The government’s Work Programme, which launches today, needs the adequate infrastructure to ensure workers are matched with sustainable employment, says Carmen Watson, managing director of welfare-to-work provider Pertemps.

The programme aims to get the long-term unemployed back into work by incentivising companies to take on staff and reintegrating them into the working life.  

Watson says: “Despite widespread optimism, there are still currently 2.6m people out of work, many of whom are long-term unemployed, so this is a huge task. The Work Programme will need to engage and educate employers to a greater extent if it wants to enable sustainable employment and create a competitive market.

“All key stakeholders need to collaborate to minimise any potential risk and chances of failure — this will include co-operation between myriad professionals, including education providers, government, employers and recruitment companies. Only when workers are placed in jobs they can keep in the long term will they become consumers on a wider basis and enable the scheme to pay for itself.

“A vital part of the success of the programme will be the use of expert recruitment companies to administer the selection process. Once the adequate training has taken place, firms such as Pertemps can ensure the candidates are matched with suitable companies and those employers who have invested in creating jobs will be rewarded with the right people.”