The Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) has called for the government to create a single cross-departmental strategy to join the employability needs of those hunting for work in recruitment agencies with the skill needs of employers.
AELP’s chairman Martin Dunford said that the success of the government’s Work Programme comes down to whether it can bring together employment, employability and skills.
He added that a joined-up policy would help achieve the common goal of more jobs across Britain.
Mr Dunford told a conference that despite the “sincerely-meant rhetoric from ministers”, he does not believe departments fully understand job sustainability.
“To over-generalise it, ministers want it, too many officials do not appear to fully understand it, providers have been doing it in spite of the system and not because of it,” he explained.
Research by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies said earlier this month that full-time job roles for highly-skilled workers rose by seven per cent in April.