THE GOVERNMENT'S EMPLOYMENT STRATEGY
X. Conclusion
163. The evidence we have received during this inquiry
provides support for the Government's employment strategy. We
have received no definitive evidence on what might happen if there
were to be an unexpected severe downturn in the economy, but nevertheless
consider that the Government should have contingency plans. We
believe, however, that there is much to be done further to improve
the situation for unemployed people since, as the number of people
out of work decreases, it will become more difficult to find sustainable
jobs for those who remain unemployed and who are likely to have
the most problems to overcome before finding work.
164. Particular areas of concern are:
- the complexity of initiatives, the number of
pilot schemes and the complex qualification criteria for funding;
- the need to ensure that Personal Advisers in
Jobcentre Plus are fully equipped, trained and resourced so that
they can provide, on a genuinely individual basis, the initial
advice, ongoing encouragement and longer-term support which we
believe is necessary in order for there to be a sustained improvement
in the number of people in work, resulting in savings on expenditure
on benefits;[159]
- the need to ensure that the training and skills
being offered to unemployed people matches the requirements of
employers in the surrounding area; and
- the need to ensure that any remaining regional
and local differences in services for the unemployed are eradicated,
while ensuring there is sufficient flexibility to provide extra
help where needed, with a minimum of bureaucracy.
165. This inquiry has been undertaken in the first
session of this Parliament during which the Committee was set
up to reflect the new structure of Government that created the
Department for Work and Pensions. We believe the Government's
employment strategy is so central to its socio-economic objectives
that we shall continue closely to monitor developments; we may
wish to return to the subject in a future inquiry and we will
certainly await the Government's reply with interest.
159 The US experience is that decreased benefit bills
are likely to be offset, if not negated, by higher childcare costs. Back
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