LGA calls for devolved employment and skills service

The LGA is calling on the Government to give the necessary powers to councils and combined authorities to help match jobseekers with vacancies.

Its latest research Work Local – Unlocking talent to level up calls for an integrated and devolved employment and skills service and sets out ways Government could improve its approach.

In England, 49 national employment and skills-related schemes or services are managed by multiple Whitehall departments and agencies, delivered over different boundaries by various providers.

The LGA argues that this could instead be better used councils 'working with partners on the ground'.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board, said:

“Our economy is changing rapidly and a record number of vacancies alongside large falls in people in the workforce have combined to create the tightest jobs market in our lifetimes. 

“These changes are not being felt equally across the country, with too many people battling for fewer jobs in some areas while in others, employers are crying out for skilled workers to meet demand. 

“The Government’s ‘one size fits all’ national approach to employment and skills is no longer fit for purpose. Levelling up should mean adapting support to local needs, making it more personalised and joined-up for people seeking work, while recognising the wide variations not just between different parts of the country, but also within them.

“No area should be left behind. Councils and combined authorities – who know their communities best – want to be front and centre in ensuring everyone has the chance to learn new skills and find work, in good jobs needed by local businesses, in the places where they live.”