This project sets out to help local authorities across England build a better understanding of how employment and skills provision, which can seem complex and fragmented, is commissioned and delivered.
As most employment and skills provision is commissioned and procured nationally by Government departments or their agencies, it can be difficult for local authorities’ employment and skills teams to know what support is available and when.
The LGA commissioned Research Matters to look into this and describe the current picture of national employment and skills programmes. It identified 22 nationally contracted programmes and a further 27 programmes that are not contracted. Where possible it describes how these programmes are delivered across England. The tools below have been designed to help improve conversations between local and national government on how to collaborate on existing provision by geography and any future opportunity.
The full report is available to download on Research Matters website.
This project is part of the LGA's Improvement Support Programme, funded by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
About Research Matters
Research Matters is a strategic business research agency based in York. It works with a wide range of organisations to deliver a reliable fact and evidence base, insightful context and competitive intelligence to help them make informed decisions. They have produced a blog which highlights more about this resource and how it can help to untangle government funding.
Contracted provision of employment and skills programmes
Local snapshots
Other non-contracted provision of employment and skills programmes
Interactive map
Table: contracted programmes
The project identifies 22 nationally contracted programmes, and described a further 27 programmes that are not contracted. This is detailed in the two tables below. It describes some individual programmes, for instance Access to Work, Work and Health Programme, which are contracted or delivered in multiple ways which will result in multiple providers and arrangements. Note: The LGA will review the list of national programmes in 2022. To the best of our knowledge all programmes are correct as of April 2021.
Programme |
Description |
Cohort |
Delivery |
Govt Dept / Funding agency |
Funding commitment |
Access to Work: Assessments |
Personalised employment support to help disabled people start or stay in work by providing practical and financial support workplace assessments of needs |
Adults with disability |
Two national contracts |
DWP |
2020-2024: £30 million
|
Access to Work: Mental Health |
Personalised employment support to help disabled people start or stay in work by providing practical and financial support through mental health support |
Adults with disability |
Two national contracts |
DWP |
2020-2024: £30 million |
Intensive Personalised Employment Support (IPES) |
Voluntary provision for people with disabilities and/or complex barriers to employment. Provides intense, personal, flexible package for up to 21 months, including in-work support for those who get a job |
Unemployed with specialist needs |
UAEHRS framework: 6 CPAs (5 - England, 1 - Wales) |
DWP |
2020-2024: £38 million |
Job Finding Support |
COVID-19 recovery intervention: 12 month voluntary provision offering an online, one-to-one service for the recently unemployed |
Unemployed |
Serco - national contract |
DWP |
2020- 2022: £40 million announced. Current contract £10 million |
New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) |
Mentoring support and financial assistance to support the move into self-employment. Eligible participants are referred to the scheme by Jobcentre Plus |
Unemployed |
Delivered across 14 CPAs |
DWP |
To 2023: £42.6 million DWP and ESF funded |
Restart |
COVID-19 recovery intervention: Employment support for long-term unemployed. Provides 12 months of tailored support |
Long-term unemployed |
Nationally contracted CAEHRS framework – 12 CPAs |
DWP |
2021-2024: £2.9 billion |
WHP: Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) |
COVID-19 recovery intervention: employment support for those who lost jobs because of COVID-19, including advice on moving into new sectors. WHP (Core) contracts extended to deliver JETS |
Unemployed |
6 CPAs |
DWP |
2020-2022: £238 million DWP and ESF funded |
Work and Health Programme (WHP Core) |
Employment support for people with health conditions and disabilities, as well as the long-term unemployed, and certain priority groups (known as early access groups) to enter into and stay in work. Contracts by the DWP |
Long term unemployed |
6 CPAs |
DWP |
2018/19: £46 million DWP and ESF funded
|
Career Changers in to teaching |
Series of programmes aimed at recruiting experienced business leaders and talented PhD graduates into teaching. National contract split between three national contracts: Now Teach, Transition to Teach, Researchers in Schools |
Career changers into teaching |
National contracts with regional focus |
DfE |
2020: £10 million |
High Potential Initial Teacher Training and Leadership Development Programme |
Participants work as unqualified teachers in year 1 while undertaking training leading to qualified teacher status (QTS) and then as newly qualified teachers in the second year |
Graduates |
National Teach First |
DfE |
September 2021: £35 million |
Information, Advice and Support Programme (IASP) |
