Much has been said about the government's latest 'work experience' scheme to boost employment. The "voluntary" nature of a scheme whereby someone on the unemployment register can experience employment while preserving their benefits needs to be clarified before a useful scheme is lost together with the opportunities that it can provide.
About a year ago I wrote to the government asking for a scheme like this in order to assist us with an employment issue. Now I am not saying that the government listens to me and design schemes around my suggestions but this new work experience program will help employers.
I was at the time working with a pest control company that I had made a small investment in and was providing 'sweat equity' (the entrepreneur's form of unpaid work). The aim was to help the firm move from a one man band to a regional company which could service the public sector contracts it had won.
This meant that we needed additional staff and we wanted to recruit from the currently unemployed but because of the nature of the job, recruitment was complex. To put things simply you cannot tell if someone can deal with, for example, a wasps' nest until they have experienced it and had a swarm of wasps all over them (yes my skin is crawling at the very thought). Since it could be some time before a new worker was exposed to that aspect (or the very many other nasties) of the job the risk was someone could give up their benefits only to subsequently find that they genuinely cannot deal with the job.
The government did have a work experience scheme which was put in place by the previous administration but was of too short a duration to be of help.
So the government from my perspective has delivered a new helpful tool that will help employers recruit from the currently unemployed without risk to that person's benefit regime, it gives employer and employee alike the opportunity to try without disadvantaging anybody.
So why am I not rushing to take advantage of the scheme and perhaps more importantly why are other more publicity-aware organizations running for the hills?
Part of the problem is the issue of whether the scheme is voluntary or not. I have read the blurb accompanying its launch and it is clear the government intends the scheme to be voluntary. However, what is less clear is how the scheme will be operated by the officials and there are claims that there will be an element of coercion via the threat of removing benefits if a claimant withdraws their cooperation.
This lack of clarity has been picked up by organised groups and by trending on twitter it has built a groundswell of opposition. This is now manifesting itself as anti-business sentiment where business itself is being accused of profiteering from a workfare scheme that it is often participating in to help.
Before I can, as an employer, participate in the work experience scheme I need some clarity. I need to know that the scheme will be operated as a voluntary one and that no one will be disadvantaged as a result of their participation. I need to know that it is accepted by the organisations that oppose it.
Yes, it does sound like we are pandering to the mob but the mob is our customers, our neighbours and fellow citizens. We offend the mob at our peril. We risk losing a really valuable scheme that can make a massive contribution to a person's employment prospects and the government needs, as a matter of urgency, to provide some firm direction.