Wind farm jobs won’t go to locals say protestors  

Credit:  by Eva Ketley, North Wales Weekly News, www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk 26 August 2010 ~~

Anti-windfarm campaigners are claiming that very few of the jobs at the Gwynt-y-Mor offshore project will go to local people.

This week energy company RWE npower renewables, who are developing the site off Llandudno and Colwyn Bay, launched a website advertising some of the jobs that will be available.

But members of protest group Save Our Scenery, who oppose the scheme, say some of the posts are based at the company’s headquarters in Swindon, and others require highly specialised qualifications.

“It’s like a sad joke. They promised this project would bring new jobs to this area, but it seems very few local people will get them,” said John Lawson-Reay.

“Many of the jobs are based in Swindon and others which North Wales people are eligible for are at unspecified locations which in my opinion is unlikely to be in Llandudno or Colwyn Bay.”

SOS claims the 160 turbine wind farm will have an adverse effect on tourism in the resorts and say the energy company should be doing more to ensure jobs go to locals.

But Sarah Morgan, recruitment officer for Gwynt-y-Môr, claimed many of the jobs would be in North Wales, and that as the scheme progresses other jobs would be advertised.

“The initial tranche of recruitment to be undertaken for Gwynt y Môr includes project managers, engineers and health and safety experts.

“Some roles will be based in our Swindon office and will involve part-time work at our sites at St Asaph and Mostyn, and some roles will be based full-time at our North Wales sites,” she explained.

“Subsequent recruitment tranches will include different roles including construction/ site managers, commissioning engineers, marine coordinators, operations and maintenance technicians, document controllers and administrators who will be based full-time at our North Wales sites.

“These subsequent recruitment tranches will occur during the course of 2011 through 2014 as the project moves through its construction phase and into its operational phase.”

The new recruitment website is www.rwe.com/gwynt-y-mor-recruit