Can ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper Fix Employment Crisis? | Sector Reaction

Unveiling the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation, Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall has today (26 November) published the Get Britain Working White Paper, marking the Government’s first major intervention to achieve an ambitious 80 per cent employment rate.

• White Paper on biggest reforms to employment support for a generation published today, backed by £240 million investment
• Jobcentres transformed across Great Britain and every young person to have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities
• Mental health support to be expanded and extra capacity deployed to reduce waiting lists in areas with highest levels of inactivity
• Measures announced in White Paper will fuel growth as Government rebuilds Britain in a decade of national renewal

It comes as stark figures show almost one and a half million people are unemployed, over nine million people are inactive, a record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness. Young people have also been left behind with one in eight young people not in education, employment or training, and nine million adults lack the essential skills they need to get on in work.

The UK is also the only major economy that has seen its employment rate fall over the last five years, which has been largely driven by a significant rise in the number of people out of work due to long-term ill health with an outdated employment support system which is ill equipped to respond to this growing challenge.

This White Paper sets out a fundamentally different approach to the employment support system – backed by £240 million of investment – to target and tackle the root causes of unemployment and inactivity, and better join up health skills and employment support based on the unique needs of local communities.  

That includes tackling ill health as the biggest driver of inactivity by fixing the NHS. This includes deploying extra staff to cut waiting lists in areas of high inactivity, expanding access to mental health support, as well as a greater focus on prevention to stop people becoming ill in the first place.

The outdated Jobcentre system will also be transformed into a new national jobs and careers service, focused on people’s skills and careers instead of just monitoring and managing benefit claims. Mayors and councils will be empowered to join up local work, health and skills support in ways that meet the specific needs of their local areas.

The government is also delivering a new Youth Guarantee so every young person has access to education or training to help them find a job and transforming the Apprenticeship Levy in England into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy backed by £40 million to expand opportunities for young people to develop skills and get into work.

An independent review will also be launched into how employers can be better supported to employ people with disabilities health conditions, and to keep them in the workplace, ensuring that more people can benefit from a sense of dignity, purpose and financial independence.

Building on these reforms, the government will bring forward measures to overhaul the health and disability benefits system so it better supports people to enter and remain in work and to tackle the spiralling benefits bill. A consultation will be published in Spring as part of a commitment to put the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of any policy changes that directly affect them.

The driving purpose behind this new approach is to enable everyone to have the opportunity of secure, rewarding and fulfilling work. Today’s White Paper delivers the fundamental reforms needed to fix the foundations, break down barriers to opportunity particularly for young people and improve living standards.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

From the broken NHS, flatlining economy, and the millions of people left unemployed and trapped in an inactivity spiral – this government inherited a country that simply isn’t working. But today we’ve set out a plan to fix this. A plan that tackles the biggest drivers of unemployment and inactivity and gives young people their future back through real, meaningful change instead of empty rhetoric and sticking plaster politics.

We’re overhauling jobcentres to make them fit for the modern age. We’re giving young people the skills and opportunities they need to prepare them for the jobs of the future. We’re fixing the NHS so people get the treatment and mental health support they desperately need to be able to get back to work. We’re working with businesses and employers to better support people with disabilities and health conditions to stay and progress in work, and it doesn’t stop there.

Our reforms put an end to the culture of blaming and shaming people who for too long haven’t been getting the support they need to get back to work. Helping people into decent, well-paid jobs and giving our children and young people the best start in life – that’s our plan to put more money in people’s pockets, unlock growth and make people better off.

The Secretary of State, Liz Kendall MP said:

To get Britain growing, we need to get Britain working again. Our reforms will break down barriers to opportunity, help people to get into work and on at work, allow local leaders to boost jobs and growth, and give our children and young people the best opportunities to get on in life.

The Get Britain Working White Paper shows that this Government stands unashamedly for work. We will make sure everyone, regardless of their background, age, ethnicity, health, disability or postcode can benefit from the dignity and purpose work can bring.

We can build a healthier, wealthier nation – driving up employment and opportunity, skills and productivity – while driving down the benefit bill.

The employment reforms will be underlined by the principle that people who can work, will be expected to work with clear consequences if they don’t properly engage with the government’s employment support offer. The fundamental principles of reform set out in the white paper include:

Fixing the NHS and Tackling economic inactivity caused by ill health

A quarter of all people aged 16-64 have a long-term health condition that limits their day-to-day activities with disabled people nearly three times more likely (than non-disabled people) to be economically inactive. Given the strong evidence on the health benefits of good work, extra capacity will be deployed to reduce waiting lists in 20 NHS Trusts across England with the highest levels of economic inactivity.

