Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
5
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
It has yet to be seen what effect the Science and Technology Framework recently announced by the Government will have on digital skills development. We call on the Government to bring forward a new data poverty and digital skills strategy that will, amongst other things, set out how workers will …
Government response. The government commits to delivering the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) from academic year 2025/26, providing individuals with a loan entitlement for post-18 education. This will include phased modular funding initially targeting Higher Technical Qualifications and other technical qualifications at levels …
Department for Business and Trade
18
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We conclude that the outdated legal construction of work—namely full or part-time work—is preventing many people who wish to be economically active from being so. For many workers who do work more flexibly, or on a freelance basis, they are not afforded the rights and protections that full or part-time …
Government response. The government agrees on the importance of flexible work and points to advice published by its Flexible Working Taskforce in December 2021 on good practice, but does not commit to reconsidering an Employment Bill or creating new legal constructions of …
Department for Business and Trade
21
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We believe that the Government should take more of a lead in providing protection for workers from any damaging effects from night-time working. As a first step, we recommend that the Government should commission an investigation into the health and safety implications of night-time working.
Government response. The government recognizes the potential impacts of night-time and shift work and notes that HSE provides guidance, but has no current plans to commission a specific investigation.
Department for Business and Trade
24
Conclusion
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We conclude that enforcement of labour market rules is wholly inadequate—not because enforcers or regulators are not performing, but because they are under- resourced and not given the priority they deserve for legislative reform.
Government response. The government acknowledges the importance of effective dispute resolution and details specific measures taken to address Employment Tribunal backlogs and capacity, including recruiting new judges and caseworkers, deploying virtual platforms, and making operational changes.
Department for Business and Trade
33
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We welcome the Government’s support for the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill, we reiterate what we have said earlier in this report that a right to request flexible working is a right to decline. We urge more employers to specify, when advertising job vacancies, that a role may be suitable …
Government response. The government response details existing and planned programmes like Returnerships, accelerated apprenticeships, and Skills Bootcamps aimed at supporting adults over 50 re-entering the workforce, and highlights the role of the National Careers Service. It does not address the specific recommendation …
Department for Business and Trade
35
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We recommend that the Government conducts a review into the future reform of jobcentres and to assess whether a public employment service offers better solutions in alternative settings (as well as online) that will improve the accessibility and quality of employment advice for people over 50.
Government response. The government states it is promoting returnerships pathways (SWAPs, skills bootcamps, apprenticeships) for the over 50s through Jobcentre Plus and Work Coaches, and will monitor uptake. It does not commit to conducting a review into the future reform of jobcentres …
Department for Business and Trade
36
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
It is clear that to succeed in retaining or re-integrating people aged over 50 in the workforce, there needs to be a better understanding of what that age cohort wants from work. We recommend that the Government considers a dedicated resource, similar to the silver human resource centres in Japan, …
Government response. The government states it is updating its labour market evidence base and exploring online service delivery, while also highlighting its existing '50PLUS Choices' offer, Business Champion for Older Workers, and Menopause Employment Champion that already provide support for older workers.
Department for Business and Trade
38
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We welcome the expansion of the mid-life MOT. We agree that it is important that people in their 40s and 50s should get a reality check on their finances and health to help them make better-informed decisions about their next steps in work and prepare for retirement. We ask the …
Government response. The government highlights the success of Automatic Enrolment in increasing pension saving, including for young people, and states its ambition to expand the framework for 18-21-year-olds through legislative support for a Private Members' Bill, rather than creating a new 'mid-life …
Department for Business and Trade
39
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
If returnerships are to attract older workers and to be effective in bringing them back into the workforce, they will need to offer a decent package of training. They will need to value and recognise the skills that older workers already bring to their new workplace, while seeking to provide …
Government response. The government states that returnerships, comprising apprenticeships, skills bootcamps, and sector-based work academies, already offer flexible, accelerated, and sector-based training options. It also highlights the National Careers Service for career support, describing how existing provisions align with some recommended effectiveness …
Department for Business and Trade
40
Recommendation
Tenth Report - Post-pandemic economic g…
Accepted
We recommend that Government departments, and the wider public sector, lead from the front on the returnership initiative. Offering returnerships in the Civil Service, in the NHS and in education, for example, will give the private sector confidence that it is a successful model worth the financial investment.
Government response. The government highlights that apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps already support older workers in the public sector, noting year-on-year increases in apprenticeships and ongoing work with employers to utilise these training options, without committing to a new initiative explicitly called 'returnerships' …
Department for Business and Trade