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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

Elizabeth understands what it takes to make these kinds of changes. She’s pushed me into a slightly more positive position about today’s review - but we’re all concerned that none of the change it promises will come to fruit quickly.

Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 1d

"Employers need to do more to help people stay in work and return to work, and we know that when employers get it right, it benefits everybody."

L&W Deputy Director @elizabethgerard.bsky.social responds to the Keep Britain Working Review. ✍️

Responding to the Keep Britain Working Review - Learning and Work Institute

learningandwork.org.uk

Reposted by Emily Andrews

Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 1d

"Employers need to do more to help people stay in work and return to work, and we know that when employers get it right, it benefits everybody."

L&W Deputy Director @elizabethgerard.bsky.social responds to the Keep Britain Working Review. ✍️

Responding to the Keep Britain Working Review - Learning and Work Institute

learningandwork.org.uk

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

Feat. me hard at work improving my line management skills using a genuinely (and I must admit surprisingly, to me) useful AI tool…

Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · 1d

Today, we’re at Portcullis House to discuss our #GetTheNationLearning campaign with parliamentarians!

Thanks to our partners @ufitrust.bsky.social @citylit.bsky.social @aoc-info.bsky.social and Multiverse.

Find out more and sign our charter: getthenationlearning.org.uk/get-the-nati...

Reposted by Emily Andrews

The WEA @weaadulted.bsky.social · 1d

In celebration of Get The Nation Learning Week, we’ve put together a blog about five famous lifelong learners whose passion for learning has inspired millions to continuously explore and seek new knowledge: bit.ly/4974xLt #GetTheNationLearning @learnworkuk.bsky.social

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

As someone who has worked outside Gvt trying to create employer change, I don’t see anything here that harnesses the unique power of Gvt to actually do things.

So it all reads as sensible - it’s sort of what I would do - but I am not The Government!

Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

Today’s Keep Britain Working Review essentially recommends Government takes a “What Works” approach to work and health.

My headline: really sorry to say this is a missed opportunity for the goodwill and legitimacy Sir Charlie has generated over the course of this review to deliver actual change.

Keep Britain Working: Final report

www.gov.uk

Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

There is my snap take: keep eyes peeled for more considered views from @learnworkuk.bsky.social colleagues later today!

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Keep Britain Working: Final report

www.gov.uk

Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

To succeed, his proposals rely on politicians having more courage in the run-up to the next SR to deliver major change than they have now. I don’t see anything here that will hold their feet to the fire on that.

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

What this report misses is that the goodwill and legitimacy generated by Sir Charlie was not “business as usual”, & will be very difficult to sustain without him.

He is confident about employers staying the course and jumping on Board - but he was the one bringing them to the table.

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

It’s hard not to be disappointed. Essentially, this review asks for an extension of the existing review - a longer-term programme of evidence- and coalition-building.

The Work and Health unit in DWP/DHSC has existed for many years - how would this new unit truly be different?

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

Beyond that, the reccs are tentative.

There are hints at employer incentives, fit note reforms, a new market-led support intervention - but these are all to come only after the “Intelligence Unit” has worked them up and delivered the case.

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

The core recommendation here is to create a “Work and Health Intelligence Unit”

This would aim to generate an evidence base: building the case for the *actual* change that the report suggests is necessary, working alongside a coalition of willing “Vanguard employers” initially to test things out.

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 1d

Today’s Keep Britain Working Review essentially recommends Government takes a “What Works” approach to work and health.

My headline: really sorry to say this is a missed opportunity for the goodwill and legitimacy Sir Charlie has generated over the course of this review to deliver actual change.

Keep Britain Working: Final report

www.gov.uk

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 3d

Read more from our Adult Participation in Learning survey, and find out more about how to get involved in the movement, here:

getthenationlearning.org.uk

getthenationlearning.org.uk

Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · 3d

It's Get the Nation Learning week!

We need learning to help us thrive and grow - as individuals and as an economy.

It should be an engine of progress, but right now it's deepening inequalities. People with the most money do the most learning; people with less do the least. That holds us all back.

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Reposted by Emily Andrews

Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · Sep 30

New target for 2/3 young people to do HE or an apprenticeship is probably broadly sensible (abolishing 50% HE target that doesn’t exist is about headlines). But is it ambitious? 25% of YP already do apprenticeships. 50% do HE. Some overlap & likely app drop since this data. But just describing now?

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 30

Is it churlish of me to immediately start wondering what level apprenticeships will count?

Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · Sep 30

Valuing people for different choices they make about their education and ensuring dignity and respect for all is a powerful theme.

Two thirds into university or apprenticeships a brilliant target.

And we need to support the choices of the other third.

Education section of this speech v.strong.

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 30

Running the leaflet gauntlet at political conferences is always a challenge, but I don’t remember ever being confronted with leafletting CHILDREN before.

How are you supposed to stone-facedly walk past a 10-year old trying to hand you a leaflet about child poverty…

Reposted by Emily Andrews

Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · Sep 28

Pleased to see the Government funding work placements for long-term NEETs, like Future Jobs Fund. As I say in Times, q’s on detail re eligibility (should be open on voluntary basis to young UC health claimants) & placements (how long, which employers, what support). www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Young people to lose benefits if they refuse job offers

Rachel Reeves is to announce a plan to seek out young people not in work or training, and ‘abolish’ long-term youth unemployment

www.thetimes.com

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 29

There's a few ways you can cut it - there are more young people who claim UC, but fall into the 'economically inactive' bucket.

A starting point could be to open out the offer to them. And then try and engage the 50%ish of NEETs that aren't claiming any kind of benefit whatsoever. Where are they?

Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 29

This is of course great news.

But worth noting limited eligibility: UC claimants out of work for 18 months.

As our recent research showed, only 1 in 3 unemployed NEETs actually claim UC. To really tackle youth unemployment, we need to reach the rest.

learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 28

A great thread - and one that is more relevant to labour market policy than you might think.

The concern about economic inactivity has renewed interest in engaging people in employment support outside JCP.

But in order to do that, you have to rebuild some of the missing community infrastructure…

Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · Sep 28

The govt published its strategy to revitalise local communities last week

There is a heavy focus on directing funding to high streets and community spaces, which is part of the reason for declining "pride in place"

But it seems misguided for a few reasons

Short thread

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Pride in Place Strategy

The Pride in Place Strategy will help build stronger communities, create thriving places and empower local people.

www.gov.uk

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Reposted by Emily Andrews

Learning and Work Institute @learnworkuk.bsky.social · Sep 22

In @thetimes.com, L&W chief exec @stephenevans.bsky.social welcomes the Government's plans to increase job support for people on sickness benefits.

Stephen said this would refocus support to people who get little help today, but called for a broader plan to engage people and offer a range of help.

Sickness benefits claimants will get training in push for return to work

About half of those on the highest level of incapacity benefits cite mental health problems

www.thetimes.com

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Reposted by Emily Andrews

John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · Sep 11

It’s journalism’s obesogenic environment problem.

Everyone knows you’re meant to eat your greens (speak to domain experts, double-check), but social media has created a sea of cheap and convenient (open an app), hyper-palatable (sensationalised, alarmist), nutrient-poor (dubious veracity) options.

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Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 10

There's so much more in the full report, funded by the Youth Futures Foundation. One where it's worth reading the meat, not just the summary...

learningandwork.org.uk/resources/re...

The Youth Guarantee and the benefits system - Learning and Work Institute

learningandwork.org.uk

Emily Andrews @emilyishness.bsky.social · Sep 10

Forensic work by @elizabethgerard.bsky.social & co.

Key recommendations:
⚫scrap delay of UC health entitlements to 22
⚫extra hour of work coach time for young UC claimants (cost £80m)
⚫recognise lvl 3 learning in work search obligations (pilot cost £40m)
⚫*sustained* outcomes in JCP perf management

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