Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Latest NewsSickness absenceHR practiceLearning & developmentRecruitment & retention

CBI claims British people need to be made more employable to encourage companies to hire them

by Greg Pitcher 14 Nov 2007
by Greg Pitcher 14 Nov 2007

British people need to be made more employable if the government wants more of them to have jobs, the CBI warned today.

The employers’ body told work and pensions secretary Peter Hain that drastic action was needed to encourage companies to hire British workers.

It said in its submission to the government’s Green Paper on welfare reform that people on sickness benefit needed to be given support, and those with low skill levels required training.

CBI deputy director-general John Cridland said: “The success of the prime minister’s exhortations to employ Britons is dependent on action to make them more employable. If the quality isn’t high enough then no business can or should be expected to choose second best.”

Prime minister Gordon Brown told delegates at the TUC annual congress this year that he would create 500,000 jobs for British workers.

The CBI published four recommendations:

  • Seven-year contracts for welfare-to-work providers, to allow long-term investment in services and staff development.
  • A ‘prime contractor’ model to manage welfare-to-work provision and decide which sub-contractors – from the private, voluntary or public sector – would be most appropriate.
  • The creation of 25 to 30 ‘super districts’ to allow a manageable number of contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions yet encourage providers into the market.
  • The Department for Work and Pensions to improve its commercial capacity, and equip its staff with the necessary procurement and contract management skills.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Cridland added: “The government knows what it has to do. But ministers need the political courage to push through with reforms and help people get back into, and stay in, work.

“Employers are creating job opportunities every day. But they should have the confidence of recruiting from their local communities, which would help tackle social exclusion and lift individuals out of a cycle of benefit dependency.”

CBI
Greg Pitcher

previous post
Association of Chief Police Officers insists officers do not pursue minor offences at expense of serious crime
next post
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warns of e-mail virus being sent to human resources departments in major US firms

You may also like

Day one rights to make 86% more cautious...

14 Sep 2025

Barclays Bank boss warns Reeves over public sector...

12 Sep 2025

MPs probe Asda financial links with workplace lender

12 Sep 2025

Companies named for failing to report gender pay...

12 Sep 2025

Business rates rises could put 100k retail jobs...

12 Sep 2025

How to steer EDI through a ‘permacrisis’

12 Sep 2025

Immigration: ‘Hyundai factory raid is threat to US...

12 Sep 2025

Sainsbury’s manager awarded £60k following colleague’s aggressive behaviour

11 Sep 2025

Slightly shorter working week could reap big benefits

11 Sep 2025

Immigration: record number of sponsor licences revoked

11 Sep 2025

  • Workplace health benefits need to be simplified SPONSORED | Long-term sickness...Read more
  • Work smart – stay well: Avoid unnecessary pain with centred ergonomics SPONSORED | If you often notice...Read more
  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits Live
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise