Research into JCP employer engagement through Local Employment Partnerships
This research examines the introduction, implementation and organisation of local employment partnerships at national, district and local levels. It aimed to explore the successful elements of LEPs, to ascertain why employers had engaged with the partnerships and what they had gained from doing so.
The conclusions:
Employers, Jobcentre Plus and training providers have worked closely together on LEPs and the services provided, and organisational understanding, between these stakeholders has been improved. Many employers have reported positively on the service they received and the quality of candidates coming through for vacancies. However, few new employers have come on board overall as a result of LEPs, although this had started to change in recent months with more small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) involvement, and some employers continued to report poor-quality candidates being referred to them.
The key recommendations arising from this study in relation to employer engagement are:
• Jobcentre Plus needs to maintain links with existing employers and also engage new employers and work closely with them to understand their recruitment needs.
• Employer engagement staff within Jobcentre Plus are required to maintain links with employers and, wherever possible, these staff should provide a single point of contact for employers to provide continuity of service.
• Employer-facing staff within Jobcentre Plus need to maintain regular contact with customer-facing staff to ensure that employers’ needs are effectively communicated to improve the quality of referrals.
• More generally, it is important that Jobcentre Plus takes a strategic overview of provision available locally to customers to prepare them for work: provision pipelines, including PET, are required to meet their needs and get people back in the labour market.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/report_abstracts/rr_abstracts/rra_74...
