A government white paper envisages a place-based approach to employment and skills
Launched late last year, the Government’s Get Britain Working White Paper aims to promote higher employment rates and reduce economic inactivity, by helping individuals enhance their skills and transition to better jobs.
It has three strategic pillars:
- a modern industrial strategy and local growth plans to generate quality jobs nationwide
- improving job quality and security through a plan to make work pay
- major reforms to employment support by integrating skills and health.
Proposals outlined in the white paper closely align with the LGA’s Work Local campaign, through which we have consistently made the case for reform, set out our ambition for devolved and integrated employment and skills services, and developed a cost-benefit analysis.
Our most recent employment and skills offer on boosting inclusive growth, published last summer, set out how a new government could work with local government to move forward on these ambitions, and we were involved in ministerial discussions ahead of the launch of the white paper.
A key feature of the white paper is its adoption of a place-based approach to employment and skills. For example, every area in England will have a local Get Britain working plan (LGBWP) to tackle economic inactivity. These plans will be developed by mayoral authorities where they exist, and across groups of local authorities elsewhere. LGBWPs will be backed up by a new supported employment programme, ‘Connect to Work’, grant funded to all of local government in England and Wales, and starting with £115 million going to local areas in 2025/26.
“The new jobs and careers service must see itself as part of a wider place-based employment eco-system”
Some mayoral authorities will go further by trialling new ways to join up work, health and skills.
Connect to Work marks a significant shift in policy for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The programme aims to help disabled people, those with health conditions, and people with complex barriers to employment find suitable work. It will be delivered via grants across 43 clusters of local authorities in England and four clusters in Wales.
Lead local authorities will spearhead the design of their local offer, shaped around local services and priorities to help people find and fulfil their potential to work.
It is a supported employment ‘place, train and maintain’ service to help ‘economically inactive’ people.
Voluntary for participants, it will be phased in from April 2025 and run to the end of this Parliament.
The LGA has worked closely with the DWP to shape this policy.
For areas outside of devolution, Connect to Work is a clear building block for councils to take on new devolved powers.
The LGA is now urging the Department for Education (DfE) to also take a more localist approach and empower councils outside of devolution with a new ‘community skills’ function, so they can plan and coordinate the adult skills offer locally.
“A thriving and inclusive labour market is essential for growing the economy, improving health, and creating man environment in which everyone… [can] progress”
Another area in which the LGA has successfully shaped government thinking is in the need to tackle the sharp increase in youth inactivity.
The Government announced it will establish a ‘Youth Guarantee’ in England – similar to our Work Local proposals for ‘youth pathways’ – so that every young person aged 18-21 has access to further learning and help to get a job or an apprenticeship.
The new Youth Guarantee includes:
- £40 million invested in new foundation apprenticeships
- eight mayoral Youth Guarantee trailblazers
- preventing young people from becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training) by providing councils with new data tools and guidance to support 16 to 17-year-olds at risk of disengagement.
- an offer of work experience and careers advice for under-18s not in school or college
- partnerships with industry organisations
- a Youth Guarantee Advisory Panel, so young people can shape the design of the guarantee.
The eight Youth Guarantee trailblazers will be trialled in mayoral authorities. To be effective, mayoral authorities will need to work closely with their constituent councils, who have statutory duties for 16 to 17-year-olds. The success of this will inform a future rollout across England, led by local government.
The Government also announced the integration of Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service into a new jobs and careers service. This is positive and fits with the public service reform agenda and calls within the LGA’s Work Local campaign.
The new service must see itself as part of a wider place-based employment eco-system, recognising that employment services are increasingly delivered in different community locations.
Effective local mapping, referral and signposting are vital to ensure all local partners deliver seamless employment support services for their customers.
Building a thriving and inclusive labour market is essential for growing the economy, improving health, and creating an environment in which everyone has the chance to participate and progress in the workforce.
Employment offers individuals a sense of purpose, financial stability, and benefits for their physical and mental health.
For communities, a more skilled workforce and increased job opportunities can drive productivity, innovation and investment, and lead to greater spending in local economies, thereby helping reduce regional disparities.
It is a positive step to see the Government embed all of local government – mayors and councils – in its policy thinking.
Equally positive is that placed-based trailblazers will trial new approaches to develop the Youth Guarantee and join up work, health and skills systems to reduce economic inactivity because of ill health.
The LGA will continue its engagement with the Government and key partners on the detail, in order to put these proposals into practice. It will also carry on working with the DWP, DfE and other departments to share best practice and shape policy.
Councils already lead the way in coordinating provision and supporting local inclusive growth. It’s our job to ensure local communities seize the opportunities before them.
- Read the Get Britain Working White Paper in full.