Blog posts for tag:unemployment

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Looking for a job – a job in itself?

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Tuesday 30 October 2012

Lindsay Plumpton

A new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has highlighted the huge task faced by young unemployed people looking for work and has reinforced the need for rigorous preparation and active job search, in order to be successful. The research was carried out across 3 UK cities, one with a weak supply of jobs, one with a better supply and one in-between. Researchers sent 2,000 job applications from fictional learners with at least 5 good GCSEs and relevant work experience to 667 real vacancies (sales assistants, cleaners, office administrators and kitchen hands).

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Tackling youth unemployment - what’s the answer?

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Thursday 20 September 2012

Lindsay Plumpton

According to a report this week by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Government's youth contract is “insufficient” to tackle the scale of youth unemployment on its own. The youth contract provides £1bn for a range of initiatives aimed at getting young people into employment. Measures include providing 160,000 employers with a "wage incentive" of £2,275 to take on an unemployed 18-24 year-old, 250,000 work experience placements and also additional support from Jobcentre Plus.

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Government responds to Holt’s Apprenticeship Review

By Nicola Hughes, Communications Leader, Thursday 30 August 2012

Nicola Hughes

The government has responded to the findings of the Holt Review with new measures to help small businesses take on apprentices.  Jeweller and social entrepreneur, Jason Holt, recognised in his report that apprenticeships offer significant growth opportunities for businesses yet only a small minority of SMEs currently employ apprentices.

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FE loans – what do you think?

By Nicola Hughes, Communications Leader, Thursday 09 August 2012

Nicola Hughes

It’s recently been announced that from August 2013, learners aged 24+ who’d like to do a Level 3 or above qualification will need to use an ‘FE loan’ to fund this. At present, the government subsidises FE courses for adults by up to 50%. The new loans will be available for those resident in the UK, who’ve not previously had a loan to do the same type and level of qualification (learners can have up to 4 loans consecutively).  A learner’s loan will cover the cost of the qualification or components of the apprenticeship but won’t include living costs or materials.

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UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey 2011

By Nicola Hughes, Communications Leader, Monday 06 August 2012

Nicola Hughes

We’ve all seen headlines about the state of the labour market, and the lack of opportunity for those out of work. Adding to that debate is the recently published UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey 2011 which allows employers to voice their concerns and give their perspective.  The survey  is the result of over 74,000 interviews carried out by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) with employers in England throughout 2011.   Although the report is very detailed it does contain some interesting nuggets regarding the state of the skills system and how this contributes to employment in England.

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Exams getting easier? What about Functional Skills?

By Nicola Hughes, Communications Leader, Monday 23 July 2012

Nicola Hughes

It’s difficult to ignore the recent headlines referring to the ‘race to the bottom’, and the lowering of standards in education. The sector has seen heavy criticism over the last few weeks for syllabuses being too accessible and qualifications too achievable. The assertion is that organisations ‘shop around’ for the easiest courses to deliver, allowing them to appear higher in the league tables.  

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Work Programme – a positive impact on employment

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Tuesday 17 July 2012

Lindsay Plumpton

Data published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this week suggests that the Government's flagship welfare-to-work scheme, the Work Programme, has had a positive effect on the long-term unemployed. The figures reveal that 48% of people who joined the Programme at its launch in June 2011 had a break in benefit claims by the end of 9 months, and almost 25% had stopped claiming benefits for at least three months. The latest stats are encouraging after a National Audit Office (NAO) report earlier this year indicated that only 15% of over-25s would get jobs through the Work Programme in contrast to the official government estimate of 40%.

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Delivering employment outcomes in FE – what’s the answer?

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Friday 13 July 2012

Lindsay Plumpton

It’s hard to ignore the challenges faced by unemployed people in the UK today – we’re confronted with an almost daily stream of bad news related to the issue. This week, Ofsted published its report Skills for Employment.  The report was a direct response to the government’s plans for FE providers to offer work-based training to help the unemployed into work and was critical of FE providers. According to the report, only 19% of students were successful in finding a job when leaving college.

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A nation of NEETs – what’s the solution?

By Lindsay Plumpton, Communications Leader, Thursday 05 July 2012

Lindsay Plumpton

According to recent headlines, the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training has risen by 5.7 per cent in the last year.  As reported, the proportion of young people staying on in school after the age of 16 has fallen for the first time in a decade and this comes amid a move to raise the school leaving age. Children and Families Minister Tim Loughton said NEETs figures had been "too high for too long" but the Government was determined to tackle the issue by reforming education and the qualifications system.

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