Wednesday 8th December 2010, Strand Palace - London, 08:50 - 16:20
Tackling Unemployment: Creating, Paving and Maintaining Better Pathways to Work
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Overview
Unemployment in the UK is at an all-time high. The number of people that have been without a job for more than 12 months in the UK has soared to its highest level since 1997. According to recent figures published by the Office for National Statistics, long-term unemployment jumped over the year to 787,000 in the three months to May. Millions of people are now working part time, either because they cannot find a full-time job, or because employers have cut the number of days they work.
The UK Government has committed to reforming the current welfare system to ensure everyone who can work, does work and stays in work. ‘The Coalition: Our Programme for Government’ published in May 2010, highlighted how the government intends to change the current benefit system, work programmes and funding, through ‘providing help for those who cannot work, training and targeted support for those looking for work, but sanctions for those who turn down reasonable offers of work or training.’ Furthermore, in the Queens speech (May 2010), the Welfare Reform Bill set out ways in which the government intends to simplify the benefits system in order to improve work incentives and moving towards a single ‘benefit’
A recent report entitled ‘Make Britain the Place to Work’ (July 2010) by The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called for action to position the UK for stronger economic growth. Highlighting the importance of the UK’s flexible labour market, the report included measures for the government, which includes embracing more flexible working, cutting regulations that will cost jobs and changing industrial relations legislation, in order to sustain small businesses and jobs during the recovery. The CBI also called for the government to introduce a sustainable employment test in order to ensure that any further employment laws will help the creation of new jobs.
With the knowledge that Britain currently spends £87billion of its national income on welfare, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith recently revealed bold plans to slash this bill by getting 1.5million, who are actually fit to work, off incapacity benefit.
Agenda
With this in mind, this unique and timely forum will look at how the government intends to improve current unemployment mechanisms, create a fairer benefits system and equip those with the relevant and necessary skills to enter the workplace and sustain employment.
| 08:50 |
Registration and Coffee |
| 09:30 |
Chair’s Welcome Address Adrian Bailey MP, Chair, Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee (CONFIRMED)
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| 09:40 |
Opening Keynote: Creating, Paving and Maintaining Better Pathways into Work
- Likely impact of a single welfare to work programme
- Realigning contracts with welfare to work service providers with improved outcomes
- Personalising support to get people into sustainable work
- Simplifying the benefits system to improve incentives to work
- Revitalising the economy to get Britain working and providing sustainable jobs
- The role of the third sector in employment provision
Will Hutton, Executive Vice Chair, The Work Foundation (CONFIRMED)
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| 10:00 |
Increasing Flexibility and Participation to Boost Economic Growth
- A new employment agenda for a new government
- Aligning the needs of individual employees and the needs of businesses
- Sustaining and supporting employment through redesigned regulation
- Boosting labour market participation
- Supporting those on incapacity benefit who are able to work
- New strategies to adapt to the new economy
- Work for the future: Creating a labour market that works for Britain
Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy and External Affairs, British Chambers of Commerce (CONFIRMED) |
| 10:20 |
The Third Sector and Worklessness
- What does the Big Society mean for the creation of sustainable employment opportunities?
- The role of the Careers Development Group (CDG) in supporting the unemployed and helping them find sustained employment
- Creating a society in which employment is available to all
- The Expert Volunteer Initiative
- How will it be done? o Securing buy in and commitment from all key welfare to work organisations
o Encouraging businesses to realign their CSR policies to allow all staff to participate and volunteer
o Encouraging the government to consider tax credits for businesses that become involved
- Progress and next steps
Roy O’Shaughnessy, Chief Executive, Careers Development Group (CDG) (CONFIRMED)
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| 10:40 |
Questions and Answers Session |
| 11:00 |
Coffee and Networking |
| 11:25 |
Skills for Sustainable Growth
- Creating a strategy for sustainable growth through the development of skills
- Developing the conditions needed to reduce the fiscal deficit and stimulate growth through sustainable skills and employment
- Promoting learning in the context of personal growth
- Ensuring the country has a skills system that prepares people for work and career progression
- Augmenting the links between learning and the capacity of employers and individuals for enterprise and innovation
- Opening up access on information for learners about the value of diverse types of learning and what outcomes they may achieve
Claire Craig, Director of Skills, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (CONFIRMED)
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| 11:45 |
Integrating Skills and Employment – Association of Learning Providers
- Integrating employment and skills procurement to tackle unemployment
- Generating improved outcomes through welfare to work reforms and refocusing of training programmes
- The need for increased cooperation between all key partners to commission more integrated employment and skills provision
Martin Dunford OBE, Chief Executive, Skills Training UK and Chairman, Association of Learning Providers (CONFIRMED)
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| 12:05 |
Questions and Answers Session |
| 12:20 |
Lunch and Networking |
| 13:20 |
Creating Long-term Employment Under a New Government
- What has worked in the past?
