Tackling Unemployment Digital Conference

Monday 20th September 2021    (FULL DAY EVENT)

Digital Event, Broadcast Live

Key Points
  • Implementing the Government's Plan for Jobs and delivering Government funded support schemes including Kickstart and Restart
  • Preparing the employment support sector to meet urgent growing demand
  • Preventing the growth of long-term unemployment and transitioning from benefits to employment
  • Remedying the dramatic rise in youth unemployment and preventing a displaced generation
  • The role of businesses in boosting skills for workforce recovery
  • Strategies to overcome the disability employment gap and provide more inclusive job opportunities
  • Improving employment opportunities for people with complex needs such as substance abuse, mental health problems and histories of offending
  • Click Here to Secure your Place
Overview
Expert Speakers:

  • Sarah Pearson, Area Director Work and Health Services Wales and National Employer and Partnership Team,Department of Work and Pensions
  • Elizabeth Taylor, Chief Executive, Employment Related Service Association
  • Tony Wilson, Institute Director, Institute for Employment Studies
  • Matt Ainsworth, Assistant Director, Education, Skills, Work,Greater Manchester Combined Authority
  • Glen Smailes, Employment and Skills Services, Coventry City Council
  • Steve Haines, Director of Public Affairs, Impetus
  • Mat Ilic, Chief Development Officer, Catch 22
  • Sam Olsen, Chief Executive, Movement to Work
  • Teresa Scott OBE, Founder, Kennedy Scott
  • Asi Panditharatna, Divisional Director, Employment Services, The Forward Trust
  • Nicola Inge, Employment and Skills Director, Business in the Community
  • Dan Howard, Managing Director, Skills Forward

    The Government’s Job Retention Scheme prevented a jobs catastrophe, but now we need to secure the recovery. Despite some welcome early signs of employment picking up, we still have millions of people not working, continued economic uncertainty from post-Brexit trade disruption, and we are yet to deal with the phase out of the furlough scheme.

    Westminster Insight’s Tackling Unemployment Conference is ideally timed to consider how we can adapt employment support services to meet growing needs, support groups disproportionately affected by the crisis, prepare candidates for a competitive post-pandemic market and prevent long-term unemployment.

    Attend to hear directly from the Government about progress with their Plan for Jobs and priorities for recovering the labour market. Hear how local authorities and employment support services are scaling up and adapting to meet unprecedented demand.

    With the pandemic deepening inequalities in the world of work, you will explore how to boost skill levels and employment opportunities for targeted groups that have been displaced from the job market, including young people, disabled people and those with complex needs often not met by mainstream services.

    Gain a greater understanding of how to prevent the growth of long-term unemployment through the Government’s Restart programme helping those on benefits transition to employment. Plus hear how businesses can invest in skills, education and training opportunities to help speed workforce recovery.

    Don’t miss your opportunity to learn how to rebuild sustainable employment opportunities enabling everyone to access good quality, secure and meaningful work with a decent wage.
Agenda
Start

09:30 - 09:40
Chair's Opening Remarks

 
Speakers

Mark Cosens Fellow, Institute of Employability Professionals

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09:40 - 10:10
Opening Keynote Address:
Government Priorities for Tackling Unemployment

 
  • Reviewing the implementation and progress of the Government’s Plan for Jobs 
  • Supporting newly unemployed jobseekers and vulnerable groups into sustainable employment
  • Mitigating the effects of long-term unemployment and transitioning from benefits to employment 
10:00 - 10:10 Questions and Discussion
Speakers

Sarah Pearson Area Director Work and Health Services Wales and National Employer and Partnership Team, DWP

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10:10 - 10:40
Keynote Address 2:
Building a Resilient Employment Support System Post-Covid

 
  • Gearing up the employment support sector to meet the needs of millions of new job seekers 
  • Progress in delivering key Government employment support strategies
  • Reviewing rapid responses to get people back into work
  • Embedding lessons learnt from Covid to drive lasting system change for a sustainable recovery 
10:30 - 10:40 Questions and Discussion
Speakers

Elizabeth Taylor Chief Executive, Employment Related Services Association (ERSA)

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10:40 - 11:20
Preventing Long-Term Unemployment

 
  • The need for targeted solutions to prevent long-term unemployment and examples of successful interventions
  • Implementing the Government’s Restart programme
11:10 - 11:20 Questions and Discussion

