REC comments on Institute for Employment Studies employment support report - REC

Commenting on the Institute for Employment Studies publishing the interim report of the Commission on the Future of Employment Support today, the Recruitment & Employment Confederation's Deputy Chief Executive Kate Shoesmith said:

“Today’s report shows how desperately the country needs a workforce plan from government, advised by business, that looks at reform of employment support, skills, immigration and labour market activation. It should also work with labour market experts to better understand and address the causes of economic inactivity, such as the scope of back-to-work schemes and the provision of childcare.

“The picture painted of continued labour shortages in today’s report shows why businesses must look to broaden their help by building deeper partnerships with recruiters. Likewise, recruiters must embrace technology to improve the efficiency, speed and reach of their service, as we set out in our own recent ‘Tech-enabled humanity’ report.”

Kate Shoesmith added:

“The next stage of the report will look at how employment support links up with skills and training programmes. A smart move for the government would be to expand the courses where costs can be drawn from the apprenticeship levy pot, making it more flexible so that more people can access shorter and modular courses and licence-to-practise style training.

“The report also shows how high the stakes are for the government’s Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs). LSIPs must involve SMEs, recruiters and other labour market experts to lessen the ongoing mismatch between the jobs that are available locally and the skills, education, training opportunities and infrastructure available to local people. Mayors, working alongside local business leaders, the public sector and labour market experts, should develop plans to meet emerging needs and get ahead of demand for future skills to unlock innovation.”

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Notes to editors:
 

Neil Carberry, Chief Executive, Recruitment & Employment Confederation, is a commissioner on this Commission on the Future of Employment Support.

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