Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Older Jobseekers

Monday 13 September 2021 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department provides funding and tailored support for older jobseekers through programmes like the job finding support service and the restart scheme.
  • The Department is supporting people into green jobs through work coach interventions to help them benefit from employment opportunities in clean growth sectors.
  • The Department launched a partnership with Google offering free IT training for 9,000 jobseekers, providing them with a Google career certificate.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Howell Con
Employment
Context

The question arises from concerns about older individuals seeking employment and reskilling opportunities.

Question

What support her Department provides to older jobseekers looking to reskill or change careers.

Answer from Mims Davies

The Department's focus on 50 PLUS: Choices, alongside our plan for jobs, provides funding to ensure that more people of all ages get tailored support. That includes programmes such as the job finding support service, job entry targeted support and the restart scheme, to help them find work. That is in addition to the Department's train and progress and sector-based work academy programmes, to help people gain confidence, skills and job-specific qualifications, and to progress into employment.

Answered
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Q2 Luke Evans Con Hinckley and Bosworth
Employment Energy Business & Trade
Context

Concerns about the rapid changes in skills required for the automotive logistics sector.

Question

Bosworth and the east midlands have a fine tradition of automotive logistics. One of the biggest problems is that that is the area changing most rapidly in keeping up to date with skills, which puts pressures on employers to have those skills. What are the Government doing to ensure we are equipped to move into the green era and deal with the automotive nature of the logistics sector, as we go forward over the next 10 years?

Answer from Mims Davies

A green recovery presents a significant opportunity for UK workers of all ages to benefit from increasing employment opportunities, including those clean growth sectors. The DWP is supporting people into green jobs as the sector grows, through work coach interventions that will ensure that jobseekers are able to develop skills to match the changing needs of the local labour market and their own aspirations.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide specific initiatives or programmes aimed at equipping workers for green jobs in automotive logistics specifically.

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Q3 John Howell Con
Education Employment Science & Technology
Context

Concerns about boosting the technical skills of older individuals seeking employment or reskilling.

Question

One thing that concerns me is how we can boost the technical skills that older people learn. What is the Department doing in that respect?

Answer from Mims Davies

I am pleased to share with my hon. Friend and the House the fact that in May, a littler earlier in the year, I launched a key partnership with Google offering free IT training for jobseekers. That opportunity gives 9,000 jobseekers the chance to obtain a Google career certificate, which is a level 3 qualification and recognised by the industry. As of 3 September, our jobcentres have referred more than 3,800 people to that life-changing employment scheme.

Answered
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Q4 Emma Hardy Lab Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice
Employment Benefits & Welfare
Context

Disabled individuals face challenges when changing careers due to lengthy approval processes.

Question

Disabled people face huge challenges when changing careers, partly due to the fact that they often wait for three months to be approved for access to work, even before they receive their first payment. Will the Minister meet me, the Hull-based charity Choices and Rights Disability Coalition, and Disability Rights UK to discuss how together we can look at improving access to work?

Answer from Mims Davies

I understand that we are working towards 20 days and a transitional programme, but the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work is keen to meet the hon. Lady and ensure that she understands that fully. This is a priority for us.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the issue but does not commit to specific improvements or timelines beyond stating it as a priority.

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Q5 Alan Brown SNP
Employment Transport
Context

Concerns about the high cost of HGV driver training, hindering career transitions.

Question

For years I have tried to point out that one reason for HGV driver shortages is that people cannot afford the cost of £3,000 to £4,000 to do the training and sit the tests. Is it time for the Government to consider some sort of grant scheme, so that people get their training paid for them, leading to a welfare saving in the long run? It is win-win, so when will the Government step up and do it?

Answer from Mims Davies

The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that the Department has been working on that challenge for some time. On 4 October a new sector-based work academy will commence on that in Truro, in the midlands a pilot scheme has been working directly with Eddie Stobart, and our flexible support fund helps people to go into that sector. Cross-Government work is going on, and we are key to that. We have the people who are keen to be part of this issue, and the programmes to match.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer mentions existing initiatives but does not explicitly commit to a grant scheme or provide concrete timelines for implementation.

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