Thousands of employers and individuals looking for work will
benefit from a new record-breaking number of workplace training
schemes, the government will announce today [Wednesday 26
February]. This will mean surpassing the previous target of
80,000 and offering new opportunities in some of the country's
most deprived communities.
Minister for Employment, will confirm the expansion
of the Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) to provide
100,000 more places available over the next financial year, a
boost of over a quarter from this year.
Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) offer
participants in England and Scotland who are receiving certain
benefits the opportunity of training towards a job in a
particular industry, alongside a work placement and a guaranteed
interview that can kickstart a new career with over 63,000 people
joining the SWAPs programme to
help them find employment in the last year alone.
This boost for people looking for work through SWAPs is a crucial
part of our plan to get Britain working to unlock growth, improve
living standards and break down barriers to opportunity as part
of our Plan for Change.
The expansion comes as new research shows that in the two years
after finishing a SWAP, participants
stay in their jobs on average up to three months longer, earn up
to £1,400 more, and save the taxpayer over £350 per person
compared with those who don't take part in the programme.
The same research finds that, while all demographics benefit from
taking part in a SWAP, the impact is
greater for more disadvantaged groups, such as older customers
and those with restrictive health issues.
The announcement builds on measures in the government's Get
Britain Working White Paper to overhaul jobcentres, tackle
inactivity and improved outcomes for jobseekers. This will boost
the nation's skills and put more money into people's pockets
under the Plan for Change.
Minister for Employment, MP said:
The evidence is clear – SWAPs boost your
earnings and keep you in your job for longer. That is why we are
promising to deliver more of them than ever, as we Get Britain
Working as part of our Plan for Change.
And alongside our partnership with UKHospitality, more people in
more areas of the country will be able to access the training
they need to unlock the opportunities on their doorsteps.
Anyone in receipt of unemployment benefits is eligible to take
part in a SWAP via their local
Jobcentre and any business can work with DWP to develop one.
This enables businesses to recruit from a wider range of
candidates and provide the necessary skills training tailored to
an open vacancy.
As part of this expansion, Minister for Employment will announce that a
hospitality SWAPs pilot,
launched in partnership with UKHospitality, will be rolled out to
26 new areas in need of jobs and opportunity, including 13
coastal towns such as Scarborough and Blackpool.
This will ensure jobs are filled in sectors with high vacancies,
such as the 88,000 roles available in the hospitality industry as
the government drives up opportunity as part of our wider reforms
to Get Britain Working.
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality said:
UKHospitality's Sector-Based Work Academy pilot proved to be a
brilliant way to provide high quality, entry-level training for
both new starters and those looking to get back into work.
I'm delighted that the government is rolling out our pilot to 26
new areas and using it as the model for its exciting plans to
deliver at least 100,000 SWAP participants
next year.
This announcement gives us the impetus to expand our work across
the country, help more people find rewarding jobs in hospitality,
boost growth, tackle economic inactivity and continue to
develop our Hospitality Skills Passport.
Further information:
-
SWAPs
are designed to support unemployed benefit claimants on
Universal Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, or Employment and
Support Allowance, who are aged 16 years and over and who do
not need extra support to address a lack of basic employability
skills. Participants remain on benefits during their placement.
- The programme runs in England and Scotland. SWAPs are developed
by Jobcentres in partnership with employers and training
providers. These opportunities are offered in job sectors with
high volumes of current local vacancies.
- Employers interested in taking the opportunity to start a
SWAP for
a role in their business can contact the Employers Service Line
here - Jobcentre Plus help for
recruiters: Recruitment advice and support - GOV.UK.
- The SWAP impact
assessment, carried out by DWP, focused on
UCcustomers who started a
SWAP
between April 2021 and March 2022 and compared their employment
outcomes to individuals who were eligible to start a
SWAP
but did not start a placement.
