Kbbreview has launched a campaign to keep decades of skills and experience in the industry as the inevitable redundancies caused by the coronavirus downturn start.
The core of the campaign is a pledge from kbbreview to send a weekly e-mail out to its entire database with the details of anyone in the kbb industry who has recently been made redundant. Potential employers can then quickly see who is available and contact the candidates directly if they fit the bill.
The first mailer will go out on Monday (June 15) containing the first six people and continue weekly.
“Those six people have a combined industry experience of over 100 years,” said kbbreview managing editor Andrew Davies. “We simply cannot let that kind of insight and knowledge drift away into other sectors if we can help it. Now more than ever we need every drop of experience we can muster to keep the industry alive and kicking so if anyone is looking for new people, please use this as an instant shortlist.
“This is not a criticism of the companies making the redundancies, on the contrary, we all know what a dreadfully difficult decision it is to make. But, if we can, we need to make a collective effort to keep the skills in this industry.”
The kbbreview Save Our Skills mailer is sponsored by Quooker and, in a piece especially written to mark the launch of the campaign, md Stephen Johnson said: “I’m acutely aware how tough financial conditions have forced many companies to retreat and therefore redundancies are natural. But I believe it’s vital we strive to keep and continue to grow the skills we have, by supporting those who’ve lost their jobs because of the crisis.
“It’s all of our roles to get those affected back into employment. There is a wealth of talent out there which brands can and should make the most of. There is a future after covid-19 and there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Designer Alex Hawkins, who will feature on the first mailer, said: “As a designer who has recently been redundant I can’t tell you how helpful this is to me and everyone else in the same situation. I love this industry and want to do everything I can to use my skills and experience to help make sure it comes out of the current crisis in the best possible shape.”
Anyone who has been made redundant and wants to feature on the newsletter should read our kbbreview Save Our Skills Q&A.
#kbbrsaveourskills
