From Welfare to Work: the recruitment industry will take on the challenge

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Peter Hain today announced that the private and voluntary sectors will play a large role in getting another one million people off benefits and into work.

Commenting on this announcement, Anne Fairweather, Head of Public Policy at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation said: ìItís great that the DWP sees small providers as key players in helping people into work. The UK recruitment industry places over 1.3 million people into work every week. It is largely made up of small recruitment agencies and commissioning processes will have to be open to these providers if these jobs are going to be accessed.î

ìYesterdayís announcement on skills underlined the vital role that recruitment consultants could play in getting people into work. Through identifying skills shortages in the marketplace recruitment agencies are ideally placed to advise candidates on the types of skills and training they should access to get into work.î

The REC however does sound one note of warning in response to the proposal that ìin order to maximise this opportunity the inter-action between temporary jobs and benefits should be considered.î

Temporary jobs provide an ideal opportunity to ease people back into the labour market, but if the ësafety netí of benefits is taken away too soon many may not risk this route into employment.

The REC is keen to work with DWP to ensure that the skills and jobs that recruitment agencies hold are used to maximum effect in helping people into work and in advancing their careers once they are in the workplace.î

The REC will be publishing research on the role for the private recruitment industry in helping lone parents into work on 6th December 2007.