• Government meets its recruitment pledge – putting in place the country’s biggest ever Jobs Army.
• In one of the fastest ever Government recruitment rounds – the DWP signs up 13,500 new Work Coaches to help people back into work.
• The Jobs Army will ensure jobseekers get more personalised support to help find their next role, or upskill to expanding sectors.

In one of the government’s fastest and largest ever recruitment rounds, the government has met its pledge to recruit 13,500 new Work Coaches which will boost jobseeker support in towns and cities across Britain, from Aberdeen to St Austell. Work Coaches are providing jobseekers with tailored support to build their skills, develop CVs and find new jobs in expanding sectors.

The milestone comes as the government’s Plan for Jobs goes from strength to strength, already creating 150,000 Kickstart jobs for young people, and support for 80,000 jobseekers through the sector-based work academy programme which helps people find work in new sectors.

Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said:

Britain’s Jobs Army is ready to support people back into work and every jobseeker in the country will have the help they need, whatever their circumstances. With our Plan for Jobs in action we are building back better, helping families everywhere get back on their feet.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said:

I have met many of our incredible work coaches this year and seen first-hand the integral role they play in our Plan for Jobs – helping people back into work right across the country. That’s why I am delighted that we have reached this important milestone today – helping more jobseekers find new opportunities, protecting livelihoods, and supporting our economic recovery.

Eugene Williams, Work Coach based in Blackburn said:

What drives me as a Work Coach is knowing the positive difference I’m making to people’s lives – and most importantly, getting it right for my customers. It’s so satisfying seeing how I’ve helped that person secure their next opportunity in life and onto a path of even more prospects.

Throughout the pandemic, Work Coaches have been providing online support. With the boosted Jobs Army now in place, and ahead of restrictions easing, the Department for Work and Pensions is also investing in temporary jobcentres for the new recruits, ensuring as many people as possible can access the right support.

Along with helping people improve their CV, interview chances and job searches, Work Coaches also improve jobseekers’ chances of success through the government’s Plan for Jobs:

The £2 billion Kickstart scheme puts young people receiving benefits first in line for new, high quality, six-month roles provided by employers from all sectors. The job placements give them a wage for the duration and the chance to build their experience and professional networks.

The £238 million JETS programme targets those out of work for three months with a range of help from expert providers, including specialist advice on how people can move into growing sectors.

Increased support for 80,000 jobseekers of all ages through the Sector-based Work Academy Programme will help people learn new skills through a mixture of work experience and training, followed by a guaranteed interview for a real job.

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Featuring the views of regular users of military training areas, the hard-hitting film is part of Respect the Range, a public safety campaign to protect the public and soldiers, and limit disruption to military training.

The campaign, which is targeting Salisbury Plain and Aldershot before being rolled out further, aims to raise the public’s awareness and understanding of the very real risks to personal safety when using military land.

It is also being supported by Julia Bradbury, the TV presenter and outdoor walking enthusiast, who was not aware of the potential risks of accessing military training areas until watching the Respect the Range film.

Read the full Respect The Range film transcript (ODT, 8.09KB).

The new film features visitors discussing how they use the land, as well as military personnel and DIO training safety staff sharing the, sometimes unseen, dangers they can face. These risks include live firing, unexploded ordnance and fast-moving military vehicles. In recent years training estate staff have reported an increase in visitors straying from public footpaths and rights of way on military training areas, endangering their own lives as well as anyone who is with them, including children and pets.

Accessing the military estate when and where it is not safe to also puts Service personnel at risk, and often interrupts vital training exercises, impacting on the armed forces’ ability to prepare to deploy in real-life situations.

The recent COVID-19 restrictions have made it more likely that people are exploring their local area, including military land, for the first time. As new visitors to the land, it is vitally important that they understand and appreciate the risks to their personal safety.

To protect themselves and stay safe, visitors are being asked to make sure they check training times before they travel and to observe safety information including red flags, signs and byelaws while they are there.

Brigadier Jonathan Bartholomew, DIO’s Head of Overseas Region and the Defence Training Estate, said:

The MOD supports access to military land and respects the public’s enthusiasm for wanting to explore it. In return, this campaign asks everyone to respect the very real dangers associated with doing so. Whether they’re dog walkers, mountain bikers or ramblers, everyone must stick to access routes and check live training and firing times before heading out.

If a red flag is flying then access to that area is prohibited, as some form of training will be taking place. By abiding by these simple rules, everyone has a part to play in helping to ensure that we can all enjoy the land safely, and the military can train uninterrupted.

Julia Bradbury, TV personality and outdoor walking enthusiast, said:

While I love being in nature and exploring different landscapes, there are always things to be aware of: It’s not just about shutting gates and having a map, because some walking trails can take you through potentially dangerous military training areas.

DIO oversees beautiful countryside that’s worth exploring. The Respect the Range film shows the risks and it’s important to check training times and observe safety information to avoid possible harm.

View the Respect the Range film

For more information on accessing the training estate safely, visit the GOV,UK site on Accessing the training estate safely.

The Education Secretary has today (29 March) confirmed his request that Ofsted step up its inspection programme over the summer term, with a view to returning to a full programme of inspections from September 2021.

During the summer term, the majority of Ofsted’s activity will continue to be lighter-touch monitoring inspections, as have been in place since January, with a fuller inspection only taking place where there has been a clear improvement from a current Inadequate or Requires Improvement rating, or where there are serious concerns, particularly in relation to safeguarding.

This approach balances the needs of parents and carers to have confidence that standards are being met, alongside schools’ and the wider education sector’s continued prioritisation of their students’ recovery from the impact of the pandemic.

Ofsted has set out further detail of its plans for the summer term here, covering the full range of its inspection activity, including state and independent schools, further education providers, early years and initial teacher training.

Ofsted is currently running pilot inspections, as it finalises its approach to making sure inspections and judgements over the summer term are sensitive to the context of the pandemic. Ofsted will publish its updated inspection handbooks next month.

The Department is expecting schools and other settings to be returning as quickly as possible to a full breadth and depth of provision, whilst considering additional interventions that need to be put in place to meet students’ needs in light of the pandemic, for example around attendance or behaviour policies that support young people to quickly re-engage with education. This will be particularly important in helping students who have fallen behind to receive academic and pastoral support, which can only happen when students are in regular attendance at school or college.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

I have asked Ofsted to resume inspections in the summer term in a way that is fair and proportionate to schools and other settings that we know are still emerging from the immediate impact of the pandemic, whilst making sure parents have the necessary reassurance that only Ofsted can bring.

I will continue working closely with HM Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, to make sure plans are in place as we work towards the inspection regime returning in full from September.