Powerful Group Pledges Support For Employers

A powerful group of the most influential welfare-to-work providers came together at the House of Commons last week (on Tues 18th) to pledge support for employers to help people get the skills they need to find work.

National charity Shaw Trust was one of 35 providers in the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) who met with Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform to take part in the mass sign up.

"This is about making the declaration that we will work with even more employers to help them employ and retain the right people for the job," said Shaw Trust Employment Director and ERSA Vice Chairman Stuart Knowles.

"We recognise that the way to help even more disadvantaged and disabled people get into work is by helping employers.

"ERSA know they are looking for people with basic work skills like numeracy and literacy but also life skills such as being punctual and reliable" he said.

"The reason why ERSA members are so successful is because we spend time engaging with employers to find out what they need and with clients to ensure they have the skills which make them right for the job," added Stuart.

The Skills Pledge, which was launched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown last year, is a voluntary commitment by employers to support employees to develop basic skills and work towards a qualification equal to five GCSEs.

Welcoming the mass signing of the Skills Pledge, David Lammy, Minister of State for Skills, said: "We are pleased that ERSA members have signed the Skills Pledge. This public commitment shows that voluntary and private sector welfare-to-work providers are aspiring to the highest professional standards. The link between skills and employability is undeniable and we welcome ERSA's support for both agendas."

Stephen Timms commented: "It is encouraging that we are seeing more businesses - and more individuals - accepting their responsibilities in bringing about a skills revolution.

"We think the evidence is clear that tackling skills is key to raising the employment rate further. So we want to build on the success of welfare-to-work with a highly integrated employment and skills system that can help people both get into work and also get on at work," he added.

ERSA Chair Frances Parry said the move to join up employment and skills services was a vital one: "We are sending a clear message of ERSA's ongoing commitment to create a seamless transition from welfare-to-work programmes to sustainable jobs.

"It is imperative that we upskill those people already of working age to reduce worklessness and create a workforce ready to meet the challenges if we are to be a world leader by 2020.

"We are very pleased that we have the support of the ministers responsible for both Skills and Employment and Welfare Reform as with policy beginning to be joined up at a strategic level, the providers have the appetite to support the initiative to join up services on the ground," she said.

Editors Notes

1. For further details, please contact Niki Torkington on 07970 434514. Or you can email: crucialpr@shaw-trust.org.uk

2. Shaw Trust is a national charity, formed in 1982, which helps people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence. We do this not only by delivering government programmes, but also through our own self-funded initiatives, and by campaigning to change attitudes at all levels.

3. Across the UK more than 1,200 staff now oversee a diverse range of more than 200 projects.

4. ERSA is the representative body for welfare to work providers with 35 members including medium sized and niche providers from both the private and voluntary sector.

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