Welfare to Work

Qualified/Executive customers on W2W Programmes

Submitted by Accura on Fri, 20/04/2012 - 3:05pm

Hello all.

I am currently looking into the diffrent support that current employability contracts offer to Qualified/Executive Customers (Jobseekers)with the aim to hopefully create a specialist support service. It rightly seems that most contracts are tailored to entry level jobs but i wondered what support was in place for customers who may be from a qualified,highly paid or specialst background and what additionality could be added to this.

I would like comments from advisors and customers who have been on these programmes.

What support is on offer?

Welfare to work providers respond to National Audit Office report on Work Programme procurement

Submitted by Helen Crowther on Wed, 25/01/2012 - 11:32am

The Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), the trade association for the welfare to work industry, today comments on the findings of the National Audit Office (NAO) report into the procurement of the Work Programme (released 24 January 2012).    ERSA welcomes the focus of the National Audit Office on referral numbers and type.  However, it believes that the NAO’s conclusions in relation to likely performance levels are premature.  

ERA's response is concerned with:

Joint Statement of Intent and Call for Evidence Welfare to Work Supply Chain Relationships Workstream

Submitted by Helen Crowther on Fri, 20/01/2012 - 4:42pm

The Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), the trade association for the welfare to work industry, ACEVO, the representative body for third sector leaders, and NCVO, the national voluntary sector membership body, intend to work together over the course of 2012 to increase the quality and quantity of supply chain relationships within the welfare to work industry involving the voluntary and community sectors.

This year, let’s put away the dog whistle and argue about the substance

Submitted by Helen Crowther on Wed, 04/01/2012 - 3:32pm

Written by Tony Wilson, Director of Policy at Inclusion

There’s something depressingly predictable about the political knockabout this week on welfare reform.  Liam Byrne’s attempt to stake out the moral ground has provoked the obvious response from the Coalition: we were here first.  Well, Labour (probably won’t) reply, we were there before you – back in 2007.  If Frank Field gets involved, and claims that he “thought the unthinkable”, it’ll be an open invitation to Peter Lilley.

New DWP Innovation Fund

Submitted by jhutch123 on Fri, 20/05/2011 - 10:26am

The DWP announced last week that they would be providing £10m a year for three years to delivery organisations to develop new and innovative methods to support it most disadvantaged customers. Delivery organisation will partner with financial backers to develop a proposal, with the DWP paying the financiers an agreed amount when specific objectives are agreed.

The details seem a little sketchy at the moment, so was just wondering if anyone had heard anything in any more detail about this (time-scale for procurement process, delivery areas etc)?

Welfare to Work Vacancies

Submitted by sam_j0nes on Wed, 19/01/2011 - 3:26pm

Brookwood Commercial Selection is recruiting in the Welfare to Work sector.

Some of the vacancies we are currently recruiting are listed below -

Skills for Life Tutors in - Manchester, Basingstoke, High Wycombe, Derby, Sunderland and Bolton

Childcare and Functional Skills Tutor in East London

Recruitment Consultant in Maidenhead

Skills for Life Advisors in Manchester, Basingstoke, High Wycombe, Derby, Sunderland and Bolton

Call Samantha Jones for more information – 01483 750850 or e-mail samantha [at] brookwoodcommercial [dot] co [dot] uk

Final programme now published for Inclusion's Annual Welfare to Work Convention

Submitted by Rose on Fri, 25/06/2010 - 2:29pm

The final programme has now been published for Inclusion's annual Welfare to Work Convention. To view please visit Inclusion's website.

Freud speaks on reforming benefits and the welfare to work industry

Submitted by Rose on Fri, 11/06/2010 - 1:33pm

Lord David Freud, gave an interesting speech at the Queen’s Speech Forum event yesterday,ran by Neil Stewart Associates, where he revealed that he hoped announcements on benefits reform could be made within weeks.

Freud’s speech covered two main areas – transforming the welfare to work market and benefits reform, which he assured the audience, is a major priority in a coalition government, after reducing the fiscal deficit.

Labour job schemes axed

Submitted by Rose on Thu, 10/06/2010 - 9:42am

Iain Duncan Smith is due to announce the end of £2bn of welfare-to-work contracts and plans to move to a single “work programme” are due to be revealed today, writes Nick Timmins in the Financial Times. According to the paper, officials are working out how transitional support will be provided for jobseekers whilst contracts are renegotiated and looking at the legal implications of ending contracts early.

Source: The Financial Times

Chris Grayling to face providers’ concerns about the single work programme

Submitted by Rose on Tue, 01/06/2010 - 11:06am

Nicholas Timmins writes in the Financial Times that Minster for Work, Chris Grayling, will meet with the welfare to work industry next Wednesday and can expect to hear concerns about how the transition from existing provision to a single work programme will be managed.

Do those MPs get-it? See C4’s Tower Block of Commons

Submitted by Paul Convery on Tue, 16/02/2010 - 3:21pm

Channel 4 says: "The politicians stay with people who need their help. But while some of the MPs relish the chance to get involved, others are less keen to roll up their sleeves."

What would you ask Employment Minister, Jim Knight MP?

Submitted by Claire on Wed, 06/01/2010 - 10:06am

Update: Wed 6th January - I'm going to be interviewing Employment Minister, Jim Knight MP later today, and was just wondering if there are any (sensible!) burning questions you think would be worth asking, or topics worth any elaboration at all?

If you do, then please just post them as part of this discussion.

General discussion of welfare to work issues

Submitted by Claire on Tue, 05/01/2010 - 10:56am

Hi all,

If you want to continue the discussions which have somewhat taken over the 'What would you ask Employment Minister, Jim Knight MP?' here, then please do so, and feel free to copy and past your comments to here, as the non-relevant discussions in the other thread will be moderated/deleted.

Thanks!

Client Wanting Graduate Employees

Submitted by Simon on Mon, 02/11/2009 - 11:29pm

I have a client that is looking at training unemployed graduate or equivalent educational level people. They are exploring internships and the most suitable partnerships.

They deliver a wide range of specialist consultancy services to both the construction industry and the public sector and have a separate accredited Learning Academy.

The questions are:

1. During the training period can they remove the employee cost burden?