Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to increase the support provided to unemployed North Sea oil and gas workers to find new employment.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The oil and gas sector supports over 200,000 jobs and is critical to a successful energy transition. That is why the Government is providing certainty to industry through the introduction of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill as well as agreeing the North Sea Transition Deal with industry. This includes the development of an industry-led skills passport to enable workers to move between sectors, protecting jobs and ensuring their skills, which are vital for the transition, are not lost.
DWP supports people across the country through a range of support including face-to-face time with Work Coaches, job-search advice and more intensive employment programmes, helping those at risk of, or who have been made redundant to move back into work.
Through partnerships with local organisations DWP is able to respond to potential and proposed redundancy situations quickly and effectively, with local partners mobilised immediately to offer support and guidance to those affected. Low Value Provision (LVP) is an example of funding that can be used to supply training for Jobcentre Plus Customers, including those at risk of, or who have been made redundant.
Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have been made redundant to (a) access training and skills support and (b) find suitable alternative employment in (i) Enfield North constituency, (ii) the London Borough of Enfield and (iii) London.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to support anyone affected by redundancy with our Rapid Response Service offer. This is a service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy.
This service is co-ordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. Delivery partners include The National Careers Service, local training providers, Money Helper and the skills bodies in England.
The Rapid Response Service offer is flexible and can include a range of options (see below) that can be pulled together into an appropriate support package. This package will be tailored to meet the needs of the employer, the individuals affected and the local community.
The range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners may include:
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the provision of employability services in rural areas.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Jobcentre Plus employer and partnership leads work closely with local employers and providers to understand labour market needs and to ensure provision is available to address skills gaps, and that the delivery of local employment support services is tailored to the needs of communities, alongside our national support offer. For example, our successful Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) combines work experience, job specific training and a guaranteed interview to support claimants into local vacancies.
Every Jobcentre Plus district has a place-based plan that uses local knowledge, experience, and insight to shape the services and activities in the area, in collaboration with local employers and partners. This includes taking account of the needs of claimants living in rural communities to access employment support services and vacancies, such as any barriers around travel and how these might be overcome.
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have been made redundant to (a) access training and skills support and (b) find suitable alternative employment in (i) Coventry North East constituency, (ii) Coventry, (iii) the West Midlands and (iv) England.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Work and Pensions stands ready to support anyone affected by redundancy with our Rapid Response Service offer. This is a service designed to give support and advice to employers and their employees when faced with redundancy.
This service is co-ordinated nationally by the National Employer and Partnership Team and is managed by Jobcentre Plus. Delivery partners include The National Careers Service, local training providers, Money Helper and the skills bodies in England.
The Rapid Response Service offer is flexible and can include a range of options (see below) that can be pulled together into an appropriate support package. This package will be tailored to meet the needs of the employer, the individuals affected and the local community.
The range of support available from Jobcentre Plus and partners may include:
Asked by: Colleen Fletcher (Labour - Coventry North East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department provides to older jobseekers in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England who are looking to (i) reskill or (ii) change careers.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is delivering a comprehensive package of support to help older jobseekers return to work. In addition to the help in place for all Universal Credit claimants, eligible older jobseekers can access additional intensive, tailored support in the first nine months of their Universal Credit claim.
A network of dedicated 50PLUS Champions are in place in Jobcentre Plus districts across Great Britain, upskilling Work Coaches in supporting over 50s to return to work and engaging with employers to maximise opportunities for recruitment.
The Midlife MOT is delivered in West Midlands Jobcentres and across Great Britain, helping older workers to take stock of their finances, skills and health and an enhanced digital Midlife MOT provides access to financial, health and career guidance.
In Coventry North and across Coventry and the West Midlands our Jobcentre teams are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies and delivering a range of support including Sector Work Based Academy Programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days and job fairs.
The West Midlands team continue to work with local employers to deliver SWAPs in various sectors including security, education, warehousing, hospitality, construction and care. SWAP’s deliver short vocational training linked directly to vacancies with a particular employer or in a specific sector, helping customers to learn the skills and behaviours that employers in particular industries look for.
