Andrew Conlan-Trant

TBG Learning & Momentum Skills

Why am I here?• To discuss employment support

programmes in the UK and their effectiveness

Why do we do what we do?

• 2.5m people unemployed in the UK– 7.8% of the population

Would fill Croke Park 30 times

Why do we do what we do?

• Youth unemployment 958,000• NEETs 1.36m

• 5 unemployed people for every vacancy• Employment Rate = 71.4%• Amongst people with disability, employment

rate = 46.3%– 25% lower than for the population

• c.46% disabled people economically inactive– Over 2.5 times the overall inactive population

(c.18%)

Work Programme &

Work Choice for Unemployed

Training for workJob Search

Work PlacementIn-work Support

In-work Training & Support

Work-based Training

Child

Adult living sustainable independent

life

Disadvantaged People. Vocational thrust. Guiding the person towards sustainable, independent living. Skills for Life. Skills for Work; finding them work; keeping them in work

Training Young People

Adult Training

Basic SkillsNumeracyLiteracy

Vocational SkillsEmployability

Personal & Social Development

NEETPrevention

14-16 16-18 18-2425+

SecondarySchool

Primary School

PRUSpecial School

5-16

• Education, training and support organisation whose purpose is to help people develop themselves

– such that they can become self-sustaining in life.

Purpose & Ethos

Social Inclusion Services for

adults

Contracting Environment

• Very structured contracting environment• Outcome requirements are defined• Payment leans more towards results– Government focus is on reducing benefits

costs

• Compliance requirements are high to ensure government money is spent correctly–High administration requirement

Policy Environment• Current UK government is focused on economic recovery• Reducing expenditure and increasing Value for money are

key objectives• Mainstream employment programmes (Work Programme)

is very structured and driven towards results• Disability employment programmes are continuing to

evolve• Sayce Review

– Money should follow the individual - personal employment support budgets

– Focus resources on entry to employment - flexible supports for employee and employer to support sustainment

– Focus on rapid job search and placement where possible – Employer engagement to demonstrate the business case to

employ people with disabilities

• Two core Employment Programmes– Work Choice and Work Programme

Work Choice

Work Choice Supply Chain

Work Programme

Work Programme Supply Chain

Antur TeifiA4EBTCVCAISNeath Port Talbot CouncilFutureworks Interserve Working FuturesTBG LearningVale of Glamorgan CouncilNorth Wales TrainingCeredigion Training

Customer Profile to Work Programme

• Job Seekers Allowance – categories, incl– 18-24 year olds– 25+ year olds– Repeat JSA– Prison Leavers

• Employment & Support Allowance–Harder to help–WCA ‘3-, 6- & 12-month prognosis’

Volume Comparison

Work Choice One contract area

• Years 1 & 2– 1224 referrals– 358 jobs;

• Supported/unsupported/progression

Work ProgrammeOne contract area

• Years 1 & 2– 31,773 referrals– 6970 jobs

• Unsupported with some in-work support

Lessons from Work Choice &Work Programme

• Do these programmes work?– Some restrictions on what providers can report– People are progressing into work; many staying in

work– But would this have happened anyway?– Work Programme is definitely not delivering an

equitable performance level for people with disabilities • as work Choice does

• Programmes are contract-led, not person-led– What gets contracted and paid for gets done

• Requires a ‘lean’ approach to delivery

Improvements• Dedicated programmes for people

with disabilities and without disabilities should continue– Contract construct not the most

relevant factor

• Skills and Employment Support programmes need to be linked more closely– Currently depends on providers– policy is loose with some anomalies

Thank You