This consultation, conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), seeks views to inform the implementation of Skills Conditionality. Skills conditionality involves Jobcentre Plus referring claimants to a skills training provider, further education college or Next Step adviser with potential benefit sanctions for non-participation. The training will include vocational, basic skills, employability training as well as support with softer skills such as motivation and confidence building.
Who this consultation is aimed at
We would like to hear from all who are interested and in particular welcome contributions from claimants, claimant representative organisations, Jobcentre Plus staff, employers, training providers, colleges, Next Step prime and sub contractors, Departmental stakeholders, Devolved Administrations, Local Authorities, Welfare to Work Providers and other national bodies with an interest in skills, including the voluntary sector and local partnerships.
The consultation
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Skills conditionality (200KB)
How to respond to this consultation
Start date 9 December 2010
End date 3 February 2011
You can respond by post, fax or email as follows.
Partnerships Division
2nd Floor, Caxton House
Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
Fax: 0207 340 4340
Email: skills.conditionality@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Please ensure your response reaches us by 3 February 2011.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/consultations/2010/skills-conditionality.shtml
PDF version
Chris Grayling (Minister of State (Employment), Work and Pensions; Epsom and Ewell, Conservative)
Today my hon. Friend the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning and I have published a joint document setting out how we intend to implement skills conditionality when certain benefit claimants are referred to training as part of their journey back to work.
The Government believe that individuals who are able to look for or prepare for work should be required to do so as a condition of receiving benefit, and those who fail to meet their responsibilities should face a financial sanction. Improving someone's skills is one of the key ways to help individuals prepare for and gain work.
This consultation proposes that claimants required to either actively seek, or prepare for, work could be mandated to undertake activity to address an identified skills need which will aid their movement into work. This puts activity to address a skills need on to the same basis as other conditionality requirements.
The proposed policy will require legislative changes. The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on the implementation of skills conditionality that will make it fair, consistent and as administratively straightforward as possible. The consultation will run until 3 February.
Copies of the consultation document are available on the Department's website at: http://dwp.gov.uk/consultations/.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2010-12-09a.47WS.0