Gloucestershire County Council and DWP collaborate to boost skills
Gloucestershire County Council and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are working together to deliver employment and skills support to residents in the county.
They have signed an agreement to work collaboratively, helping to ensure people have the skills needed to meet employers’ requirements and fill an increasing number of vacancies.
The number of unemployed people is again as high as it was pre-Covid, yet employers are still struggling to fill jobs as there are currently three times more vacancies than there are people out of work in the county.
The county council and DWP have specifically seen an increase in the numbers of people aged over 50 looking to return to work because of the cost of living challenge.
Some may lack the skills needed for available positions, making it challenging to fill these gaps in the labour market.
The county council and DWP will be working together to help people overcome barriers to employment, with skill pathways for young people and those who have been unemployed for a period of time.
Some of the key areas that will be addressed through the partnership include:
- Support for young people - working together to support young people through DWP Youth Employability Coaches and a range of targeted provision.
- Shaping adult learning and skills provision – working with the Gloucestershire Skills Advisory Panel, GFirst LEP, Adult Education in Gloucestershire, local colleges and independent training providers, local employers and other community partners
- Support for progression into work and remaining in work – working with employers so young people and adults are offered work experience opportunities, supported internships, traineeships and apprenticeships
- Transport to work, learning and training – identifying transport barriers that exist for residents living in rural areas and seeking to secure additional resources and solutions
Cllr Philip Robinson, cabinet member for education and skills at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “We need to support our employers to help fill vacancies in the labour market, as they are key to generating new work and skills opportunities within existing sectors such as retail, care, hospitality and construction, and within emerging sectors like green skills and cyber.
“We want to support jobseekers to ensure they have suitable skills to fill those roles and our agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions will help us to achieve those aims and enable Gloucestershire’s economy to thrive.”
Jodie Wilson, Department for Work and Pensions Avon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire District Service Leader, said: “Working collaboratively with the local authority we can fully utilise our offers of support and bring the strengths/talents of both organisations together.
"This will provide an excellent level of service for local employers and the people of Gloucestershire by addressing labour market needs, addressing skills shortages and identifying and resolving potential barriers to benefit our local community.”
The agreement will be reviewed bi-annually by the county council and DWP and priorities, key performance indicators and targets will be agreed and monitored.
