Gordon Brown is to set out measures designed to achieve “a British job for every British worker” at this week’s TUC Congress.
In his first speech to the conference as prime minister, Brown will reveal plans to create 500,000 new jobs for British workers, bringing the UK closer to full employment than ever before.
He will also set out details of a scheme, unveiled by home secretary Jacqui Smith, to make more migrants from outside the European Union pass English language tests before being allowed to work in the UK.
The language requirements currently imposed on highly-skilled migrants from outside the EU will be extended to cover skilled migrants, Brown is expected to announce, with a review being launched into whether it should also apply to low-skilled workers.
Measures are also afoot to expand an employment partnership scheme linking major employers with local JobCentres.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The prime minister believes that, with jobs today available for more than 30 million people in the country, we can – if we make the right decisions – advance closer to full employment than ever before in our history, so that there is a British job for every British worker.
“That is why he has been working with [work and pensions secretary] Peter Hain and [chancellor] Alistair Darling to bring forward a package of measures to fast-track British workers into the vacancies available in the economy.”
Also included in the measures are plans to fast-track lone parents back into work, and offer young people who left school this summer a guarantee of a place on a pre-apprenticeship course or in college by the end of September.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
The spokesman added: “In total, the government believes that if we are able to implement all of these measures, an extra 500,000 British jobs could be created for British workers.”
The prime minister’s office said all teenagers will be approached to make sure they are taking up training opportunities.
