Caroline Crowther, DWP City Strategy

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Caroline Crowther, DWPCity Strategy
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Labour market position

• We have a strong labour market, since 1997
• number of people in work up by over 2 ½ million
• numbers on out of work benefits fallen by over
  900 thousand
• Youth long term claimant unemployment virtually
  eradicated
• UK has one of the highest employment rates in the
  world higher than the US, Japan, Germany,
  France and Italy
• But inactivity remains too high in a strong
  economy

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Numbers on Welfare Benefits
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And employment is lowest in the cities
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Jobs are key to breaking cycle of deprivation
Healthy labour market
Higher employment rate
Less poverty
Better health
Better skills and education
Positive role models
Better schools
Positive peer pressure
Less crime and antisocial behaviour
Better environment
More popular neighbourhood
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Therefore need to work more effectively to
increase employment in Cities
Local authority
City Consortia
Jobcentre Plus
Learning and Skills Council
RDA
Primary Care Trust
Employers
and other partners
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City Strategy is testing

• Devolution more local decision making
• Flexibility challenging the national framework
  
• Partnership public, private and voluntary
  sectors, and employers
• Pooling resource DWP and local employment and
  skills expenditure

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in 15 locations
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So how have we done this?

• Strategy and planning phase April 06-May 07
• Areas invited to bid for city strategy status-
  variation in size
• Seedcorn money given to 15 successful pathfinders
  to build capacity at local level
• Business plans developed, reviewed and agreed
  with DWP
• Targets- employment and benefit reduction- agreed
  with pathfinders

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So how have we done this?

• Delivery phase June 07-April 09
• Devolved delivery using deprived areas fund
• Learning network- share best practice, generate
  innovation
• Flexibilities granted
• - influence over Pathways to Work
• - increased access to training
• - improved data sharing

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Lessons learnt- issues for MAA development

• Sub regional approach is proving helpful in
  tacking employment issues
• But partnership working is difficult- balancing
  objectives of local areas with those of national
  organisations
• Needs support from central government
• Need to consider level of Geography- making links
  with LAAs and using the Government Offices
• Setting the right targets and incentives