UK – Job programme – Almost 1 in 2 employer is unaware

More than a year after the introduction of the government’s ambitious Work Programme, the CIPD warns today that it needs to build on the scheme’s early progress by increasing awareness and understanding of the scheme amongst employers.

In a survey of more than 1,000 employers, drawn from all three main sectors of the economy, the CIPD found that the majority (79%) of employers that have used the Work Programme say recruits met or exceeded their expectations and more than half (58%) said candidates were better prepared for interviews and demonstrated better presentation skills as a result of the programme. It also found that the number of organisations that plan to participate in the Work Programme will increase moderately during the next 3 years.

However, the Labour Market Outlook Focus report also revealed relatively low awareness among employers, with less than half of respondents (49%) saying they are unaware of the Work Programme, and a high proportion of employers who feel it is not relevant for their organisation (48% of those employers who do not plan to recruit via the programme).  In addition, amongst those employers that have recruited via the Work Programme, only half plan to hold on to the new hires for longer than six months and 48% felt that participants lack certain job-specific or technical skills…

Choosen excerpts by JMM from

via Government’s flagship employment programme gets off to a promising start, but low employer awareness is hindering progress – Press Releases – CIPD.