Work Programme clients ‘need more training’ Tuesday, November 27, 2012 - 14:28

NIACE believes that a significant factor behind today’s Work Programme Statistics, showing that the vast majority of jobs gained by Work Programme clients are not sustained, is that too many participants have skills needs which are not being met.

David Hughes, NIACE Chief Executive, said:

"The findings of this report are disappointing. We know from our own development work around this issue that far too many Work Programme providers are simply not providing the skills training needed for Work Programme clients to make the journey into sustained and secure employment.

"We know that there are not enough jobs around at the moment, however that makes it even more important to provide skills training for people now, so that they have the skills both they and the economy will need in the future.

"At the very least there needs to be training for those Work Programme clients who lack skills in English and maths, as these can be huge barriers to work. We also believe that there needs to be sector specific training, for those who have good English and maths skills.

At the very least there needs to be training for those Work Programme clients who lack skills in English and maths, as these can be huge barriers to work.

David Hughes, NIACE Chief Executive

"It is more productive to have people doing something purposeful. If people can’t find jobs it is much fairer for them to be training and learning new skills as this will not only help them get into and stay in work, but it will also have a positive impact on their mental health and well-being whilst they are unemployed.

"NIACE therefore welcomes the Department for Work and Pensions’ announcement that they are ‘going to look at what can be done to get improved access to skills support for participants’. In December, NIACE will be publishing a guide for Work Programme providers to help them offer skills provision for their participants."

Figures released by ERSA, the trade association for Work Programme providers, show that 207,831 jobs have been gained by people on the Work Programme since it began in June 2011. Figures released by the DWP show that a total of 837,000 people were referred and attached to Work Programme providers between 1 June 2011 and the end of July 2012. Within this time period 31,000 jobs were gained that were sustained for 3 or 6 months. This means fewer than 5% of the people joining the programme in its first year gained sustained employment. The Treasury’s view is that they would expect 5% of the cohort to gain sustained employment if the programme did not exist. The programme has therefore performed at below its deadweight level so far.