Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

This article focuses on the sustainable employment policy agenda and the role that employers can play in promoting more sustainable transitions from welfare into work. Moving into work has conventionally been regarded as a remedy to labour market exclusion. However, these transitions often do not lead to sustained employment, with many people persistently cycling between work and welfare. Some contemporary measures are now attempting to place a greater emphasis on not just getting people into jobs but also sustaining them in them. Simultaneously there has been a shift towards getting employers ‘on board’ in the design and delivery of welfare programmes. This analysis uses interview data from employers and service providers in Glasgow and Dundee to investigate these issues. The key line of argument developed is that employer participation in the provision of welfare services can create a ‘win-win-win’ situation for jobseekers, employers and service providers. However, significant barriers exist to effective partnership working.

Keywords

employer engagement sustainable employment welfare-to-work policy

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ben-Galim D, Krasnowski K and Lanning T (2011) More than a Foot in the Door. London: Institute for Public Policy Research. Available at: http://www.ippr.org/publications/55/1832/more-than-a-foot-in-the-door-job-sustainability-and-advancement-in-london-and-the-uk (accessed 26 March 2012).

Carpenter H (2006) Repeat Jobseeker’s Allowance Spells. DWP Research Report No. 394. Leeds: CDS. Available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2005-2006/rrep394.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012).

DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) (2010) Jobcentre Plus Business Plan 2010–2011. Leeds: Strategic Planning Division.

Finn

(2009) The welfare market: The role of the private sector in the delivery of benefits and employment services’. In: Millar

(ed.) Understanding Social Security: Issues for Policy and Practice. Bristol: Policy Press, 275–292.

Fletcher

(2004) Demand-led programmes: Challenging labour-market inequalities or reinforcing them? Environment and Planning C 22(1): 115–128.

Foster

Casebourne

(2011) Integrated Employment and Skills. London: Inclusion.

Furlong

Cartmel

(2004) Vulnerable Young Men in Fragile Labour Markets: Employment, Unemployment and the Search for Long-Term Security. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Green

Hasluck

(2009) Action to reduce worklessness: What works? Local Economy 24(1): 28–37.

Grover

(2007) The Freud Report on the future of welfare to work: Some critical reflections. Critical Social Policy 27(4): 534–545.

10.

Hall S, Pettigrew N and Mousley W (2008) Building a Coherent Strategy for Engagement: Deliberative Research with Employers. DWP Research Report No. 477. Norwich: HMSO.

11.

Harries T and Woodfield K (2002) Easing the Transition to Work: A Qualitative Evaluation of Transitional Support for Clients Returning to Employment. DWP Research Report No. 175. Leeds: CDS. Available at: campaigns.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrep175.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012).

12.

Kellard

(2002) Job retention and advancement in the UK: A developing agenda. Benefits 10(2): 93–98.

13.

Kellard K, Walker R, Ashworth K et al. (2001) Staying in Work: Thinking About a New Policy Agenda. DfEE (Department for Education and Employment) Research Report No. 264. Norwich: HMSO.

14.

Lindsay

McQuaid

Dutton

(2007) New approaches to employability in the UK: Combining ‘Human Capital Development’ and ‘Work First’ strategies? Journal of Social Policy 34(4): 539–560.

15.

McKnight

(2009) More equal working lives? An assessment of New Labour policies. In: Hills

Sefton

Stewart

(eds). Towards a More Equal Society?. Bristol: Policy Press, 91–114.

16.

McQuaid

Lindsay

Creig

(2005) Job guarantees, employability training and partnerships in the retail sector. Local Economy 20(1): 67–78.

17.

North

Syrett

Etherington

(2009) Tackling concentrations of worklessness: Integrating governance and policy across and within spatial scales. Environment and Planning C 27(6): 1022–1039.

18.

Nunn A, Jassi S, Bickerstaffe T et al. (2010) Early Effects of the Economic Downturn on the Welfare to Work System in Deprived Areas. DWP Working Paper No. 83. Available at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/WP83.pdf (accessed 26 March 2012).

19.

ONS (Office for National Statistics) (2009) The Impact of the Recession on the Labour Market. Available at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_labour/impact-of-recession-on-LM.pdf (accessed 26 July 2011).

20.

Robinson

(2005) The economy: Achieving full employment. In: Pearce

Paxton

(eds). Social Justice: Building a Fairer Britain. London: Politico, 333–354.

21.

Scottish Executive (2005) Employability Framework for Scotland. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive.

22.

Stanley

(2004) Introduction. In: Stanley

Lohde

White

(eds). Sanctions and Sweeteners: Rights and Responsibilities in the Benefits System. London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 1–8.

The sustainable employment policy agenda: What role for employers?

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References