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Written Question
Sector-based Work Academy Programme
Monday 21st March 2022

Asked by: Peter Gibson (Conservative - Darlington)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sector-based work academies have taken place in each (a) country and (b) region of the UK since that programme began.

Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister (Women)

Sector-based Work Academies were first launched in August 2011 in England and January 2012 in Scotland. Regular statistical releases on sector-based work academies, covering participation by those on legacy unemployment benefits, began in 2011 and ended in 2017. These statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/employment-schemes-work-experience-sector-based-work-academy-and-skills-conditionality-starts-to-november-2017

The scheme was relaunched as ‘SWAP’ in July 2020 as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs. Data for the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22 shows that as of 13th March 2022, there was a total of 146,480 starts to a Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP). The breakdown of these starts by nation and region is displayed in the following tables:

Table 1: SWAP starts by nation

Nation

Starts FY 2020/21

Starts FY 2021/22 – to 13th March

Total Starts

England

58,310

74,460

132,770

Scotland

6,120

7,000

13,120

Unknown

60

520

580

Total

64,500

81,980

146,480

Table 2: SWAP starts by region

Region

Starts FY 2020/21

Starts FY 2021/22 – to 13th March

Total Starts

West Midlands

5,000

6,920

11,920

Central, East & North Scotland

4,340

4,670

9,010

South & West Scotland

1,780

2,330

4,110

London & Essex

12,950

19,510

32,470

North & East Midlands

7,800

9,650

17,450

North Central

6,960

8,530

15,490

North East

5,550

5,880

11,430

North West

5,340

6,620

11,960

South East

8,200

10,650

18,860

South West

6,510

6,690

13,200

Unknown

60

520

580

Total

64,500

81,980

146,480

Note on above: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10; components may not sum due to rounding. These figures reflect the number of starts by claimants in receipt of Universal Credit (UC), Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support (IS).

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