Stuart Hollis The Work Programme and skills Rob Gray NIACE lead for pre-employment skills

Who are we? NIACE is the leading non-governmental organisation and charity supporting access to, and developments within, lifelong learning. Working in partnership with adult skills and learning providers, NIACE undertakes research, development, publishing, conferences and training courses.

What are the skills needs of people on the Work Programme?  amongst JSA and ESA (WRAG) claimants, 22% have literacy skills below Level 1 and 36% have numeracy skills below Entry level 3;  the CBI reported that two fifths (38%) of all claimants lack functional literacy skills and 45% lack functional numeracy skills; and  the proportion of people with skills needs increases dramatically amongst people who are long term unemployed – unpublished findings suggest that over 50% of Work Programme participants lack functional literacy and/or numeracy skills.

Why should we address the skills needs of people on the Work Programme? Before the recent economic downturn, global competition and increasing mechanisation was reducing the number of jobs available for people with skills needs. Since the economic downturn, increased competition between job applicants has given employers scope to raise their expectations of job applicant skills levels for elementary jobs.

“Very few employers appear to be prepared to give a young candidate an entry-level job unless they have the basics … literacy, communication skills, numeracy and enthusiasm are the most important employability skills in the view of respondents, and a lack of them in a candidate is a ‘deal-breaker’ for many employers.” Employability skills explored, LSN, 2008

It has become increasingly more difficult for people with skills needs to find work “Compared to those with good numeracy, men and women with poor numeracy were more than twice as likely to be unemployed.” Adult numeracy, NRDC, 2009 “The data suggest that is low skilled, low educated and younger workers whose labour market prospects have suffered most as the UK entered recession in 2008.” Living standards during previous recessions, Institute for Fiscal Studies, 2009

And now? “If people are not able to achieve basic levels of English and maths, then they will struggle to find work of any kind in today’s demanding labour market.” Rigour and Responsiveness, BIS, 2013 “Ultimately, all anyone has to offer an employer is their skills.” The Work Programme: What is the role of skills?, NIACE, 2013

Why can’t we leave skills to be addressed once people are in the workplace? “Many employers lack the motivation to invest because they regard this as the responsibility of the education system.” Rigour and Responsiveness in skills (2013), BIS. “Small businesses are reluctant to provide training in literacy and numeracy as opposed to job relevant skills that will bring immediate benefits.” Raising the standards: An FSB skills survey, FSB, 2011.

What types of skills provision is on offer through learning providers for unemployed adults?  English, maths and ESOL from Entry Level to Level 2 (Level 2 is equivalent to GCSE grades A to C) ;  short term (up to 4 weeks) vocational skills provision at Level 1 and Level 2 which provides labour market relevant skills;  longer term vocational skills provision at Level 2 to meet the entry requirements of certain occupations; and  non-formal adult learning for people facing significant challenges in their lives.

Why offer vocational skills rather than just basic English and maths?  through their own, often substantial links with employers, skills providers can train people for vacancies that require specific vocational skills;  otherwise inaccessible parts of the labour market open up to jobseekers with new vocational skills leaving elementary jobs for less skilled jobseekers; and  when having to cut staff, employers try to retain staff that possess skills that are hard to find; vocational skills are therefore key to sustained job outcomes in a slack labour market.

Skills provision has evolved At a Work Programme provider’s request, skills providers may be able to make skills provision:  tailored or even bespoke to meet the specific needs of different cohorts;  flexible;  roll on, roll off, or with frequent new start dates;  intensive;  blended;  labour market intelligence led; and  embedded.

How much provision is being delivered to unemployed adults and what is its impact? In 2011/12, there was a six per cent increase in benefit claimants (reaching a total of 459,100) starting Further Education training in comparison to the previous year. Further Education for benefit claimants, BIS, % of colleges say that over 25% of their unemployed learners find sustained employment. Survey on College Provision for Unemployed People, AoC, 2013

How are Work Programme participants funded to take part in skills provision  72% of colleges apportioned more than 5% and 38% apportioned more than 10% of their ASB to unemployed people  93% say that they use their ASB to fund all or some of their delivery to Work Programme participants  18% say that Work Programme Primes some fund all or some of their delivery to Work Programme participants Survey on College Provision for Unemployed People, AoC, 2013

How many Work Programme participants are participating skills provision?  In a NIACE survey of 100 providers of English and maths provision, 94 received referrals from JCP but only 41 received any referrals from Work Programme providers; and  whereas the average number of referrals to colleges from Jobcentre Plus in 2011/12 was 920, the average number of referrals from Work Programme providers was just 103. Survey on College Provision for Unemployed People, AoC, 2013

What are the issues at skills providers?  ASB funding is based on qualification delivery costs  delays with Additional Learning Support funding  some skills providers worry about learner success rates (despite unit delivery being exempt)  some skills providers apportion their whole budget to other provision;  some skills provision neither fits labour market demand nor is responsive to the needs of unemployed adults;  many skills providers have no established means to track job outcomes  PE and E1 qual. funding doesn’t cover the one to one costs and therefore some providers don’t offer

What are the issues for Work Programme providers?  Some Work Programme providers perceive skills provision to only be for people furthest from the labour market;  Some Work Programme providers have unrealistic expectations about the time it takes to address skills needs; and  some Work Programme providers find it difficult to identify resources to even establish and maintain referrals to ASB funded skills provision.

What is being done about these issues?  The BIS Minister held a round table meeting with Work Programme Prime Providers to discuss the provision of skills for Work Programme participants  Spending Review announcement that claimants whose poor spoken English is a barrier to work to improve their English language skills  There may be more developments to come as a result of: the round table meeting the framework for skills and unemployed learners announced in Rigour and responsiveness in skills, BIS, 2013; and skills sector-led developments.

The Work Programme: What is the role of skills is available as a free downloadable pdf at: programme.html (Short link: ) programme.html All enquiries to

Discussion questions If you are a Work Programme prime or sub- contractor, what would enable more of your work programme participants to gain access to skills provision? If you are a skills provider, what would enable you to offer more skills provision for Work Programme participants? Are you doing anything that you feel is helpful in relation to skills provision for Work Programme participants?