Job Market Access 2020-10-19
2020-10-19
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Direct Answer
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Context
N/A - General inquiry about steps taken to ensure employment opportunities across various age groups.
What steps her Department is taking to ensure people of all ages have access to the job market.
Our plan for jobs includes suitable interventions for people of all ages, such as employment support delivered by our jobcentres, where we are doubling the number of work coaches across our national network. Last week, I held a meeting with our older workers champion and employer organisations to focus on fuller working lives agenda and opportunities for over-50s.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy
Q2
Direct Answer
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Context
The MP highlights a constituent who has lost their job at the age of 57 and is seeking retraining. This reflects a broader concern about support for older workers affected by redundancies due to the pandemic.
In the current pandemic, people of all ages are suddenly being made redundant. I was recently contacted by a 57-year-old constituent in Gedling who is now looking for work and retraining. Does my hon. Friend agree that it is particularly important to help this sector of the population, and what help can I offer to my constituent to ensure that her skills are utilised?
The Government recently announced new funding in the plan for jobs to ensure that more people, including older workers, get tailored Jobcentre Plus support. This includes the sector-based work academy programme and a new online job-finding service. On 29 September, the Prime Minister announced an expansion of post-18 education and training with a lifetime skills guarantee offering free college courses by valued local employers.
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Assessment & feedback
Response accuracy