South West Regional Skills Enterprise and Employment Analysis 2007/2008
Final Report
6.5 Disadvantaged groups
Evidence shows that employment among groups such as lone parents, those from some ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities remain significantly below the national average, although the gap has narrowed over the past decade.
These persistent disparities in employment rates and labour market opportunities mean that these groups have not shared fully in past increases in prosperity. Economic inactivity also represents a waste of potential. As the population ages, workers from such ‘non-traditional’ sources of labour will become an increasingly important source of labour.
The Objective 3 South West Regional Development Plan 2000-2006 (revised 2005)(103) points to a number of groups within the South West region that can be described as disadvantaged in terms of their ability to access the labour market or secure employment. These are presented in Table 17.
Table 17: Groups which may experience difficulty
| Long-term unemployment people | Unemployed people |
| Employed people faced with redundancy | Employed people faced with re-structuring |
| People aged over 50 | People without viable skills |
| People in rural areas | People encountering consequential effects of unforeseen major events |
| People with disabilities | Drug dependants |
| People with literacy and numeracy problems and related disorders e.g. ADD syndrome | Ex-offenders |
| Young people (13-19) at risk of exclusion from school | Single parents (either sex) |
| Women returners | Carers for long-term ill, disabled/adults |
| People with ESOL needs | Homeless people |
| Migrants | Asylum-seekers and refugees. |
Table 18: Barriers
| Compound and multiple disadvantage | Exclusion and self-exclusion often occasioned by several causes |
| Stereotyping and attitudes towards specific groups | Low expectations |
| Lack of local identification and location data – need for research glass ceilings | Domestic and dependant responsibilities |
| Lack of facilities childcare | Employment conditions |
| Skill levels and mismatches, restricted labour market mobility (physically) inaccessible | Working/training environments |
| Age | Residential location |
| Absence of transport services, access to services | Income constraints |
| Housing | Lack of equal opportunities for all. |
| Poor health | Employers’ attitudes |
| Recruitment practices | Discouraged workers |
| Bureaucracy | Seasonal working |
| Periods of institutional care | Education failure |
| Cyclical deprivation: ‘no job, no money, no home and therefore, no job’ | Community (infrastructure) degradation. |
| Discrimination |
Figure 25 below shows the differential employment rates for disadvantaged groups nationally. The employment rate for unqualified people has been the only indicator of disadvantage to have worsened over the last ten years, and it has further worsened over the last year. This is also an indicator that the level of demand by employers for low-skilled workers is falling. However, the demand for low-skilled labour in the UK will continue to decline, further worsening the labour market position of the low-skilled. It further indicates that this is an area where action will need to be taken to tackle low skills if the falling employment rate is to be tackled. Interestingly employment rates for ethnic minorities (both UK and non-UK nationals) is higher than that for the equivalent white population.
Figure 25: Employment rates of disadvantaged groups
Source: CESI, Working Brief, June 2006
One of the few policy instruments at government’s disposal is Train to Gain. The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion (CESI) has observed that, despite the existence of the national protocol, there is still insufficient connection between LSC and JC+ provision. They suggest that one way to correct this is to focus Train to Gain firmly on low-skilled claimants who move into work. Train to Gain skill brokers should be responsible for following up employers who recruit Jobcentre Plus customers.
Another group facing disadvantage is ex-offenders. Data for the period from January 2004 up to and including December 2004(104) indicates that of the 4,947 prisoners intending to return to the South West (out of 8,986 released from 13 prisons in the South West):
- 28% of prisoners were released from custody into some form of employment (including full and part time work, temporary and casual employment and self-employment) (25);
- 4% of prisoners were expecting to commence either a full or part-time education or training programme upon release. Of these, 46% were young offenders (26);
- Approximately two-thirds (68%) of all prisoners released and intending to resettle in the South West were released without any form of employment or education/training secured for release.
One of the major challenges for the region looking forward will be to ensure that all groups share more fairly in labour market opportunities. This will provide businesses with a larger pool of labour, allowing a higher sustainable rate of growth, and allow everyone the chance to improve their pay and career prospects.
Conclusions
Barriers continue to exist for significant groups of people within the
labour market. It is critical that the RSP and partners address inequality,
in terms of access for certain groups to training and employment and
ensures that ESF is available to target this need.
(103) ESF Objective 3 Regional Development Plan, 2000-2006,
GOSW, 2005
(104) Reducing Re-offending partnership South West
