http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25803006

Unemployed people who lack basic English, maths and computing skills should be stripped of benefits unless they take up training, Labour will say.

Under the plans, all new claimants of Jobseeker’s Allowance would have to sit a basic skills test within six weeks.

The move is set to be unveiled by MP Rachel Reeves in her first major speech as shadow work and pensions secretary.

But the Conservatives accused her of producing an inferior copy of one of their policies.

Labour estimates that about 300,000 people a year could be affected.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

After 13 years of Labour running our education system, many young people looking for work do not have the English and Maths skills they need to get a job”

Conservative spokesman
According to pre-released extracts of the speech, Ms Reeves will say: “We all know that basic skills are essential in today’s jobs market, but the shocking levels of English and maths among too many jobseekers are holding them back from getting work.

“This traps too many jobseekers in a vicious cycle between low paid work and benefits.

“Government plans in this area just aren’t enough. They’re now asking jobseekers who exit the failed Work Programme to take up literacy and numeracy training, three whole years after those people first make a claim for benefits.

“A Labour government will introduce a basic skills test to assess all new claimants for Jobseeker’s Allowance within six weeks of claiming benefits.

“Those who don’t have the skills they need for a job will have to take up training alongside their job search or lose their benefits.

“Labour’s basic skills test will give the long-term unemployed a better chance of finding a job and will help us to earn our way out of the cost-of-living crisis.”

‘Superior’
On Sunday, Labour leader Ed Miliband said it was wrong to “demonise” people on benefits, but there was a minority of people who could work and were not doing so.

He told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “Labour has clear plans to say to every young person who has been unemployed for more than a year that they need to go back into work, and we’ll make sure they get a job, and every older person unemployed for more than two years.

“I think there are lots of people who are looking for work, who are desperate for work and who find that Britain is in the midst of a massive crisis of being able to find work in some places, a big cost-of-living crisis, that our country faces.”

But a Conservative spokesman said: “Labour are copying a Conservative policy that already exists and that is superior to the one they are proposing.

“After 13 years of Labour running our education system, many young people looking for work do not have the English and Maths skills they need to get a job.

“That’s why, starting in some areas at first, anyone aged 18 to 21 signing on without these basic skills will be required to undertake training from day one or lose their benefits.”

Poor Rachel Reeves MP. Her press release on compulsory literacy tests for the jobless is littered with errors

😀

“We all know that basic skills are essential in today’s jobs market, but the shocking levels of English and maths among too many jobseekers of the old style jobs, and jobs in general, where you exchanged your brawn for money are holding them back from getting work.

FTFY
Are they really claiming if everyone got an entry level qualification [ about primary school level tbh] that they would all suddenly find work?
if everyone got level 2 literacy , numeracy and IT unemployment rates would plummet? Its daft to think it will help though it wont harm.

Currently it is 6 months till you have to do this [ skills conditionality] – sooner in many areas – it has not stoppe dus having the long term unemployed..
I work with the unemployed and if there was training course that got them a job then they would all be on it and we would have no unemployed people.
It also depends on the job as to whether these skills are needed
You are a 50 year old brickie what IT skills do you need to do your job? etc

What level IT do you need to work a till, do people’s hair or loads of other jobs

Personally i think it is a massive cash cow for colleges to train folk and there will be next to no change in employment levels as a result of this

the basic problem is
1. there are no jobs
2. those with the fewest skills have the fewest skills – ie they are the least bright job seekers out there – they still will be once they have an entry level qualification

Its not hard to see why folk think training is the solution but in isolation it will achieve next to nothing at considerable expense

PS the work programme is meant to give them the skills for work as was school. Some folk just struggle to learn basic stuff and any employer will see it at interview

the basic problem is

Globalisation, we can outsource low skilled manufacturing to China where the wages are less than our benefits. There isn’t a simple fix without protectionism as if you are competing with people who will work for a few $/day or less, you’re going to struggle to make a business employing low skilled workers back home.

That won’t change a thing, all it means is the least qualified will still be the least qualified. If I was a cynic I would assume it was the Labour party trying to broaden their middle class support.

More pointless, unworkable headline grabbing to appease the Daily Mail reading classes. And In time for them to get apoplectic with rage at Benefits Street tonight. Hurray!

The irony is the middle class is being out sourced / made redundant as well, so another case of Turkeys voting for Christmas. This bashing the poor / unemployed trend is all about creating a bogeyman to distract the people from asking why their standard of living is falling year on year…..

It’ll just be a coincidence that the requirement for a set standard of English will impact immigrants too then?

