legislation alone would not secure a clean energy
economy.

“Nor will it be achieved with the
commencement of a carbon price from July next year or the initiation of an ETS
(emissions trading scheme) in 2015 – even though these things must be
done,” he said.

“It will only be secured with the
ongoing engagement of businesses and stakeholders from across the economy and
across the community with governments to pull all the policy levers to make it
happen.

“A price on carbon is critical. The
Renewable Energy Target is critical … but the government has more policy
levers such as skills and training, education, trade, infrastructure and tax
policy.”

Mr Rourke said immigration policy was also
important, especially in terms of bringing in trainers from overseas to teach
Australians high-skill tasks.

He told AAP he sensed from the session -
which Prime Minister Julia Gillard attended – that there was goodwill within
the government for such a body.

The forum closes at 4.30pm (AEDT) with
speeches by Ms Gillard and Treasurer Wayne Swan.

Source: www.news.smh.com.au