The UK government is set to introduce skills “boot camps” to train unemployed individuals for jobs in sectors such as hospitality, social care and logistics.
The initiative, announced by Mel Stride, Secretary for Work and Pensions, aims to address the potential shortage of workers resulting from the crackdown on migrant visas.
Stride will highlight that the UK has, for too long, relied on labor from abroad, and stress the need to tap into the “invisible army” of British workers. This approach forms part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on foreign workers by harnessing local talent.
The boot camps will initially target 1.5 million unemployed individuals who are actively looking for work. However, the government intends to expand the program to include 2.8 million long-term patients and others currently outside the workforce.
Stride expressed concern about the rise in “hidden unemployment” and the economically inactive population, which includes seven million people who are not in work or school. He stressed the importance of integrating these individuals into the workforce to help them reap the financial, social and health benefits of employment.
Last week, Stride and Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt stressed there were “great opportunities” for the unemployed and set out plans to help them find work. The new visa rules, which are expected to reduce immigration by 300,000 people a year, represent a challenge for certain sectors but also an opportunity for local job seekers to fill these roles.
Job center training schemes, skills training camps and revised recruitment rules will be used to fill vacant positions with British workers. The government also aims to encourage employers to make simple changes to attract workers, such as improving access to public toilets to encourage more women to drive heavy vehicles.
Funding for these initiatives will come from the £2.5 billion allocated to existing return-to-work programmes, such as the Restart Scheme, which provides tailored job support for the long-term unemployed. The government adopts a carrot-and-stick approach, threatening to cut off aid to unemployed individuals who do not accept job offers after 12 months of support.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is positioning social care reform as a key issue in the upcoming election, arguing that Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer will avoid making the changes needed to reduce the costs of sickness benefits and encourage people to return to work.
Alison McGovern, Labour's acting work and pensions secretary, criticized the Conservatives' approach, saying: “The Conservatives have sapped our skills and training system. We now have record levels of net migration. They should put in place appropriate plans to address the labor shortage and embrace the Labor Party's plans.” Labor to link the immigration system to skills, not create another shop to talk Labor has a plan to make Britain work by cutting NHS waiting lists, reforming jobcentres, making work work and supporting people into good jobs.
This new initiative represents a major effort by the UK government to address the looming labor shortage caused by stricter immigration policies, with a focus on tapping into local talent through targeted training and support programmes.