In Coventry, Jobcentre teams, along with National Careers Service and Coventry City Council hold monthly sessions through the Coventry Job Shop, offering information and application support for job vacancies, and SWAPs, and a recent job fair on 13 September saw over twenty local and national employers in attendance.
The team also work in partnership with local providers to deliver specific events for customers aged 50 and over, such as events targeted at the hospitality and education sectors and courses to improve digital skills.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what training his Department provides to Jobcentre Plus staff on the communication needs of autistic people.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all customers to meet their individual circumstances.
Work Coaches undergo a comprehensive learning journey when they join the DWP. The learning provides staff with the knowledge and skills to enable them to treat each claimant as an individual regardless of additional or complex needs.
In addition to this, DWP offer a learning product specific to Autistic awareness which is available to all work coaches on an ‘at point of need’ basis. The product includes:
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Jobcentre Plus staff have received training on the communication needs of autistic people.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The DWP is committed to providing the best possible support for all customers to meet their individual circumstances.
Since the national roll-out of Universal Credit (2016) all DWP Work Coaches undergo a comprehensive learning journey. The learning provides staff with the knowledge and skills to enable them to treat each customer as an individual regardless of additional or complex needs.
In addition to this, DWP offer a learning product specific to autistic awareness, which is available to all work coaches on an ‘at point of need’ basis. The product includes:
We do not keep information on how many work coaches have used this particular product.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is available to young jobseekers in the Universal Credit Intensive Work Search group who are referred to a Youth Hub which is not available to those accessing services through their local Jobcentre.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Youth Hubs are part of the wider DWP Youth Offer. Youth Hubs are based in partner premises across Great Britain and bring together employment support from a Jobcentre Plus work coach and place-based wrap around support from local partners to help young people into work. The wider support offered in a Youth Hub will be dependent on local needs. Employability support to build confidence and motivation, access to training and advice on debt, housing and mental health are examples of the enhanced offer some Youth Hubs are providing.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data his Department collects on training courses recommended by Work Coaches.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Jobcentre Plus work coaches recommend options to claimants that address skills barriers to securing and progressing in work. Those options range from our highly successful sector-based work academy programme (SWAPs) to more intensive interventions such as Department for Education funded Skills Bootcamps, Free Courses for Jobs, and through the apprenticeship programme.
DWP Train and Progress also means that UC claimants can apply to, and participate in, DfE Skills Bootcamps and access a significant range of Free Courses for Jobs (Level 3) skills provision, and equivalents funded by the Devolved Administrations, where work-related training could be up to 16 weeks in length.
In addition, the Returnerships package announced at Budget 2023 will promote accelerated apprenticeships, Sector-Based Work Academy Programme placements and Skills Bootcamps to the over 50s. This will support better access to re-training and allow workers of all ages to engage with the opportunities of a second career.
For the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23, as of 12th March 2023, there were a total of 179,000 SWAP starts.
Work coach recommendations to training courses are recorded on the claimant’s individual work plan, DWP are unable to aggregate that information.
Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a list of Youth Hub locations in Great Britain as of 19 June 2023.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Youth Hubs are part of the wider DWP Youth Offer which also includes the Youth Employment Programme and Youth Employability Coaches. Youth Hubs across Great Britain bring together employment support from a Jobcentre Plus work coach and place-based support from local partnerships to help young people into work. The support offered in a Youth Hub is dependent on local needs and includes skills, training, employment provision and dedicated support services.
The below list of open Youth Hubs is valid as of 19 June 2023. Due to changes in local needs new Youth Hubs may open, and existing Youth Hubs may close. The number of open Youth Hubs may therefore fluctuate.
