Insight: Supporting employers to grow inclusive local economies

As we continue our series of articles focusing on five years of delivering the Department for Work and Pensions Restart Scheme, Karen Dickson, Employer Services Director reflects on how the service supports employers and responds to local economic needs:

Over the last five years, we have helped employers recruit thousands of jobseekers using the Restart Scheme who may otherwise have be overlooked, despite their potential to succeed. We have addressed recruitment challenges, working flexibly to support industries experiencing labour shortages or growth demands, while helping people who have been out of work for an extended period to overcome barriers to employment.

Government-funded employability services such as the Restart Scheme can help address recruitment challenges, skills gaps and barriers to sustainable growth. Employers gain access to a wider talent pool alongside fully-funded recruitment support. The pre-job entry support, training, screening and in-work support that the Restart Scheme provides helps participants to hit the ground running with their new employer and improves retention rates. These outcomes contribute directly to local growth plans and support broader government objectives around productivity, inclusive growth and workforce participation.

The care sector is a key foundational sector in the Local Growth Plan for the North East of England, where we deliver the Restart Scheme. According to the latest government adult social care workforce survey, 48% of adult social care providers in the North East found it difficult to recruit the people they needed over the last 12 months. This is because employers report ongoing difficulties attracting and retaining staff, particularly as an ageing population increases demand for care services and competition for workers remains strong across other sectors. Kelly Park, based in Consett, asked us to help strengthen its recruitment pipeline. Working collaboratively with them, we supported participants to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to succeed, before meeting Kelly Park representatives and learning more about the organisation and the wider sector.

This tailored approach has increased the number of Restart Scheme participants accessing opportunities with the employer. Introductory sessions with Kelly Park are now held in our Consett and Durham offices every six weeks. Across the Home Counties, where we are also the prime provider of the Restart Scheme, growing demand for support for pupils with additional needs and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has increased the need for Teaching Assistants and Learning Support Assistants. The Home Counties contains some of the largest education systems in the country, including Kent and Sussex, where schools are seeking to fill unprecedented numbers of vacancies.

Our Employer Services team has worked with education employers across the region, including R&A Education Solutions in Kent, to identify suitable Restart Scheme participants and prepare them for opportunities. This has opened new pathways for people who may not previously have considered a career in education. We also support national employers with growth ambitions. Our work with Nando’s has included helping recruit for new restaurant openings and identifying candidates for both back and front-of-house roles. Employment Advisers and Skills Trainers prepare participants for the transition into work, while our Employer Services team helps the employer meet its recruitment needs ahead of opening dates.

One of the advantages with these bespoke arrangements is the ability to run targeted initiatives to help them diversity their workforces to better represent their local communities. Through our work with OCS, we have delivered awareness and introductory sessions encouraging women from diverse backgrounds to consider opportunities in security, helping increase interest in roles where women have been traditionally under-represented.

Our Employer Services team continues to work closely with organisations facing recruitment challenges or pursuing growth. This work is informed by local labour market insight and our relationships with enterprise boards and business groups across our Restart Scheme delivery areas. Our aim is to connect employers with the people they need, help participants access sustainable opportunities and ensure employment support contributes to stronger local economies.

You can find out more about our approach at reedinpartnership.co.uk/employers