Doncaster Chamber Tentatively Welcomes News That South Yorkshire Will Be Leading Inactivity Trailblazer

For context, this comes on the heels of Labour’s Get Britain Working white paper, which was introduced yesterday by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall MP. Outlining £240 million worth of measures, the new policy document describes several plans to reform employment support across the UK and to reduce the number of people in our country who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

Among the many touted proposals here, it was announced that funds will be set aside for eight “inactivity trailblazers” across both England and Wales. South Yorkshire has been selected as one of the areas that will be conducting said pilots, with £10 million having been confirmed for a proof-of-concept that aims to enhance the support available to those in the region who are economically inactive due to ill health. Specifics about what this programme will entail can be found on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s (SYMCA) website but, in a nutshell, it will see more personalised support being offered and targeted action to address the top health conditions that are driving inactivity in the area.

Responding to the news, Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber, commented: “We of course applaud any measures that will help boost growth and tackle our region’s persistent skills gaps. Getting people back into work is obviously a key part of this, and we commend Westminster for seeing the inherent value in letting local partners — in this case SYMCA — devise local solutions.

“On that note, it is great to see that South Yorkshire will be at the vanguard of this promising work as one of the designated trailblazers, and we are hopeful that this represents an opportunity to start decluttering our region’s employment system; simplifying it for businesses and jobseekers alike.

"Helping those with disabilities or long-term health conditions transition back into the workforce is not only a moral good but it is also something that, if implemented successfully, will benefit our economy as a whole. From our everyday interactions with members — as well as the extensive consultation that fed into the South Yorkshire Local Skills Improvement Plan — we know that we have a very open-minded business community here in the region. One that is willing to think meritocratically and progressively about where its talent comes from. As such, if this trailblazer — alongside the other interesting measures announced in Government’s white paper — has the intended effect, we believe local employers will be ready to embrace those who have, up until now, been further removed from the labour market.

“Further to this, it's also vital that we see real long-termism here. Although the goals behind this programme are certainly laudable, it must have a shelf-life that extends beyond its pilot if it’s to have any meaningful impact, Otherwise, it will just be the latest in a long line of well-intended, but ultimately patchy, Government projects designed to get people working. On the other hand, if we can get this right, then the entire region will be set to prosper.”