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People & Careers roundup

CBI is urging the government to increase the skilled migration cap to help business fill vacancies in the skills crisis.  “The Government’s current direction on non-EU immigration is causing some headaches for businesses. Growth in the UK economy is stronger than in other countries, businesses are facing skill shortages and international students want to learn at the best universities in the world. These are factors which draw people to the UK – people who are more likely to be employed, earning and paying taxes. We want the Government to scrap the net migration target and to increase the skilled migration cap to protect the UK’s reputation as being open for dealing,” said director general John Cridland in the organisations verdict on the new Government’s progress. 

Tidal Lagoon Power has appointed Eneco Wind UK project director Mike Unsworth as delivery director for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.  

The Local Government Association has announced that Mark Lloyd, current chief executive at Cambridgeshire County Council, is its new chief executive. Lloyd will take over from Carolyn Downs, who is to move to become chief at Brent Council in the autumn. His appointment follows interviews with the LGA's political leadership.Lloyd has been chief executive of Cambridgeshire since 2008, where he helped oversee the county’s £500M City Deal. Prior to this, he was chief executive of Durham County Council.

Dr John Hodgson has joined Hydrock from CH2M further building the firm’s growing nuclear civil engineering business. Hill has 30 years of experience in structural engineering notably around the design of special structures in the power and energy sector with the purpose of withstanding blasts and earthquakes. 

Gender stereotypes are still prevalent in the subjects teenagers choose for A-levels, according to new analysis1 of school exam results data from AECOM. The analysis reveals that while female students’ performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects has outstripped that of their male counterparts at GCSE level in recent years, this has not translated into a proportionate increase in girls choosing to pursue STEM subjects at A-level. The firm  says the country needs to re-frame the way STEM subjects and related careers are presented to girls from a young age in order to increase the numbers choosing to enter technical professions.

WYG chief operating officer Graham Olver has decided to step down from the consultant’s board with immediate effect. WYG said: “We will not be seeking to replace the role of chief operating officer; instead we will create a more streamlined reporting structure and enhance the role of the Major Projects Unit.”

Former chief secretary to the Treasury has been knighted in the dissolution honours list announced last week.

Osborne has joined the 5% Club. By joining The 5% Club, Osborne is publically committing to the aim of ensuring that at least 5% of its workforce are apprentices, graduates or sponsored students on structured programmes within the next five years. 

EY has appointed Amanda Clack as the head of infrastructure at its advisory practice for UK & Ireland. She joins EY from PwC, where she was a partner for over nine years leading the firm’s south east consultancy business.  EY’s Infrastructure practice plans to more than double its size over the next five years.

Logistics and security specialists Wilson James has appointed Peter Jacobs as managing director of construction and integrated solutions. He joined Wilson James last year as a non-executive board director. Previously Jackson was the managing director of Morgan Sindall’s London and Airports division and President of The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). He also spent twenty four years at Bovis Lend Lease, where he was a director for ten years and headed up the team behind the London 2012 Athletes village.

WYG has appointed Adrian French as director of planning (energy and infrastructure), based with the consultancy’s Southampton team. The new role supports WYG’s further expansion into energy, utility and infrastructure projects across the UK.  He joins from AGR Renewables where he oversaw the planning and development of the company’s portfolio of wind farm and solar park developments.