The North West Gas Alliance recognises that it has responsibilities to have a positive impact on the community, not just through its work to replace the Gas Mains Network in the North West.
NWGA's policy on CSR is to ensure that the community are engaged and can contribute positively to the Alliance as well as the Alliance contributing positively to the community. Additionally NWGA sees CSR as an opportunity to support the development of its staff.
NWGA fulfils this through a number of initiatives
By aiming to employ local people, or, a certain amount of local school leavers per year onto an apprenticeship scheme.
By addressing any health and safety shortfalls, or investing in training.
By involving Educational establishments in our activities
By contributing to the improving the community through Charitable work
And many more...
NWGA's CSR Projects are designed and selected where employees, businesses and the industry as a whole gain as much as the obvious beneficiary "to address both its own competitive interests and the interests of wider society."
So what about the NWGA? To take the harder, business point of view, is CSR just an expensive hobby?To what level does our CSR record benefit us?And does it enhance our future earnings potential?
Who would want to know our Health & Safety record, our level of community involvement, our training policies, or our investment in our workforce?All stakeholders in NWGA!
For example NWGA participated in the Enterprise Challenge during 2006, this involved NWGA and the Enterprise Advisory Service giving local secondary school students the opportunity of gaining an incite into NWGA's activities. (See Enterprise Challenge).
How does NWGA Benefit?How many of us reached the end of our secondary education with the primary thought of "I want to work in the gas industry?"Not many!But then again how many pupils reaching the end of their secondary education are aware of the gas industry?Yes they may see the men digging up the roads, but do they know how qualified and skilled those men are?Or how many other careers there are in the industry hidden in the offices?
Schemes like the Enterprise Project go some way to advertise our industry to tomorrow's workforce, by demonstrating the number and type of diverse, long term careers that are available.
Furthermore NWGA through BBUSL are proud to be part of a multi organisational team who are tasked with the development of a recognised Young Apprenticeship for the Gas Industry scheme. By September 2007 this qualification will have completed the suite of Utility Apprenticeship schemes for the 14-16 year old age range.
