David Willetts

Commenting on the Government’s Work Skills command paper today.

Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills David Willetts said:

“The Government has run out of ideas for tackling the skills crisis. They are just re-announcing policies they’ve told us about before. There is nothing new for young people who have been failed by Labour.”

Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Chris Grayling, said:

“All we get from the Government is announcement after announcement but nothing seems to happen. The Government’s been promising to make a real difference on skills for the last decade but in all that time they’ve achieved precious little.”

Notes to Editors

Today’s announcement on skills accounts

“personal skills accounts that will be available to all adults and will guarantee free training to older people up to at least level 2 (GCSE equivalent).”

Previous announcements of the same thing

Announced in a Government plan in July 2007
“Skills Accounts will give individuals greater ownership and choice over their learning, motivating them to gain skills and achieve qualifications, enter work and progress in employment.” (DIUS, World Class Skills, July 2007, p.27)

Re-announced in a paper on apprenticeships in January 2008:
“The [Apprenticeship] ‘credit’ will be accessed via skills accounts, to integrate Apprenticeships with our plan for skills accounts to become a universal vehicle for all adults to access training and get the support they need to progress in learning and work over a lifetime.” (DIUS, World-class Apprenticeships, January 2008, pp.39-40)

Re-announced in the 2008 Budget:
“Through Skills Accounts the Government will ensure that every adult can access investment in their skills.’ (Red Book, March 2008, p.49)

However, Skills Accounts will not be introduced until 2010 and people have had an entitlement to level 2 training since 2006/07.
Today’s announcement on free training

“all 19-25 years who do not have at least level 3 (A level) qualifications will be entitled to free training worth typically £7,000 to fund training to level 3.”

Previous announcements of the same thing

Announced in a White Paper on Further Education in March 2006:
“we will create a new entitlement to free training to enable young people to complete their initial education and training to Level 3 up to the age of 25. … The new entitlement to free tuition for all 19-25 year-olds studying for their first Level 3 qualification will be funded in full”. (DfES, Further Education, March 2006, p.7 and p.10)

Re-announced in a speech by John Denham in November 2007:
“free provision will be a right for those aged 19 to 25.” (DIUS press release, 16 November 2007)

Since August 2007, there has been an entitlement to training for a Level 3 qualification for people aged 19 to 25.

Today’s Announcement on skills checks

“A skills health check to assess individual skill needs against job requirements and personal aspirations; accessible one-to-one for those who need more indepth support”. p. 25

“If necessary, an adviser at the service will then undertake a full face-to-face skills health check and design a personal action plan setting out the training and wider support the individual needs to get them into sustained employment”. p. 28

“From autumn 2008 we will begin to test requiring jobseekers to attend a full skills health check where the screening has identified a need. Where a need for training is identified, attendance at an appropriate course will also be required”. p. 29

http://publications.dius.gov.uk/workskills/downloads/Workskills_command_paper.pdf

Previous Announcements of the same thing

First announced in Gordon Brown’s Pre-budget report in 2003
“Everyone on Jobseeker’s Allowance will be assessed for their skills and … attend a mandatory skills course.” (Gordon Brown, Pre-Budget Report, 10 December 2003).

Announced in July 2007
“Those identified at the start of the claim with a significant gap in their basic or employability skills would be referred for a ‘skills health check’ in line with the Leitch report recommendations”
(DWP, In Work, better off, Regulatory Impact Assessment, 18 July 2007)

Gordon Brown on 26th November, 2007
“So when someone signs on as unemployed, they sign up for a skills review, be given access to skills advice and training if that is what is needed, and this could be taken into account in their benefit entitlement.” (Gordon Brown, Speech to the CBI National Conference, 26th November 2007).

Re-announced by James Purnell, 29 January 2008
“James Purnell , the most Blairite minister in the Cabinet, set out, with Gordon Brown, proposals to require people to obtain the skills they need or face sanctions. Every unemployed person would have a “skills check” to help Britain to raise its skills game to world class,”
(The Times, 29th January, 2008)

The reality no skills health checks until 2010. There are currently no ‘skills health checks’. They are due to be introduced for new claimants of JSA in 2009/10 and piloted for existing claimants that year. (DWP, Ready for work, full employment in our generation, December 2007)

Today’s Announcement on lone parents

Officials from the Department for Work and Pensions say in particular, the government is “looking at how to encourage lone parents on Income Support to engage with the skills development before their youngest child reaches the age of seven”.

Previous Announcements of the same thing

Announced by Peter Hain, December 2007
“In addition, lone parent Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants will undergo a skills screen when they start their claim…..
When the increased obligations are in place, to ensure that all lone parents are making the preparations needed to engage with mandatory jobsearch, they will be encouraged to attend a full Skills Health Check in the period before they are due to lose eligibility to Income Support”. (Ready for Work, Department of Work and Pensions, January, 2008 p.47).