Dr Thérèse Coffey (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions): Our
Plan for Jobs is an ambitious programme of job creation and
support to help people of all ages move into work or gain the
skills that will open up job opportunities. I would like to
update the House on two of the schemes: SWAPs – our Sector-based
Work Academy Programme and our new Job Finding Support service,
which went live across Great Britain on 11th
January.
SWAPs is helping people in England and Scotland to upskill,
retrain and pivot towards surging sectors, including
construction, infrastructure and social care to meet local labour
markets and employer demand. SWAPs is not currently offered in
Wales as there is a similar programme provided by the Welsh
Government. Today I am pleased to inform the House that we are
increasing the number of placements on the scheme to 80,000 for
the upcoming financial year. This builds on the more than 40,000
starts we have already seen since last April.
I am very excited about this expansion of SWAPs – it will mean
work coaches can help many more people open the door to jobs they
may not have previously considered and move back into work with
new skills, work experience and a guaranteed interview for a job.
They will join those who have already started roles through
SWAPs, including in care worker jobs with Derby City Council,
security roles with the Mercury Group and GMS Group in
Birmingham, and banking jobs with Barclays and the Wise Group in
Kilmarnock.
These are just a few examples of how SWAPs is helping people gain
the right skills and experience to support them into work
following the impact of the pandemic and into the jobs employers
and the country needs as we look to secure our national economic
recovery.
Job Finding Support also launched last month and has made rapid
progress to help people quickly bounce back into work. The new
digital support service is in operation across Great Britain and
we expect this vital service to help up to 160,000 people over
the course of the next 12 months.
This new light-touch support, provided entirely online, is
helping those who have become unemployed and claimed benefits
within the past 13 weeks. Many of them will have worked in
continuous employment for several years and will not have recent
experience of applying for jobs, so Job Finding Support aims to
address any skill gaps and help people move rapidly back into
work.
Participants receive a minimum of four hours flexible,
personalised support, including a mock interview, and at least
one digital online group session aiming to help identify their
transferable skills and provide sector-specific job advice.
Participants will also be helped to fine tune their CV and a Job
Finding Action Plan tailored to their needs. Those who fulfil the
eligibility and suitability criteria will be referred by
Jobcentre Plus Work Coaches, on a voluntary basis.
Our Plan for Jobs is a plan for everyone; creating the
opportunity to level up the nation, the opportunity for hope, and
the opportunity to build back better.
