19 May 2004 - Government personalises Jobcentre Plus – new local plans for full employment
A radical five-point plan to personalise Jobcentre Plus – the employment service introduce new local employment plans and get 600,000 more people into work was announced today by Chancellor Gordon Brown and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Andrew Smith.
This shake-up of the New Deal will remove complexity and bureaucracy from employment programmes, making them simpler for customers and tailored to meet the needs of local labour markets.
Outlining the new strategy, the Chancellor said:
“Having already created almost two million jobs, since 1997, we are closer than ever to full employment. But our aim is full employment in every community, and so today we are setting out the next radical steps in our programme of reform.
“More choice, more devolution, more personalisation to extend and strengthen the New Deal.”
The new reforms announced by the Chancellor and Mr Smith mean:
- New freedoms and greater power to give local job advisers the flexibility to tailor a wider range of training and support to each individual’s personal needs
- A review of the intervention and sanction regime – with the possibility of tougher, more frequent interviews
- More power and new local budgets controlled by local managers to purchase training and support to tackle local problems and meet individual needs with, for example, clothes, equipment and travel
- Specialist programmes to help people with specific problems such as former drug addicts, alcoholics or homeless people. Expert job advisers would tailor support to the individual’s needs
- Devolved flexible skills budgets to enable local advisers to help people gain the skills they need to move off welfare and into work, and then win promotion and develop their career
Mr Smith added:
“This is a radical reform of our employment programmes, building on a track record of success, to give personal advisers more freedom to tailor employment support to meet the needs of individuals and help fill the 600,000 vacancies in the economy.
“This will enable them to build a New Deal for each individual, a New Deal that will do more than ever to get them back to work, a New Deal for all.”
Notes for editors
- The details announced today build on lessons learnt from innovative approaches used in Action Teams for Jobs, Employment Zones and New Deal Tailored Pathways. They also draw on the evaluation of the New Deal programmes and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders.
- “Building on New Deal: Local Solutions Meeting Individual Needs” can be accessed on the DWP website at www.dwp.gov.uk
- The strategy document is subject to consultation with devolved administrations, SSAC, DEAC and the NEP.
Press office: 020 7238 0750/ 0754/ 0645
Out of hours: 07659 108 883
Public enquiries: 020 7712 2171
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk