Get Britain Working White Paper, November 2024

Introduction

On 26^th November the government introduced steps to help the country grow the economy by unleashing it’s plans to ‘Get Britain Working’.  ‘Our plan to Get Britain Working sets us on a path to bring down economic inactivity levels and takes the first steps to delivering our long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate’ (p3)

Economic inactivity is at the centre of the white paper drawing on poor comparisons with international statistics and the benefit to the economy by getting more people into work and on at work.  It highlights how:

• ‘2.8 million people locked out of work due to long-term sickness.
• One in eight of our young people are not in education, employment or training.
• Nine million adults lack the basic skills they need to get on’ (p2).

Behind the statistic are people with physical and mental health barriers, or people lacking basic qualifications and skills.

The paper introduces ‘radical reform’ with £240 million to tackle the ‘root causes’ behind why people aren’t working and for ‘joining up help and support’. 

This summary reflects the themes of the paper, presenting them through the lenses of those working with young people in schools and colleges in England, concluding with an analysis for what it may mean for the youth careers sector. 

Headlines

• 8 Trailblazer areas will pave the way. The government will invest £240 million to encourage regional and local innovation and local solutions. £115 million investment in total for areas outside of the trailblazer scope.  The following regions were announced as trailblazers: Liverpool City Region, West Midlands, Tees Valley, East Midlands, West of England, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and two in London
• Youth guarantee – investment in provision and support to include careers advice for 18–21-year-olds providing access to education, training or help to find a job or an apprenticeship.
• Preventative support pre-18 – Guidance for local areas to use Risk of NEET Indicators (RONI), trial 14-16 targeted support programmes and reference to better Careers Advice and two weeks worth of work experience.
• National Jobs and Career Service – reform to the job centre/benefit system to integrate employers and to help adults people get into work, get on at work and to change career path/retrain.

Key issues and proposals

One of the 6 ‘key issues’ of the white paper refers directly to young people:

‘Our plan to Get Britain Working sets us on a path to bring down economic inactivity levels and takes the first steps to delivering our long-term ambition to achieve an 80% employment rate’ (p4)

Other ‘key issues’ relate to those excluded from the labour market, those in poor pay and condition work, those caring for family members, employers unable to fill vacancies and disparity in the labour market in places of the country and for different groups of people. 

The paper sets out proposals for action and change in the following areas:

1. ‘Scaling up and deepening the contribution of the NHS and wider health system to improve employment outcomes.’
2. ‘Backing local areas to shape an effective work, health and skills offer for local people,
   1. with mayoral authorities leading the way in England.’
3. ‘Delivering a Youth Guarantee so that all 18 to 21-year-olds in England have access to education, training or help to find a job or an apprenticeship.’
4. ‘Creating a new jobs and careers service to help people get into work and get on at work’.
5. ‘Launching an independent review into the role of UK employers in promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces.’

(pages 5-8)

Health-related inactivity trends – ‘recent trends (economic inactivity) have been particularly concerning for young people, who have seen a greater proportional increase in comparison to older groups. The steepest increase has been for those aged 16-34, who account for 22.6% of those economically inactive due to ill health, an increase of 3.4 percentage points between 2019 and 2023’. (p20)

Local leadership – ‘we also need a step change in how the UK Government funded support to help those who are economically inactive back into the workforce is integrated with local provision.’ ((p26)

Local led plans (Combined authorities or group of local authorities) providing all areas in England with resource to produce a local ‘Get Britain Working Plan’.  These plans should be linked to Local Growth Plans and Local Skills Improvement Plans.  (p26). 

‘£115 million going to local areas in 2025/26 to deliver Connect to Work, a new supported employment programme for people who are economically inactive.

8 trailblazer areas announced to go ‘further and faster’ in modelling local joined up work, health and skill support. These areas can maximise exiting resources (to help shape a ‘fully integrated local offer in England and Wales’

Supporting employers – ‘employers have a vital role to play through their recruitment practices in creating inclusive workplaces that protect health and support retention and rehabilitation for disabled employees and those with health conditions’ (p.30)

Youth Guarantee

 ‘To ensure all young people aged 18-21 are learning or earning, to prevent them from becoming economically inactive before their careers have even begun.’ (p34)

‘Young people who are not in education, employment or training over the long term are more likely to have lower qualifications than their peers.

one in five young people aged 16-24 in full-time education or employment had no qualifications or qualifications below Level 2, this proportion doubled among those who were not in full-time education and were unemployed or economically inactive.’ (p36)

‘In 2023, 10.6% of 16 to 24-year-olds who were not in employment, education or training were identified as having learning difficulties, up from around 5.5% in 2020’ (p37)

‘Disadvantaged 16 to 19-year-oldswere 3.5 grades behind their peers across their three best subjects in 2022’ (p.37)

care leavers in England aged 19-21 nearly three times more likely to not be participating in education or employment than their peers (38% compared to 13%). Approximately two in three children in custody have been in care. (37)

Page 38 of the report highlights regional variations with a map of the UK with shaded areas to highlight the highest and lowest areas for NEET. 

Research suggests (Youth Employment Index) that if the UK could reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training by a third to match Germany’s rate, UK GDP could increase by 1.8% in the long-term (equivalent to £38 billion (p39)

The 18-21 youth guarantee consists of integrating EXISTING support such as:

• Funded further education provision – e.g. English, Maths and digital, as well as fully funded first level 2 o 3 qualification.
• Apprenticeship opportunities – funding the training and assessment costs of any apprenticeship for those aged up to 21 for non-levy paying employers.
• Work-related training options e.g. skills bootcamps and supported internships.
• DWP ‘Youth Offer’ with access to the ‘Youth Employability Programme’ and ‘Youth Employability Coaches’
• ‘Careers advice through their school or college, or the existing National Careers Service and, if on benefits, support from Jobcentre Plus.’ (p40)

as well as new initiatives and investment to support young people such as:

• £40 million investment to provide flexibility to the levy system to include a more flexible growth and skills levy and shorter apprenticeships in key sectors.
• Foundation apprenticeships
• Greater support for those facing disadvantage.

(page 41)

The Youth Guarantee will be led by the trailblazers in the 8 mayoral authorities providing tailored support for 18–21-year-olds who need additional help with preparation for employment and help to access education and training opportunities locally. 

Preventative steps pre–18

The paper outlines preventative steps with education or employment pre 18 such as:

• Continuation of the September Guarantee for 16- and 17-year-olds
• £300 million funding for high-quality education across further education and training
• New guidance for using a Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) approach so that local authorities can better identify those at risk of disengaging. Building Futures Programme, led by Youth Futures Foundation to pilot a targeted support programme for 5000 14-16 learners and the CEC piloting a key stage 3 initiative.
• Two weeks worth of work experience and careers advice for students in schools and colleges. New Jobs and Careers Service to provide support for young people under 18 who are not in school or college. 
• Piloted in the trailblazers – transition plans between phases of education for young people disengaged or at risk.
• £15 million expansion of the attendance mentoring programme – targeted 1-1 support for over 10000 persistently absent secondary school aged children across 10 local authorities.
• Mental health support services through health professionals in schools and colleges.
• £3 million to support creative industries the expand the Creative Careers Programme for school children.

(p42 and 43)

Jobs and Careers Service

‘A new universal service to help people get into work and get on at work’.

This will bring together Job Centre and National Careers Service arrangements in England with £55 million investment in 2025/26 to digital developments of the service to test.  The new service ‘will support anyone looking for work, who wants to get on at work or who wants change their career or retrain’ ((p47)

Main three objectives of Jobs and Careers Service (get in, get on and change/retrain) is supported by 5 pillars:

1. ‘A new and enhanced relationship with and service for employers’
2. ‘a revised focus on supporting progression and good work through aligning employment support and having it work better with skills and careers advice’ (essentially saying not just into benefits and jobs, but also skills and careers support).
3. ‘A locally responsive, embedded and engaged organisation’.
4. ‘A digital, universal and fully inclusive service’
5. ‘A provider of high quality personalised support to help people into work, support training, and get on at work’ This includes the following sentence: ‘We will develop the work coach profession, and the careers adviser profession in England, building on the talent and commitment that thousands of colleagues already show. We will develop this new organisation with customer service at its heart’. (p51) This section also included information about launching a new ‘coaching academy’.  Supporting staff to deliver high quality coaching conversations for customers focussed on goal setting and action planning’. (p51)

The paper introduces ‘Skills England’ as ‘an arms length body that will help bring different aspects of the skills system together, ensuring it is clear and navigable for employers and individuals’. (P53). 

