Unveiling the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation, Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall has today (26 November) published the Get Britain Working White Paper, marking the Government’s first major intervention to achieve an ambitious 80 per cent employment rate.
- White Paper on biggest reforms to employment support for a generation published today, backed by £240 million investment
- Jobcentres transformed across Great Britain and every young person to have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities
- Mental health support to be expanded and extra capacity deployed to reduce waiting lists in areas with highest levels of inactivity
Young People:
one in eight young people are not in education, employment or training, and nine million adults lack the essential skills they need to get on in work.
The government is also delivering a new Youth Guarantee so every young person has access to education or training to help them find a job and transforming the Apprenticeship Levy in England into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy backed by £40 million to expand opportunities for young people to develop skills and get into work.
An independent review will also be launched into how employers can be better supported to employ people with disabilities health conditions, and to keep them in the workplace, ensuring that more people can benefit from a sense of dignity, purpose and financial independence.
The White Paper sets out how the Government will invest £125 million in eight areas across England and Wales, to mobilise local work, health and skills support – so everyone who wants to work can get the joined-up support they need. This includes funding in three of the trailblazer areas for NHS accelerators to stop people falling out of work completely due to ill health. The three areas will be the North East, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
These eight trailblazers will be at the forefront of designing how locally joined-up support will work in practice across England and Wales.
Delivering a Youth Guarantee to support young people into work
Every 18-to-21-year old in England will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job under a new ‘Youth Guarantee’.
The White Paper unveils new partnerships with some of Britain’s most iconic cultural and sporting organisations, including the Premier League, Channel 4 and the Royal Shakespeare Company, who will offer work or learning opportunities to inspire and upskill the next generation.
Eight youth “trailblazer” areas will be set up across the country, including in Liverpool, Tees Valley and the East Midlands with £45 million funding to identify those most at risk of falling out of education or employment and match them to opportunities for education, training or work.
To further expand opportunities for young people through the Youth Guarantee, the Government will transform the Apprenticeship Levy in England into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy by investing £40 million. This will help to deliver new foundation and shorter apprenticeships in key sectors.
These new opportunities will be the responsibility of young people to take them up. In return for these new opportunities, young people will be expected to engage with training or work that’s on offer so no young person is left behind.
An advisory panel will also be set up to put young people at the heart of decision making. There will also be a disability panel set up to ensure the voices of disabled people are at the core of reforms.
This change will deliver greater flexibility for employers and learners, aligned to the Governments Industrial Strategy, while rebalancing the offer so that more apprenticeships are focused on young people.
Empowering local mayors to shape an effective work, health and skills offer for local people
Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard said:
In South Yorkshire, work, health and skills barriers have prevented people here making the most of their talents for far too long. That’s why we’re determined to address those barriers through our pioneering Pathways to Work Commission. The Commission’s report set out recommendations that could unlock the full potential of our communities and I’m really pleased that the Government has backed our pioneering approach.
In South Yorkshire we have led the way in highlighting the importance of bringing work, health and skills together as we support people back into employment. We now have a Government that understands the importance of devolution and joined-up working, and together we are undertaking the biggest reforms to how we support people into work for a generation.
Our trailblazer will help us to create a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire that helps people to stay near and go far.”
All 16 trailblazers will be within mayoral authorities, Wales and London.
- The inactivity trailblazers will be in: West Yorkshire, the North East, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, two in London and one in Wales.
- The youth trailblazers will be in: Liverpool, West Midlands, Tees Valley, East Midlands, West of England, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and two in London
Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said:
This is a great opportunity to help break down barriers that prevent people in York and North Yorkshire getting back into work. I’m incredibly excited to bring this trailblazer to our region and help people get healthy and back to work.
Working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, we’ll makes the most of the national fact-finding work and ensure that we’re using our local knowledge to deliver employment and opportunities for people across York and North Yorkshire.