New data uncovered by Labour has revealed that less than one in
20 new starters on the Government’s ‘skills bootcamps’ are aged
between 55 and 67.
Skills bootcamps involve free courses lasting up to 16 weeks, and
a meant to help learners build up sector-specific skills and take
up opportunities with local employers. They are available to
adults aged 19 or over who live in England. Claimants of
jobseeker benefits like Universal Credit can take part and
continue to receive their payments.
Earlier this year, Chancellor claimed that skills bootcamps
to get over 50s back to work would help “our businesses to plug
their skills gaps”.
But a parliamentary question from Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, revealed that just under 5%
of starts on a skills bootcamp during an evaluation of the scheme
were by those aged 55 and above.
This means older workers were grossly underrepresented in the
uptake of skills bootcamps. While 55-67-year-olds represented
only 5% of starts on the courses, they represent a whopping 25%
of the 19-67-year-old population of England.
Labour has slammed this as a betrayal of the Conservatives’
promises to help older workers back into the labour market,
arguing that the Government is failing to equip over-55s with new
skills to find work.
, Labour’s Shadow Work
and Pensions Secretary, said:
“Thousands of people in their 50s are out of work but desperate
to find a good jobs and need help with re-skilling. Instead of
helping people in their 50s move into work or re-skill, this
analysis shows they have been abandoned to the scrap heap by the
Tories.
“The results are clear: the employment rate for over 50s is still
lower than it was before the pandemic.
“People in their 50s have talents and experience that our economy
needs. A Labour government will create good jobs across every
part of the country, and our welfare reform and job support plan
will get Britain working again as part of our mission to secure
the highest sustained growth in the G7.”
Ends
Notes
- The number of 55-67-year-olds starting a skills bootcamp in
the financial year 2021-22 was 759. This was 5% of the total
number of starts, which was 15,183.
- There were 35,371,207 19-67-year-olds in England, with
8,802,750 (25%) aged 55-67.
- In March-May 2023, the employment rate of 50-64-year-olds was
71.3% - down from 72.6% in December 2019-February 2020.