Speakers

Tony Wilson Institute Director, Institute for Employment Studies

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11:20 - 11:50
Break

 

11:50 - 12:20
Case Study: Developing Local Employment Services in Response to the Crisis

 
  • Mapping and identifying local needs
  • Developing effective partnerships with Jobcentre Plus, health, education, skills and economic development to deliver sustainable employment opportunities
  • Ensuring people have the support and opportunities to secure and progress in work 
  • Managing welfare reform that delivers job progression and addresses low pay
  • Key challenges facing local authorities in tackling unemployment and examples of successful initiatives     
12:10 - 12:20 Questions and Discussion
Speakers

Glen Smailes Employment and Skills Services, Coventry City Council

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12:20 - 13:00
Panel Discussion: Supporting Young People into Employment

 
  • The impact of the pandemic on young people’s employment prospects
  • Progress with implementing and expanding youth training and employment schemes such as Kickstart, traineeships, the youth offer and apprenticeships 
  • Building young people’s confidence and skills to compete in the jobs market
  • Creating meaningful job opportunities for young people to increase social mobility
  • Avoiding long periods of worklessness for young people 
(A series of 10 minute presentations, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A with delegates)

12:50 - 13:00 Questions and Discussion
Speakers

Sam Olsen CEO, Movement to Work

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Mat Ilic Chief Development Officer, Catch 22

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Steve Haines Director of Public Affairs, Impetus

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13:00 - 14:00
Break

 

14:00 - 14:30
Panel Discussion: Improving Employment Opportunities for People with Complex Needs

 
  • The impact of the pandemic on the employment of ex-offenders, people in recovery from addiction, people with mental health problems and other complex needs
  • Coaching job seekers, providing peer support, improving skills, confidence and self-esteem 
  • Working with employers to destigmatise and support employees to sustain meaningful work
(A series of 10 minute presentations, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A with delegates)

14:20 - 14:30 Questions and Discussion
Speakers

Asi Panditharatna Divisional Director, Employment Services Forward Trust

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Teresa Scott OBE Founder, Kennedy Scott

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14:30 - 15:00
Flexible Working Solutions for Disability Inclusion

 
  • Understanding the impact the pandemic has had on widening the ‘disability employment gap’
  • Implications of the National Strategy for Disabled People on employment opportunities 
  • Harnessing digital strategies to create accessible and flexible job opportunities 
  • Supporting physical and mental health to get people back into work and sustain employment 
  • The role of businesses to make reasonable adjustments to recruit and retain disabled people
(A series of 10 minute presentations, followed by 10 minutes of Q&A with delegates)

14:50 - 15:00 Questions and Discussion
Speakers

Daniel Howard MD of Skills Forward & Operations Director, Learning for Work

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15:00 - 15:30
Boosting Skills for Workforce Recovery

 
  • The role of businesses in implementing the Government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper 
  • Business’ perspectives and take up of the Government’s Plan for Jobs 
  • Embedding essential skills into support for jobseekers at every level
  • Driving greater action from businesses to develop future skills and offer good work 
  • Case studies of employers using the Skills Builder Universal Framework to support education programmes, apprenticeships, recruitment and learning and development for existing employees
15:10 - 15:20 Questions and Discussion

15:30 - 15:40
Chair's Closing Remarks

 
Speakers

Mark Cosens Fellow, Institute of Employability Professionals

Read profile

End
Speakers

Mark Cosens Fellow, Institute of Employability Professionals

Read profile

Steve Haines Director of Public Affairs, Impetus

Read profile

Daniel Howard MD of Skills Forward & Operations Director, Learning for Work

Read profile

Mat Ilic Chief Development Officer, Catch 22

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Nicola Inge Employment & Skills Director, Business in the Community

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Sam Olsen CEO, Movement to Work

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Asi Panditharatna Divisional Director, Employment Services Forward Trust

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Sarah Pearson Area Director Work and Health Services Wales and National Employer and Partnership Team, DWP

Read profile

Teresa Scott OBE Founder, Kennedy Scott

Read profile

Glen Smailes Employment and Skills Services, Coventry City Council

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Elizabeth Taylor Chief Executive, Employment Related Services Association (ERSA)

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Tony Wilson Institute Director, Institute for Employment Studies

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Venue details

Digital Event Broadcast Live

Speakers
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