The government is providing an additional £22.6 billion of resource spending in 2025-26 for the Department of Health and Social Care. This will support the NHS in England to deliver an additional 40,000 elective appointments a week and make progress towards the commitment that patients should expect to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment.

The Government will deliver an additional 8,500 new mental health staff and also expand access to Individual Placement and Support (IPS) for severe mental illness, reaching 140,000 more people by 2028/29. On top of this, the Government will take a prevention first approach through an expansion of Talking Therapies, a landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill and a range of steps to tackle obesity.

The White Paper sets out how the Government will invest £125 million in eight areas across England and Wales, to mobilise local work, health and skills support – so everyone who wants to work can get the joined-up support they need. This includes funding in three of the trailblazer areas for NHS accelerators to stop people falling out of work completely due to ill health. The three areas will be the North East, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.

These eight trailblazers will be at the forefront of designing how locally joined-up support will work in practice across England and Wales.

Creating a new National Jobs and Careers Service to help people into work

Jobcentres across Great Britain will be overhauled and in England will be brought together with the National Careers Service. This will be kickstarted by £55million of investment, to help people get into work, stay in work, build skills and progress in their career.

A radically improved digital offer will be trialled to bring Jobcentres into the 21st century, with the DWP using the latest technologies and AI to provide up-to date information on jobs, skills and other support and to free up Work Coach time.

Staff at Jobcentres will have more flexibility to offer a more personalised service to jobseekers – moving away from the ‘tick box’ culture. New coaching academies will also be set up to upskill jobcentre staff to better support people into work.

Backed by £55 million, testing and digital design will be carried out into next year to understand how best to bring DWP services online and make them easier to access to deliver tailored support, including CV advice and job adverts. This builds on work already underway to give work coaches AI tools so they can find the right information for their customers faster.

Delivering a Youth Guarantee to support young people into work

Every 18-to-21-year old in England will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job under a new ‘Youth Guarantee’.

The White Paper unveils new partnerships with some of Britain’s most iconic cultural and sporting organisations, including the Premier League, Channel 4 and the Royal Shakespeare Company, who will offer work or learning opportunities to inspire and upskill the next generation.

Eight youth “trailblazer” areas will be set up across the country, including in Liverpool, Tees Valley and the East Midlands with £45 million funding to identify those most at risk of falling out of education or employment and match them to opportunities for education, training or work.

To further expand opportunities for young people through the Youth Guarantee, the Government will transform the Apprenticeship Levy in England into a more flexible Growth and Skills Levy by investing £40 million. This will help to deliver new foundation and shorter apprenticeships in key sectors.

These new opportunities will be the responsibility of young people to take them up. In return for these new opportunities, young people will be expected to engage with training or work that’s on offer so no young person is left behind.

An advisory panel will also be set up to put young people at the heart of decision making. There will also be a disability panel set up to ensure the voices of disabled people are at the core of reforms.

This change will deliver greater flexibility for employers and learners, aligned to the Governments Industrial Strategy, while rebalancing the offer so that more apprenticeships are focused on young people.

Empowering local mayors to shape an effective work, health and skills offer for local people

Up to £15 million will be made available to areas across England not getting a trailblazer so they can develop their own Get Britain Working Plan focused on reducing economic inactivity. Plans will be developed by mayoral authorities where they exist – aligned with their Local Growth Plans – and elsewhere by Local Authorities.

By giving local areas the power and money to design their own Get Britain Working plans, we will deliver real employment opportunities for people who know their communities best. Up to £15 million will be made available to support local areas across England to develop their own plans and to support the trailblazers.

The government will also provide £115 million in funding next year to enable local areas across England and Wales to deliver a new supported employment programme called Connect to Work scheme.

Connect to Work provides voluntary employment offers to people with disabilities, health conditions or complex barriers to work and will support up to 100,000 people a year at full roll out as the first tranche of money from a new Get Britain Working Fund.

Launching an independent review into the role of UK employers in promoting health and inclusive workplaces

Poor workforce health imposes large costs on employers, especially from sickness absence and turnover, while also making it harder for them to find the talent they need to grow and thrive.  There is also compelling evidence about the value of helping people with a health condition or disability to stay in work, including to prevent them becoming economically inactive.

