Integrated employment and skills
.
Maximising the contribution
for sustainable employment
Sarah Foster, Senior Researcher, Inclusion
Background
 JHP commissioned research on IES practice and barriers
 Objective was to provide recommendations for further
improvements to IES policy, funding and practice
Recommendations developed in relation to three areas:
1. Outcome payments
2. Skills priorities
3. Delivery
(1) Outcome Payments
There is a need to improve provider focus on IES through
appropriate and aligned outcome payments for both
welfare to work and skills providers.
 Introduce outcome payments for skills providers for job
outcomes and sustainability.
 Introduce outcome payments for Work Programme providers
for career progression.
 Use a differential payments model for skills provider outcome
payments.
(2) Skills Funding Priorities
There is a need to revisit priority areas and introduce
more sophisticated mechanisms to ensure funding is
based on need and affordability.
 Introduce a new priority group designation for those newly
employed following a period of unemployment.
 Refine current skills fee remissions relating to employer size.
 Revise current skills fee remissions relating to age and
previous qualifications.
 Revisit changes to funding eligibility for those on inactive
benefits.
(3) Black Box Approach
There is a need to allow providers the flexibility of a
‘black box’ approach to delivery and reduce funding,
policy and institutional barriers to IES.
 Extend the black box approach used within the Work
Programme to skills providers.
 Simplify funding structures.
 Revise the minimum levels of performance mechanism.
 Support efforts to offer and deliver flexible and innovative
training.
 Support efforts to co-locate services and share information.
 Utilise IAG to create informed customers and employers.
Full report available online:
www.jhptraining.com/about/IES.asp