Regional Studies Association
1998 Annual Lecture
Given by the Secretary of State for Social Security
WELFARE TO WORK
Tuesday 15th September 1998
London Voluntary Sector Resource Centre, Holloway Road, London.
This year the Annual Lecture of the Regional Studies Association will
focus on Welfare to Work. The connection between welfare policy and
the operation of the labour market has come under scrutiny since the
election of the Labour Government in 1997, and a major policy
initiative, the "New Deal for Welfare to Work", is designed to
reconnect people to the labour market and to mainstream opportunities.
It targets such groups as the young unemployed (18-24 years), single
mothers, and the long-term unemployed. It has a budget of £5.2 billion
over five years, and is now operating nationally (from April 1998) in
urban and rural areas. "Welfare to Work" offers advice and "intensive"
job search for the unemployed in the initial stages and after six
months there are further options including the option of
self-employment.
The programme of measures has been welcomed by the TUC, although with
some reservations about the "benefit plus" system of payment to
employees. Further, they express concern that participants who find
work in the voluntary sector or who take the environmental task force
option should be paid the rate for the job (TUC 1998). The TUC also
make the point that it is particularly important to address the
problems of the economically inactive, "making provision for the
economically inactive is particularly important to achieve gender
equity in support: at least 80 per cent of adult long-term unemployed
people are male, but 60 per cent of the 25-65 age group who want a job
but are not actively looking for work are female" (TUC 1998, 4).
Other criticisms made of the programme are that it is solely aimed at
the supply-side of the labour market (Peck 1998; Turok and Webster
1998). Moreover, the success of the scheme will be difficult to gauge
and jobs may be taken away form other workers by 'New Dealers' as a
result of the training subsidies on offer to employers (The Economist
1998). Turok and Webster (1998, 310) emphasise that the effectiveness
of the programme may be affected by the failure of policy makers to
take into account, "the uneven geography of unemployment in the UK".
The "New Deal for Welfare to Work" is different in that it has brought
poverty and unemployment together, arguing that work is the main route
out of social exclusion. Moreover, it is at the heart of the
Government's economic, social, employment and skills policies and
reforms of the Welfare State.
We are delighted to announce that the Secretary of State for Social
Security has agreed to give the keynote speech at the Annual Lecture.
References
ECONOMIST, 1998, 'Unemployment : Work Out How will we know if the New
Deal Works?, 4th April PECK, J. A. (1998) New Labourers? Making a New
Deal for the 'workless class'. Paper presented at the Annual
Conference of the Royal Geographical Society/Institute of British
Geographers Guildford 5-8 January 1998 TUC (1998) TUC Comments on the
New Deal, London: Congress House TUROK, I., and WEBSTER, D. (1998) The
New Deal: Jeopardised by the geography of unemployment? Local Economy
February pp 309-328
Programme for the Day
10.30 Registration and Coffee
10.50 Introduction and welcome
Gordon Dabinett, Chair, Regional Studies Association
11.00 Professor Jamie Peck, University of Manchester
Welfare to Work: learning from the United States experience
11.45 Secretary of State for Social Security
Welfare to Work: the United Kingdom Experience
12.30 Lunch
1.45 Professor Ivan Turok, University of Glasgow
Welfare to Work and the Geography of Unemployment
2.30 Olivia Grant, Chief Executive, Tyneside TEC
Welfare to Work: towards the Millennium
3.00 Rev. Chris Beales, Churches Regional Commission
Welfare to Work and the Future of Work
3.30 Panel Session: Jamie Peck, Ivan Turok, Olivia Grant and Rev.
Chris Beales Panel Chair: Gordon Dabinett
4.00 Annual Lecture closes
Seminar Charges
RSA Members £80.00
RSA Non-members £100.00
Students £30.00
Enquiries to:
Conference Office, Regional Studies Association, Wharfdale Projects,
15, Micawber Street, London N1 7TB, Tel: + 44 (0) 171 490 1128 Fax: +
44 (0) 171 253 0095 E-mail: [log in to unmask] Web site:
http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk
The Regional Studies Association is a registered charity (Number
252269)
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|