In response, the review will consider what more can be done to enable employers to increase the recruitment and retention of disabled people and those with a health condition and undertake early intervention for sickness absence and increase returns to work.

The review will run until next summer and involve wide-ranging engagement with employers, employees, trade unions, health experts, and disabled people and those with health conditions.

It will complement the Government’s Employment Right’s Bill, which will tackle job insecurity and expand flexible working.

Sector Reaction

Adele Ablett, who has worked at the DWP for 38 years and now manages five Jobcentres and 71 Work Coaches across Cheshire said: 

It’s a real privilege to support people at vulnerable times in their lives and help them find the right pathway for them – whether that be through training or work. With more customers coming through our doors with complex health needs and mental health challenges, the demand on our service has never been greater. 

The changes in the Get Britain Working White Paper will help us to amplify this support to reach more people and change more lives. It will give us more flexibility to build strong relationships with employers and organisations, so everyone sees us the way I do – as the go-to place for businesses to recruit and as a public service passionate about people and possibilities.

Clare Sumner, Premier League Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer said:

Building on our long-term investment into communities, the Premier League will contribute to the Youth Guarantee by using the power of football to engage young people who need the greatest support.

Our programmes delivered by football clubs across the country play a vital role in providing inspiring opportunities and pathways to success to help the next generation fulfil their potential. We will be working with the Government to continue this important work and help extend the reach of the Youth Guarantee initiative into communities and to those who need it most.

Secretary of State Lisa Nandy said: 

We’re committed to a bold new approach to shaping policy that values the aspirations and experiences of young people to give them every chance of success in life. 

The introduction of a Youth Guarantee, along with the co-production of a new National Youth Strategy, will help put young people back in charge of their own destiny and unlock opportunities for all young people, regardless of their postcode.

Darren Burns, Director of Diversity & Inclusion of Timpson Group said:

At Timpson we support the plan to get more people back into work, by helping them to find exciting and rewarding careers.

Many of our existing colleagues have come to us through the Jobcentre and this is still the case today. We regularly work in close partnership with local job centres to find amazing colleagues for our business and the support we receive is invaluable.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

It’s great to see the Government get serious about transforming the old tick-box approach to job support into one that tackles the root causes of unemployment and poor health and sets people up to succeed.

The best way to do that is to join up services in the places where people live, and offer them the kind of positive, personalised support that grows confidence and looks at complex issues in the round.

The Secretary of State has seen for herself the difference that our Live Well approach is already making in Greater Manchester, where our brilliant community partners are building trust and helping break down barriers to work and wellbeing.

Through our new trailblazer, and with Government backing, we can build on these strong foundations and help more people find the sense of purpose that comes with good work. That is how we will help everyone to achieve their potential, ease pressure on our public services, and deliver growth in our city-region and across the country.

Mayor of South Yorkshire Oliver Coppard said:

In South Yorkshire, work, health and skills barriers have prevented people here making the most of their talents for far too long.  That’s why we’re determined to address those barriers through our pioneering Pathways to Work Commission.  The Commission’s report set out recommendations that could unlock the full potential of our communities and I’m really pleased that the Government has backed our pioneering approach.

In South Yorkshire we have led the way in highlighting the importance of bringing work, health and skills together as we support people back into employment.  We now have a Government that understands the importance of devolution and joined-up working, and together we are undertaking the biggest reforms to how we support people into work for a generation.  

Our trailblazer will help us to create a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire that helps people to stay near and go far.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:

Devolution is already making a huge difference to people’s lives in the Liverpool City Region. We’ve helped thousands of people into work, created opportunities for young people through apprenticeships, and supported adults to gain the skills they need to thrive. This shows what can be achieved when decisions are made closer to the people they affect.

That’s why I welcome the government’s plans to give Mayors more of the tools and resources we need to break down the barriers keeping people out of work. Whether it’s tackling skills shortages, improving childcare, or supporting people with health conditions, this is a chance to make a real difference.

I look forward to working with the government to make these bold ambitions a reality for the people in our communities.

Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute said:

The Government’s ambition for an 80% employment rate is the right one and our research shows it will benefit people, employers and the economy. More than three million people who are out of work want a job, but too often don’t get the right support.

This White Paper starts us on the path to change that. I’m particularly pleased to see the Youth Guarantee, which we have long called for. There can be few bigger priorities than ensuring young people get the education and careers they need. 

To tackle the shockingly wide disability employment rate gap and opportunity gaps across the country, we need high-quality, joined-up, locally delivered work, skills and health support. It will take time, but the prize is great.