Globalisation, we can outsource low skilled manufacturing to China where the wages are less than our benefits

Most low paid jobs have a localised requirement and can’t be outsourced.

Most low paid jobs have a localised requirement and can’t be outsourced.

Try telling that to the coal miners….

The coal mining industry was largely lost to country’s that subsidised their own mining industries, as well as a UK government which wanted to wage a war on them to prove a point.

But ultimately its cheaper to import coal from Australia from open cast mining than it is to dig it up from deep uk mines….

The only thing you can’t outsource are services requiring physical presence such as changing a car tyre, everything else is being outsourced (and has been for the last 20 years). The trend is only going to continue unless people realise the consequences and demand change.

But ultimately its currently cheaper to import coal from Australia from open cast mining than it is to dig it up from deep uk mines….

We’re going to be in the poo once the cost of shipping it gets unreasonable.

Hence the resurgence of open cast pits around Ilkeston then, ruining our riding……

It’s the labour party trying to out Tory the Tories, sad day for those affected. That said, those who don’t have the skills to find work should be helped to develop the skills they require

It’s the labour party trying to out Tory the Tories, sad day for those affected. That said, those who don’t have the skills to find work should be helped to develop the skills they require Killed!

FTFY – with reference to where this tit for tat out-torying will inevitably lead us 🙁

Need to start buying from Made in Britain (not just assembled in Britian) again so that create a jobs market.
But to do that, you have to encourage people to pay more for items, or the Government develops some b@lls and tax everything else that isn’t.

Ironically, actually getting training when you want it while unemployed is pretty hard. A mate of mine is on the waiting list for absolutely everything, and has been since day 1. Occasionally he gets some panacea “life skills” or “cv writing” but nothing of any value.

Still it is yet another reason to vote Yes to scottish independence eh, now that westminster seems to be a choice between 2 different Tory parties 😉

There seems to be assumption that people with low skills are just thick and are incapable of gaining them? Using a computer is not a skilled job. Improving your English includes spelling as well and not an attack on immigrants as this says

.scotroutes – Member
It’ll just be a coincidence that the requirement for a set standard of English will impact immigrants too then?

Maths, that will help anyone in the most basic of jobs. There can be no downside to helping anyone improve their education.
More importantly nobody will lose their benefits if they cannot improve their skills. They will lose them if they don’t go to the classes.
As an aside the old boss of Wethespoons has been saying if we reduced vat on entertainment, eating out, cinema etc that it could create up to 500,000 new jobs. His basis for this is the French reduced there vat to 5% and it created 400,000 jobs in 3 years. The jobs created would mainly be low skilled? Maths English and computer skills all helpful

Maths, that will help anyone in the most basic of jobs. There can be no downside to helping anyone improve there education.
More importantly nobody will lose there benefits if they cannot improve there skills. They will lose them if they don’t go to the classes.

Oh, teh ironin!

.Northwind – Member
Ironically, actually getting training when you want it while unemployed is pretty hard. A mate of mine is on the waiting list for absolutely everything, and has been since day 1. Occasionally he gets some panacea “life skills” or “cv writing” but nothing of any value.

. Mate had offers of numerous jobs but all required criminal record check the social said they would pay but never did.

There are jobs out there for people with decent Maths, English and IT skills. Getting better at them isn’t going to harm your chances of getting a job.

The effect of reducing VAT in the hospitality sector
http://mobile.morningadvertiser.co.uk/General-News/VAT-cut-to-5-could-create-670-000-UK-jobs#.Ut1GfahFCaw

Its important to remember supermarkets don’t charge VAT at the same rate as pubs and restaurant on alcohol and ready made meals. Why does the hospitality sector have to? It looks like a tax on jobs?

.Sandwich – Member
But ultimately its currently cheaper to import coal from Australia from open cast mining than it is to dig it up from deep uk mines….

We’re going to be in the poo once the cost of shipping it gets unreasonable.

I think they are going to take coal out of the energy sector all together. On the other hand we do import Liquefied natural gas from Qatar so if the cost of shipping puts us in the “poo” then maybe we should……….Take up Fracking 😯

.footflaps – Member
But ultimately its cheaper to import coal from Australia from open cast mining than it is to dig it up from deep uk mines….

The only thing you can’t outsource are services requiring physical presence such as changing a car tyre, everything else is being outsourced (and has been for the last 20 years). The trend is only going to continue unless people realise the consequences and demand change.
IDEA! why don’t we reduce VAT TO 5% in the hospitality sector and then we can import tourists instead!