Provision to ensure children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families have access to impartial information, advice and support about services and support on offer |
Children and young people with special educational needs |
|
DfE |
Ended March 2021: £25 million |
National Careers Service |
Area-based careers services provide local information, advice and guidance to complement nationally run website and contact centre |
Adults |
Nationally contracted |
DfE / ESFA |
3 year contracts – end March 2022 |
National Citizen Service (NCS) |
Voluntary personal and social development programme for young people post GCSE |
Young people - 16-17 |
National with delivery partners |
DCMS / NCS Trust |
2018-19: £121.8 million
|
Step up to Social Work |
Intensive, 14-month, full-time programme for trainee social workers. They work in a local authority while undertaking academic learning and receive a bursary. On completion, they register and practice as qualified social workers |
Career changers |
National contract delivered with 141 local authorities |
National recruitment supplier |
2022-23: £300,000 |
Think Ahead |
National pathway for post-graduate Mental Health Social Work. Training run by Think Ahead, a charity |
Graduates |
National |
DHSC |
2021-22: £27 million |
Traineeships 18-24 |
Education and training programme with unpaid work placement to help young people become ready for work or an apprenticeship. Provision is contracted with employers receiving a financial incentive to provide work placement |
Young people |
Nationally contracted |
DfE ESFA |
2021- 23: £233.5 million
|
Skills/Digital Bootcamps |
Free, flexible courses of just 12 to 16 weeks give people the opportunity to build up sector-specific and digital skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Piloted across 6 areas with national contracts roll-out in May 2021 |
In work and unemployed with sector focus |
|
DfE (National Skills Fund) |
National 12-month rollout (May 2021) |
DWP CFO European Social Fund 2014 to 2020 |
Programme delivering projects aimed at improving employment opportunities for unemployed or inactive people in 28 LEP areas across England |
Unemployed |
LEP areas |
DWP |
DWP/ ESF funded |
Skill Support for the Unemployed (SSU) |
Classroom-based qualifications for unemployed learners, includes individualised programmes of learning and support, to overcome barriers to participation |
Unemployed |
LEPs Devolved in London |
Education and Skills Funding Agency / ESF |
2019-2023: £75 million |
Skills Support for the Workforce |
Supports employees in employment working in SMEs to upskill and progress within work |
Employed |
LEPs Devolved in London |
ESFA / ESF
|
2019-2023: £145 million
|
Supporting NEETs |
Provides learning opportunities for young people aged 15-24 at risk of becoming NEET or already unemployed |
NEETs |
LEPs Devolved in London |
ESFA / ESF
|
2019-2023: £54 million |
Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) 2014-2020 and 2021-2023 |
EU youth employment initiative targeting NEETs. Only available to areas that fit the eligibility criteria in terms of youth unemployment rates |
Young People NEET |
Eligible NUTS2 areas within LEPs |
DWP / |
2014-20: £490 million 2021-23: £25.5 million |
Table: other programmes
Programme |
Description |
Cohort |
Delivery |
Gov Dept / Funding agency |
Funding commitment |
16 to 19 - grant funded |
Continued learning after GCSEs, BTECs or the age of 16 in further education settings: General FE Colleges, 6th form colleges, 6th forms, training providers, local authorities, higher education institutions |
Young people - 16-19 |
Further education settings |
DfE ESFA |
2018-19: £5.7 billion |
Access to work (AtW) |
Employment support to help disabled people start or stay in work through practical and financial support (e.g. special aids / equipment, adaptations, support workers, travel to and in work, workplace assessment) |
People with a disability or health condition |
JCP Employers |
DWP |
2018-19: £129 million |
Adult Education budget (AEB) |
Allocated funding for adult training to target and support more disadvantaged learners (non-devolved England). Includes Community Learning (CL), 19-24 traineeships, High value course offer, Sector based work academies (SWAPs) |
Adults - 19+ |
Further education settings |
DfE / ESFA |
2020-21: £615.5 million |
Adult Education Budget (AEB) |
Procured funding for adult training to support disadvantaged learners in non-devolved England. Includes statutory entitlements, 19-24 traineeships, Learner Support (LS), high value course offer, Sector-based Work Academies (SWAPs) |
Adults - 19+ |
Further education settings (215) |
DfE / ESFA |
2020-21: £88 million 2021-22: £73million (no longer covers 18-24 traineeships and more devolved areas) |
Advanced Learner Loans and Bursaries |
Loans and bursaries to support students accessing non-HE 19+ education with fees or other costs |
Adults - 19+ |
FE colleges |
DfE ESFA |
2021-21: £273 million (other AEB funding) |
Apprenticeship Levy |
Paid employment with a skills development programme. |
Young people, |
Employers, |
DfE / employer funded, |
2021-22: £2.5 billion. ESFA funding (majority from Levy payments and underspends) |
Apprenticeships - procured non-levy |
As above. Non-levy payers can reserve funding from government for up to 10 apprentices in 2021-22 |
Young people, |
Employers training providers, |
DfE Apprentice levy, ESFA |