The paper draws on the new industrial strategy ‘Invest 2035’ and the green paper 10-year plan outlining 8 high growth industry sectors (Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Professional and Business Services.)  (p57).  The paper outlines how the industrial strategy combines with net zero targets in a shift towards a net zero carbon economy. 

Commentary and Analysis

Overall it was most encouraging to see careers in the headline news when the White Paper was launched on 26^th November.  The paper presents quite alarming statistics of economic inactivity compared to international neighbours and one in eight young people NEET.  Investment and reform are clearly needed, but is it enough?   

Cure, but what about prevention?  The vast majority of the paper refers to support for adults aged 18 plus.  Colleges and Independent Training Providers will benefit through investment into greater programmes and short apprenticeship courses to support people back into activity.  There is however little for schools to get excited about in the paper.  Young people under 18 are likely to be tracked and monitored more through Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) guidance for local areas.  There will be targeted support in areas of the country for disengaged young people aged 14 upwards, but it is unclear if young people attending schools will qualify. 

Good careers education and guidance is proven (Investing in Careers, Hooley, 2023) to have an impact on reducing NEET statistics.  Despite this careers provision has been grossly underfunded for over a decade now.  The original Gatsby 2014 report quoted £207 million in the first year and £173 million to provide the benchmarks to young people.  In reality schools and colleges have received no funding directly for careers in this time and nationally the resources are £30-£35 million invested centrally to the Careers and Enterprise Company to include funding local Career Hubs.  Surely now is the time to invest in careers adequately within education.

National Jobs and Careers Service – will school-based Careers Advisers jump ship?

It is clear from the paper than DWP support will be much broader than benefit and employment advice with significant investment going into the system.  There is a clear intention to ‘develop the work coach profession, and the careers adviser profession in England’.  A broader remit will make for a much more rewarding role for these working in the National Jobs and Careers Service.  There has been a commitment to training through the ‘coaching academy’, but there will be vacancies no doubt for Work Coaches and Careers Advisers in the new service.  With a more varied and rewarding role, as well as better pay and conditions (to those in schools) will this place more strain on what is already a crisis in recruiting career professionals for work in schools?

Postcode lottery – especially for pre-NEET initiatives

Local areas will have greater autonomy and funding to meet the needs of their community from the paper.  The eight Trailblazer areas will receive significant funds to trial new initiatives and innovation to help the local community and economy.  The rest of the country can watch with interest as well as trial their own initiatives with reduced funds.  Combined authority areas across the country have set out their own plans and priorities.  These will look different across the country.  Some areas already find resources to provide greater careers education and guidance support to the schools and colleges in their area, whereas others will do the very minimum in this area.  Greater funds can really support careers in the local areas that priorities it, but it will also create a significant gap between other parts of the country that don’t consider careers a priority. 

The funding into trailblazer areas could potentially provide the means and the opportunity to join together all the career priorities at local level across all local government departments and for people of all ages in the region.  This could lead to a localised careers service open to all, perhaps with a traded offer to schools and colleges.  This could be a sustainable model to monitor.

John Ambrose

Director

Complete-Careers LLP

November 2024

Get Britain Working (2024) HM Government: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67448dd1ece939d55ce92fee/get-britain-working-white-paper.pdf

Good Career Guidance (2014), Gatsby Foundation: https://www.gatsby.org.uk/uploads/education/reports/pdf/gatsby-sir-john-holman-good-career-guidance-2014.pdf

Investing in Careers, (2023), University of Derby: https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/9zx1v/investing-in-careers-what-is-career-guidance-worth