What is the SNP doing to help people get back into work?

The Scottish Government’s national strategic partnership framework for responding to redundancy situations, PACE, ensures that local and public sector agencies respond to potential and proposed redundancies as quickly and as effectively as possible.

We continue to fund short courses that lead to work or career progression, and we are boosting training opportunities for this group. In government we are working closely with Skills Development Scotland (SDS) who offer an all age careers service within Scotland, providing older workers with specific guidance and advice to get back into work or providing costs towards learning and training opportunities through Individual Learning Accounts.

Using new powers, transitional employment support services, Work First Scotland and Work Able Scotland, were launched this year. In 2017-18 an additional £20 million of funding for the services will ensure up to 4,800 disabled people and people with health conditions will receive help to get into work. The schemes will be voluntary so participants will no longer face the threat of Tory benefit sanctions if they are using our services.

To tie in with this approach, the Scottish Government has also announced a new £2.5 million fund to help people access employment and training. The Employability Innovation and Integration Fund will support 13 projects across Scotland that support people with additional barriers to work, including homelessness, criminal convictions or mental ill-health.