More than 5,000 jobseekers in the South East have been supported to upskill, retrain and gain quality work experience through the Government’s Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), new figures reveal.
Across England and Scotland, the total number of jobseekers supported by the Department for Work and Pensions scheme since April has exceeded the Government’s target of supporting 40,000 as part of the Plan for Jobs – and Work Coaches are continuing to refer people to the scheme every day.
The support sees jobseekers enrol on a 6-week training programme in their chosen sector, during which they have the chance to learn new skills, gain hands-on work experience and build their contacts in a new line of work. There is also a guaranteed job interview at the end of the course for an actual vacancy.
Employers from a range of sectors have already provided placements and offered vacancies through the scheme including Barnet and Southgate College, the NHS and UPS.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Therese Coffey said:
“SWAPs are a brilliant way for jobseekers in South East to quickly find a route into a new sector. And with everyone guaranteed an interview, this is a programme that offers real hope and gets results.
“Opening up opportunity to all is a key focus as we level up across the country and build back better, and SWAPs match potential with possibilities, delivering mutual benefits for employee and employer.”
Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said:
“SWAPs are a great way to encourage people in the South East to use their skills to pivot into new or expanding sectors and we stand ready to help them, every step of the way.
“Our focus is to create employment through our Plan for Jobs as well as supporting people to adapt to the changing labour market, and we’ve got a variety of schemes in place to help every jobseeker progress as we push to build back better.”
Sector Based work?!
And just how many of these have led to permanent positions on the IoW?
Especially in the current climate for ANY businesses being able to remain open.
My work coach can’t even keep the appointments she makes when I’m messaged to say I have an appointment.
Usual load of rubbish just another scheme to fiddle the unemployment figures. So called interview and a job for which there is a vacancy another lie. If this was a true scheme those involved should be paid a proper wage and not just used as cheap labour seen it all before what the government should do is pay a company 50% of their wage for a year and the company pays the rest although how you do that in a lock down with furlough baffles me
I wasnt aware there was so many job vacancies around?
Will be even less when thousands more homes are built and filled.
Some old crap , no job, interview for what, The island jobcentre are very unhelpful,