REC and DWP continue partnership to 2025

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) recently welcomed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (DWP), Rt Hon Esther McVey MP, to meet recruitment industry leaders and to renew the partnership agreement between the REC and the DWP.

Originally established in 2012, the agreement sets out practical ways to share knowledge between the public and private sectors, to benefit employers and jobseekers throughout the UK, to stamp out discrimination, help people to access and progress in work, and to lead the debate on the future of jobs and good work.

The partnership has already enabled recruitment agencies and Jobcentre Plus (JCP) to work together to find solutions to various obstacles that prevent access to work. For example, by collaborating with the JCP, members were able to offer support to jobseekers who found it difficult to get to an interview or workplace because of the lack of affordable and reliable public transport links, and therefore would otherwise turn down the offer of work.

Tom Hadley, director of policy, REC said: “The world of work is rapidly changing, and many of the jobs being undertaken today will simply not exist in seven years. At the same time new jobs are emerging, driven by new technologies such as AI, and the rise of a gig-economy. There has never been a more important time for public and private sector employment experts to come together in pre-empting how the new world of work will impact on businesses and individuals.

“We know that jobs transform lives, and our underlying aim is to establish new building blocks to build the bridge to a future UK jobs market that works”.

Esther McVey MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, added: “I’m delighted to renew this partnership with the REC. As the chair of the REC’s Future of Jobs commission last year it’s vital that we continue to work together to reach our aspirational vision of how we want to shape the jobs market to 2025. I want to ensure that the labour market remains the envy of the world, not just by understanding the future of jobs, but creating real results for individuals who want to develop their skills to capitalise on opportunities.”