Employment

(asked on 9th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for increased investment in local employment support.


This question was answered on 23rd July 2020

The Government is committed to addressing imbalances as economic recovery progresses in every part of the UK and the department already has robust mechanisms in place which provide local support through our Jobcentre Plus network, including provision for young people and the long term unemployed.

As announced by the Chancellor this provision is being further strengthened through a range of measures including:

o doubling the number of work coaches to 27,000 by March 2021;

o an increase in the Flexible Support Fund in Great Britain by £150 million including to increase the capacity of the Rapid Response Service. It will also provide local support to claimants by removing barriers to work such as travel expenses for attending interviews;

o the introduction of the Kickstart Scheme for young people on Universal Credit that will provide high quality, six-month work placements from Autumn this year. Funding available for each job will cover 100 per cent of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week;

o expanding our youth offer to young jobseekers to include all those aged 18-24 in the Intensive Work Search group in Universal Credit to include:

  • a structured 13-week intervention, during which (as capacity allows) they will be referred to the most appropriate support, such as careers advice, a sector-based work academy, a traineeship, work experience, mentoring circles or an apprenticeship. Once they have completed this programme, participants will be encouraged to take up work-related training or an apprenticeship;

  • youth hubs co-located and co-delivered with our network of external partners where young people can access wider support;

  • additional targeted support from Youth Employability Coaches for young people with more complex needs;

o expansion of our sector-based work academy programmes, which will establish bespoke opportunities, working with employers and training providers to support claimants to fill job vacancies and pivot into new careers;

o expansion of the scope of the Work and Health Programme in England and Wales to provide personalised support for up to six months, to help jobseekers who have been unemployed for three months plus to effectively reengage with the labour market. Equivalent provision will also be made in Scotland; and

o a new job finding support service in Great Britain to help recently unemployed people more quickly back in to the labour market, focussing on their transferrable skills and how they might transition to a new employment sector, where there are vacancies.

In addition, we are also working with local partners across England to invest £250 million from European Social Fund’s reserve to help people find new jobs and learn new skills. This is addition to the £440 million that is being invested in locally-tailored programme this year.

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