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welfare to work sector preparing for a “bloodbath”
From the guardian:
Thousands of experienced employment coaches are expected to lose their jobs over the next few weeks as ministers trigger the first stage of a massive shakeout of the government-funded welfare to work sector that will see it shrink by 75%.
The employment services industry is preparing for what one insider called “a bloodbath” as the Department for Work and Pensions moves to replace the work programme with the much smaller work and health programme.
Documents seen by the Guardian reveal that seven of the 15 work programme prime contractors, including big private sector names such as Serco and Maximus, have not made it on to the initial shortlist for the new scheme ....
That would be the new scheme they’re supposedly consulting on and haven’t yet decided the shape of??? That would be the new scheme in which they see specialist work coaches as having a pivotal role???
Hmm.
Given that the justification for getting rid of the WRAG component was that the money could be better directed into the Work Programme etc you’d hope that the cuts to those services means that they’ll reverse the plan to remove WRAG component as the justification given no longer holds.
Not holding my breath though.
Demonstrates exactly how committed they are to, “supporting people into employment”, doesn’t it? Appears they have a greater commitment to supporting their own staff out of employment!
confirmation from the Employment Related Service Association (and others) of who made it onto shortlist for the tender process for the Work and Health Programme (next stage expected to start later this month).
http://ersa.org.uk/media/ersa/ersa-congratulates-successful-bidders-umbrella-framework
http://base-uk.org/news/successful-uaehrs-bidders-confirmed
http://www.carleyconsult.com/maximus-confirms-remploys-place-uaehrs-framework/