Youth Contract to be terminated a month early

by Sam | 25 Jul 2014 | Employment, Outsourcing, Politics

The Financial Times (£) has reported that the Government’s much maligned Youth Contract scheme, whereby employers are offered financial incentives to take on young people, is to be stopped earlier than expected amid criticism of delivering poor results. The first year...

Labour Party confirms that it would reform the WCA

by Sam | 17 Apr 2014 | Employment, General Election 2015, Outsourcing, Politics, Welfare

In an article for The Independent Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves and Shadow Disabilities Minister Kate Green have confirmed that a Labour Government would introduce new contracts to run the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The new contract would be...

UK unemployment falls below 7% for first time since 2008

by Sam | 16 Apr 2014 | Employment, Politics

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning published its latest monthly labour market statistics, covering the quarter December 2013 – February 2014 . The figures show that unemployment fell by 77,000 on the previous quarter (September – November...

Universal Jobmatch to be scrapped by the DWP?

by Sam | 17 Mar 2014 | Employment, Outsourcing, Politics, Welfare

A leaked internal memo from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) has stated that the Government’s flagship employment website, Universal Jobmatch, is to be scrapped when its contract is renewed in two years’ time, according to The Independent. The...

Unpublished analysis of the Work Programme shows a lack of provider support for the scheme

by Sam | 13 Mar 2014 | Employment, Outsourcing, Politics, Welfare

Channel 4 news has run a report on an internal analysis of the Work Programme completed last September, and allegedly blocked for publication by Ministers, which found that only 23% of Work Programme providers believed that the programme was either ‘somewhat’ or...