- What can be taken forward?
- Delivering the Work Programme: How will it be done?
- Framework
- Timeline for delivery
- The implications of the spending review on the work programme
Mark Fisher, Director, Jobseekers and Skills, Department for Work and Pensions (CONFIRMED)
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| 13:40 |
Questions and Answers Session |
| 13:50 |
The Role of Apprenticeships in Tackling Worklessness
- Why are apprenticeships important in reducing unemployment?
- Reducing the number of young people not in education, employment or training
- Increasing skills levels
- What is the government doing to support this?
- What are we doing to support this?
- Prioritising young people
- Expanding apprenticeships from 19-24 to include 19-30 year olds
- Ensuring more level 4 apprenticeships are available in all areas
- The importance of employer engagement in tackling the worklessness agenda
- Progress and next steps
Vic Grimes, Regional Director of Apprenticeships, London, National Apprenticeships Service (CONFIRMED)
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| 14:10 |
Supporting Young People
- The impact of being NEET on health and well-being
- What causes a young person to become NEET?
- What programmes are needed to help young people reengage with employment, education and training?
- Recognising the individual – do current programmes meet the needs of all young people?
- Working with young people to design services
- Recognising the factors that lead to unemployment - tackling inter-generational worklessness
- Case studies
Young Ambassador, The Prince’s Trust (CONFIRMED)
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| 14:30 |
A Local Authority’s Approach to the Worklessness Agenda: Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
- Reviewing and evaluating the contribution of local authorities in tackling worklessness
- Establishing appropriate performance measures
- Communicating outcomes
- Lessons to be learnt from Barnsley
Cllr. Stephen Houghton, Leader, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council (CONFIRMED)
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| 14:50 |
Questions and Answers Session |
| 15:05 |
Coffee and Networking |
| 15:30 |
Working in Partnership to Tackle Unemployment
- Work experience and training – enhancing skills, building confidence
- Improving the employment prospects and maximising job opportunities for local residents
- Supporting employment initiatives aimed at those furthest from the labour market
- Supporting young and disadvantaged people into work and securing local employment opportunities
- Building sustainable communities – understanding local needs
Tony Hawkhead, Chief Executive, Groundwork (CONFIRMED)
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| 15:50 |
Creating Long Term Employment Opportunities for Looked After Children
- How far do we have to go to open up sustainable opportunities for the most vulnerable children and young people
- Developing a strategic plan to provide a range of services designed to meet the needs of all care leavers
- The importance of local and regional action: local - to ensure there is funding for services; regional – brokering involvement of large employers
- What services and support can you offer?
- Preparation for employment/employability
- Work experience
- Work placements/traineeships
- Apprenticeships
- Mentoring
- Examples
- Lessons to be taken forward
Professor Andy Bilson, Professor, Social Work, University of Central Lancashire (CONFIRMED)
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| 16:10 |
Questions and Answers Session |
| 16:20 |
Chair's Closing Remarks |
*programme subject to change without notice
Audience
Delegates will include HR directors, head teachers, recruitment advisors, vice chancellors, pro vice chancellors, heads of strategy development, directors of innovation, economic development managers, heads of knowledge transfer partnerships, directors of technology and engineering services, heads of public sector research institutions,curriculum development professionals, directors and managers of enterprise and business development, directors of trade and investment, inward investment directors/managers and be drawn from public central government departments and agencies, local authorities, jobcentre plus, connexions, education institutions, regional development agencies, businesses and employers, the third sector and the private sector.
