PQP Accreditation
Contract Scotland Ltd is delighted to be re-accredited with the Payroll Quality Partnership. The accreditation from the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) is a result of the company’s comprehensive learning and development procedures, dedication to delivering a high quality service and continually looking for ways we can enhance or improve the business.

Re-accreditation for a further 2 years acknowledges the commitment to the provision of an accurate, compliant and professional payroll function for temporary workers.

We look forward to continuing our excellent working relationship with the CIPP.
For further information on this accreditation, please see http://www.cipp.org.uk/en/pqp/

PPI is ‘obstacle’ to a healthy jobs market Consult
The widespread sale of payment protection insurance (PPI), alongside Jobcentre Plus rules, is stifling economic activity by deterring the unemployed from accepting temporary work, according to one of Scotland’s largest recruitment agencies for the construction industry.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/analysis/ppi-is-obstacle-to-a-healthy-jobs-market-consultancy-criticises-jobcentre-plus-rules-1.1097918

Majority of employers look to recruit more staff
John Eccleston 21 July 2011 12:32

Figures released today suggest that business confidence is on the rise, with three-quarters of employers looking to increase their workforces in the next three months.

The latest Jobs Outlook data from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) found that 74% of employers are expecting to recruit permanent staff in the next three months, with a further 66% looking to do so in the next 12 months.

In addition to these positive findings, the data highlighted significant reductions in headcount freezes, redundancies and reduced hours, while increases in staffing rose for the third consecutive month to 19%, up seven percentage points on last month.

The outlook for temporary placements is similarly upbeat, with 76% of respondents looking to either increase or maintain temporary staffing levels in the short term and 79% looking to increase or maintain their use of agency staff over the coming 12 months.

Commenting on the latest figures, REC director of research Roger Tweedy said: "Employers are more positive about their hiring intentions, which reflects an improvement in overall business confidence. However, it is too early to predict whether this will translate into significant jobs growth by the end of the year, but we remain confident that the private sector can absorb the fall-out from public sector cuts.

"Some of the media reactions to this month's official employment figures have been overly negative and we must avoid systematically talking our jobs market down. Employers are recognising the need to ramp up their recruitment activity in order to attract high-potential candidates and move their business forward. This month's 'Jobs outlook' indicates that employer caution is starting to lift - we can afford to be more upbeat about the gradual recovery of the UK labour market," Tweedy added.

IRP Awards 2011
Contract Scotland are pleased to have won the Best Contribution to the Community Award at the 2011 IRP Awards Dinner in London. Commenting on the award Colin Woodward, Director, added: “This award further vindicates our commitment to our Community and independently recognises best practice in our sector throughout the UK”

Contract Scotland started their Community Activity in 2004 based around the principle of helping those furthest removed from the workplace into employment.

'The Bridges Programmes' highlighted an untapped solution to the skills shortage in the asylum seeker and refugee community.

The 'Breaking the Mould' programme was also a forward thinking programme for employing women in the construction industry.

The judges felt that this was a joined-up but flexible CSR programme, where many people have benefited and developed.

Contract Scotland were also Highly Commended in the Best Back-Office Support Team category.

Employer confidence rises
More than four in 10 (44%) employers plan to increase permanent staff headcount in the next quarter, according to May’s JobsOutlook from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC).

The report also reveals 52% are planning to hire new staff over the next 12 months, while 22% plan to add to their numbers of agency workers in the next quarter, with the same percentage planning an increase over the next 12 months.

Meanwhile the proportion of employers applying headcount freezes continued to fall in April, declining to 20%, down from 43% in late 2010.

Roger Tweedy, the REC’s director of research, says: “This is the first real confirmation that employers are feeling more confident and are taking a long–term strategic view of their workforce planning. Creating more permanent jobs and the lifting of headcount freezes are solid indicators of this increasing confidence. This is encouraging news at what remains a difficult and volatile time for the UK jobs market.

“The survey also confirms the emergence of a two tier jobs market with 60 per cent of public sector employers predicting a significant impact on their workforces as cuts begin to bite. The unexpected surge in business confidence gives hope that private sector employers can absorb further public sector job losses.”

Emma Marriott nee Watts
Contract Scotland are pleased to announce that one of our Directors, Emma Watts, has recently married subsequently changing her name from Watts to Marriott.

We would like to wish the happy couple a long and prosperous life together.

CPD Programme
Contract Scotland is delighted to announce their continuous professional development programme has now provided 283 contractors with discounted, industry recognised training qualifications. This figure has increased due to the successful completion of the most recent First Aid at Work course in November 2011. Since the CPD programme’s inception in 2005, we have invested in excess of £16K in the on-going training & development of our temporary workforce. Contract Scotland strongly believes in the importance of health & safety training, giving our client base peace of mind that workers supplied by us on a temporary basis will be as health & safety aware as permanent employees on site.

Achillies UVDB
Officially registered member of the Achillies UVDB, re-affirming our commitment to our quality of supply.