Government pays 100% of training costs for employers with less than 50 employees, and 95% of training costs for employers with over 50 employees |
Building Better Opportunities |
Tackles poverty and social exclusion |
Disadvantaged people |
Partner organisations/ |
|
2014-2022: £300 million. National Lottery, Community Fund, ESF |
Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) |
Arm’s length body tasked with driving careers provision in schools and colleges. Core objectives set out by the DfE to scale up local networks, support careers leaders and back proven ideas |
Young people - 13-18 |
CEC |
DfE grant funding |
2019/20 - £21.3 million grant funding |
Community Grants |
Offers grants (£5,000 to £20,000) to small and voluntary organisations to help individuals progress towards employability / access to employment |
Unemployed |
Multiple local grant holders |
ESFA |
To 2023: £36 million |
Flexible Support Fund (FSF) |
‘Barriers payments’ to help people move closer to work (e.g. clothes for job interview), and by JCP purchase additional local provision and to fund local partnerships |
Unemployed |
JCP |
DWP |
2019-2020: £40 million. |
Green Recovery Challenge Fund |
Short-term competitive fund to kick-start environmental renewal and create / retain jobs. Open to environmental charities and partners with grants from £50k to £5 million |
Green jobs |
|
DEFRA |
£80 million : in two rounds of £40 million |
Help to Grow |
Scheme for 30,000 SMEs to upskill and boost productivity over three years. 12-week subsidised management training programme to ‘enhance the skills of leaders’ e.g. financial management and digital adoption |
SMEs |
Not known |
Not known |
2021-22: £60 million 2022-23: additional £75 million |
Kickstart |
Funding to employers to create short-term (6 month) paid job placements for 16–24 year-olds on Universal Credit at risk of long-term unemployment |
Young people |
Delivered by employers and 700 Kickstart Gateways |
DWP |
Ends March 2022: £2 billion. |
Levelling up Fund (LUF) |
Capital investment in local infrastructure to regenerate town centres, improve local transport, and maintain cultural, heritage and civic assets |
Local authorities |
Local solutions |
Cross department fund |
2020-2024: £4 billion. Further £800 million for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland |
Life Chances Fund (LCF) |
Supports people with complex social problems. A payment by results contract involving social investors |
Disadvantaged people |
Local solutions |
DCMS |
2016-2025: £80 million (9 years). |
Sector-based work academy programme (SWAPs) |
Developed with employers for sectors with high demand / vacancies to help unemployed benefit claimants gain skills and work experience |
Jobseekers, especially young people |
Jobcentre Plus, local employers, training providers |
DfE funded ESFA - AEB |
2020-21: £13.2 million. Plan for Jobs doubled SWAP capacity from 40,000 to 80,000 opportunities |
Strategic Development Fund / College Business Centres |
Part of FE reforms to support FE providers develop tailored skills plans to meet local training needs and develop College Business Centres to drive collaboration with employers |
Training providers |
Colleges / training providers, |
DfE |
2021: £65 million |
Supported internships |
Employer based programmes with personalised 1:1 support for young people with Education and Health Care Plans (EHCP) |
Young people with EHCP |
FE providers, schools, charities, local / community organisations, |
DfE ESFA |
|
Towns Fund |
Invests in deprived towns as. First 101 towns selected to develop proposals in July 2019 |
Local authorities |
LA-led Town Deal Boards |
DLUHC |
£3.6 billion in total |
Traineeships |
Education and training programme with unpaid work placement to help young people become ready for work or an apprenticeship. Procured for 2020-21 but nationally contracted for 2021-22, with employers receiving a financial incentive to provide work placements |
Young people |
Training providers, |
DfE ESFA - AEB |
2020-21: AEB 2021-22: |
Troubled Families Programme (TFP) |
Targeted interventions for families experiencing multiple problems, including crime, anti-social behaviour, truancy, unemployment, mental health problems and domestic abuse |
Disadvantaged people |
Local authorities |
DLUHC |
2015-20: £1.1 billion committed to March 2021. |
Community |
UK-wide fund for pilots to support people and communities most in need. 100 priority places invited to submit shortlisted proposals for 2021-22 only |
Local authorities |
Delivered by successful applicants |
DLUHC |
2020-21: £220 million |
UK Shared |
Launching in 2022 to replace EU structural funds, including ESF |
Not known |
|
||
Union Learning |
Supports learning of all workers. Works with employers, employees and learning providers to encourage greater take up of learning in the workplace |
Employed |
Unions |
DfE / TUC |
~£11 million per ending April 2021 |
Youth Employment Programme |
13-week programme delivered by JCP work coaches, which draws on other programmes and support. Part of DWP expanded Youth Offer to increase intensive support for young jobseekers |
Unemployed young people - 18-24 |
JCP |
DWP |
No direct funding - wrapper for other programmes |
Youth Hubs |
100 new youth hubs, co-located / co-delivered in local communities and bringing together JCP work coaches, partners and providers to deliver youth services in a joined up way |
Unemployed young people - 18-24 |
JCP |
DWP Flexible Support Fund |
Not known |