Latest News

In this section you will find key news about the welfare to work and adult training and skills sector, from local delivery and national policy level and all things around about and in between (also see archive at the bottom of this page). 

We would welcome your ideas for news stories as well as contributions from other organisations, so if you want to contribute please complete our Contact Us form.

£1b Youth Contract

25 November 2011

Following Nick Clegg's announcement yesterday, Ian Duncan Smith has now formally announced details of the Youth Contract offering nearly £1b of new money to be invested in helping 16-24 year old… More…

Work Capability Assessment - Year Two

24 November 2011

Today has seen the publication of Professor Malcolm Harrington's second review into the Work Capability Assessment.  Among other things this review was tasked with examining the mental, inte… More…

Welcome news on Apprenticeships

16 November 2011

Coinciding with the announcement of a record high in youth unemployment, the Government has today announced that it will offer employers with up to 50 employees an incentive payment of up to &pou… More…

Community Action Programme - Further Details

14 November 2011

More information has been released by DWP on the Community Action Programme through the publication of the Equality Impact Assessment on Friday.   The trailblazers in Derbyshire; Lincolnsh… More…

Volunteering England & the Work Programme

9 November 2011

Volunteering England have published details of their complaint to Chris Grayling regarding the way that some prime contractors are 'passing clients to volunteer centres without payment' and that this … More…

Community Action Programme Announcement

8 November 2011

During his feedback to the House of Commons Liaison Committee on Tuedsay (8th)  entitled Big Society or Broken Society, David Cameron announced new proposals that appear to herald the introd… More…

Ofsted CIF 2012 Consultation

3 November 2011

Ofsted is currently consulting about revised inspection arrangements for FE & Skills from September 2012.  While this no longer impacts on welfare to work provision, it does affect provi… More…

Introduction of Universal Credit

1 November 2011

Iain Duncan Smith has given an update on the timetable for the introduction of Universal Credit which will see nearly twelve million working age benefit claimants migrate onto the new benefits sy… More…