The White Paper is part of wider Government action to spread opportunity and fix the foundations of our economy. This includes launching Skills England to create a shared national plan to boost the nation’s skills, creating more good jobs through our modern Industrial Strategy, and strengthening employment rights through our Plan to Make Work Pay.

Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray said:

Breaking down barriers to opportunity is the key to our plan to Get Britain Working. Our radical overhaul of Jobcentres will bring improvements to every part of the UK, creating a service more fit for modern life, helping people into decent, well-paid jobs.

A joined-up approach to tackling inactivity is crucial, and we want to work with the Scottish Government to ensure all services are considered – including better healthcare, improved childcare, and access to meaningful skills training.

Our Employment Rights Bill has brought some of the biggest improvements for workers in a generation with an end to zero-hours contracts and increased job security. And our Tobacco and Vapes Bill, also introduced today, will curb many of the health issues affecting work connected with smoking. Together we can Get Britain Working and on the path to prosperity and growth.

David Hughes, Chief Executive, Association of Colleges:

“It’s right that the white paper from the government today focuses firmly on ensuring that both young people, and adults who have been economically inactive, are able to enter the workplace with the skills they need to succeed.

“Colleges already lead the way on supporting their communities into meaningful employment. They will need to play a central role in these reforms and they are ready and willing, with the expertise, to drive them forward. To have the impact the government desires, there must be joined-up services at the local level, collaboration nationally across government departments and investment to follow.”

 Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University, said:

“The Government’s ambition to support more individuals to return to the labour market has a welcome focus on young people and those with long-term health conditions.

“Prioritising improvements to Jobcentres, the reforms rightly aim to make it easier for those out of work – whether claiming Universal Credit or not – to access tailored employment support, training and skills development. Ensuring that local decision-makers have the powers and funding to design and deliver more of this support will be key to ensuring interventions are better tailored to the needs of communities.

“Overall, the success of these measures will depend on wider changes to the benefits system to de-risk the journey back to employment. Government must ensure that those with long-term health issues are not inadvertently pushed into insecure and low-quality work which may only serve to worsen their condition in the long run. And it is critical that those with health conditions do not face the risk of losing their welfare entitlements should they attempt to return to the labour market and yet are unable to sustain work over the medium to long-term.

“Equally these reforms provide an opportunity to ensure that those in receipt of Universal Credit are supported to prioritise training and skills development opportunities that could help them enter more secure and sustained employment in the future.

“And while it is positive that the Government intends to review the role of employers in creating healthy and inclusive workplaces for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses, this must underpin a much bigger focus from Government and employers on retaining people in the workplace to begin with. Over the last year, on average 128 people per day have become economically inactive due to ill health. Without urgent action to stem this tide of people leaving the labour market, these reforms are unlikely to succeed.

“There remain significant questions over the Government’s intentions to reform the Work Capability Assessment, which could yet impact over 400,000 people. And as the economic and financial landscape is likely to remain highly challenging, it’s vital that we now see a commitment to longer term funding for these reforms as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.”

Dr. Deirdre Hughes OBE, Director dmh associates and CareerChat (UK), Said:

“The success of this plan will rely on local partners having new freedoms and resources to ensure trustworthy careers information, advice and impartial guidance is more readily available, intertwined in local employability and careers support programmes for young people and adults getting into and getting on in work. This requires a culture change, investment in professionalisation of the workforce, and whole systems thinking.”

Dr. Jon Hiscock, CEO of British headquartered- Fundamentals comments: 

“The youth guarantee is a step towards changing the perception of practical on-the-job training and apprenticeships. Both vocational qualifications and technical training are a viable way to enter high-growth industries facing a skills shortage. And young people should be encouraged to be open-minded when considering their options. 

“For example, there is an enormous shortage of engineers – around 173,000 according to the IET. And the shortage is only expected to increase in industries like energy and electricity as the transition to net zero accelerates. Hundreds of thousands more jobs are being created in everything from wind and solar generation to energy distribution, storage and green hydrogen.  

“Companies like ours are increasingly offering a wide range of training and apprenticeship schemes for young people, which combine paid work with on the job learning and further education. And there are multiple options for gaining engineering-related qualifications in technical schools and colleges. 

“For those students who want an interesting career with good prospects, and have a leaning towards STEM subjects, an apprenticeship in engineering could be a great fit. It equips school-leavers with the skills and qualifications to develop a worthwhile career and contribute to the nation’s economic prosperity – and green agenda.”