Group | Youth Hub Name |
Central and West Scotland | Glasgow Central Based East Youth Hub |
| Glasgow Kelvin College Youth Hub |
| Glasgow/Central Base/Youth Hub |
| Invest Youth Hub |
| Kilmarnock Youth Hub |
East and North Scotland | Aberdeen NESCol Youth Hub |
| Alloa FV College Campus Youth Hub |
| Dundee and Angus College Kingsway |
| Dundee Angus |
| Dundee Helm |
| Dundee Street League Youth Hub |
| Elgin Youth Employability Hub @ Moray Pathways |
| Forth Valley College |
| Stirling Community Enterprise Youth Hub |
| West Fife Youth Hub |
| West Lothian College |
London & Essex | Barking BLC Youth Hub |
| Enfield / Youth Hub |
| Grays Inspire Youth Hub |
| Hackney Youth Hub |
| Hammersmith & Fulham Youth Hub |
| Haringey Youth Hub |
| Islington / Youth Hub |
| Make It Happen Youth Hub |
| Opportunity Space (Greenwich and Bexley) |
| Opportunity Space Lewisham |
| Westminster/ Youth Hub |
North and East Midlands | Harworth |
| Leicester Youth Hub |
| Lincoln / The Network / Youth Hub |
| Northampton Youth Hub |
| Norwich |
| YES Derbyshire |
North Central England | Accrington Youth Hub |
| Barnsley Youth Hub |
| Barrow Youth Hub |
| Blackpool Youth Hub |
| Bradford / Vibe / Youth Hub |
| Burnley Thrive Youth Hub |
| Crossfield House Youth Hub |
| Dewsbury Youth Hub |
| Doncaster Youth Hub |
| Fleetwood Youth Hub |
| Hemsworth Youth Hub |
| Huddersfield Youth Hub |
| Keighley Vibe |
| Kendal/Youth Hub |
| Leeds Dewsbury Road |
| Pendle Yes Youth Hub |
| Penrith Youth Hub |
| Rotherham Community & Employment Youth Hub |
| Sheffield East Youth Hub |
| Sheffield South East Youth Hub |
| Sheffield South Youth Hub |
| Sheffield Specialist Youth Hub |
| Sheffield United Community Foundation Youth Hub |
| Sheffield Wednesday Youth Hub |
| Skelmersdale Youth Hub |
| Wakefield Youth Hub |
| Whitehaven/Youth Hub |
| Workington/Youth Hub |
North East England | Darlington/Youth Hub |
| Durham LA/Peterlee/Youth Hub |
| Durham Works |
| DurhamLA/Stanley/Youth Hub |
| Hartlepool/Enterprise Centre/Youth Hub |
| Redcar & Cleveland/Grangetown/Youth Hub |
| Stockton/Youth Hub |
North West England | Altrincham Youth Hub |
| Ellergreen/North/Youth Hub |
| Farnworth Youth Hub |
| Halton Youth Hub |
| Hyde & Denton Youth Hub |
| Leigh Youth Hub |
| Liverpool Reach Youth Hub |
| Liverpool/MYA/Youth Hub |
| Liverpool/Thrive/Youth Hub |
| Manchester Youth Hub |
| Merseyside Community Training (Quinnovations) |
| Oldham Youth Hub |
| Partington Youth Hub |
| Power in partnership (Widnes) |
| Rochdale Youth Hub |
| Sefton Youth Hub - The Big Onion |
| St Helens Youth Hub |
| Stockport Youth Hub |
| Westhoughton Youth Hub |
| Wigan Youth Hub |
South East England | Addlestone Youth Hub |
| Ashford Youth Hub |
| Brighton and Hove Youth Hub |
| Brooklands College Youth Hub |
| Camberley Youth Hub |
| Crawley Youth Hub |
| Epsom Youth Hub |
| Hastings Youth Hub |
| Rosehill Community Centre Youth Hub |
| Staines Elmsleigh Centre |
| Woking Youth Hub |
| Worthing Youth Hub |
South West England | Bristol Youth Hub |
| Havant Youth Hub |
| Plymouth Youth Hub |
| Southampton Central Youth Hub |
Wales | Cwmbran All About Youth Hub |
| Newport Central Youth Hub |
| Newport East Youth Hub |
| Newport North All About Youth |
| Swansea Youth Hub |
West Midlands | Bilston YH |
| Birmingham Library Youth Hub |
| Birmingham Lighthouse Youth Hub |
| Birmingham South Youth Hub |
| Coventry Job shop Youth Hub |
| Dudley Skills Shop Youth Hub |
| Solihull Youth Hub |
| Telford Youth Hub |
| Wolverhampton The Way Youth Hub |
| Worcester County Council |