Good employment support is needed now more than ever
Words by Tom Baines, Strategy and Development Manager at London Borough of Camden. Follow him @TomEBaines.
We are experiencing an unparalleled shock to the economy and labour market as a result of the lockdown measures taken in response to COVID-19. Our mission to support more Camden residents into good work has never been more relevant — nor the need to take action to avoid greater labour market inequality.
In getting to grips with the uncertainty within the labour market and what it means for residents, one thing is clear: the fundamental importance of good quality employment support for residents that need it.
It’s Employability Day today. Organised by the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), Employability Day provides an annual opportunity to celebrate the dedication and impact of the people that provide employment support.
Employment support is a practice that is hard to define — and probably should be. In Camden, our advisors listen to people talk about their needs and aspirations during conversations that touch on issues that are seemingly unrelated to work. Yet I’m always struck by the way that advisors work through complexity to spot the connections between presenting issues and the goal of good work. It takes great skill to do that and the effect — whether that’s people finding work or people achieving something else that matters to them — can be remarkable in so many ways.
That skill and impact should be recognised. Both are certainly going to be needed. The measures taken in response to COVID-19 have impacted everyone in Camden, and across the UK. Yet the impacts have been, and will continue to be, disproportionate. The sector will need to be ready, very soon, to respond to record levels of unemployment through reallocating or retraining residents and continuing to provide support for people who were locked out of the labour market pre-lockdown.
Every Friday our Job Hub team meets to reflect on the week. Those Friday chats, invariably wearier than their Monday counterparts, focus on the challenges residents are facing and what we need to do to help. A recurring question is “when can we get back out there into the borough?” Our employment support-focused colleagues within Camden Council cannot wait to (safely) return to providing relational support in libraries, community spaces and wherever else our residents want to see us. In the meantime, their brilliant support is available via jobhub@camden.gov.uk or 0207 974 1666.
For more information on our Job Hub, please visit camden.gov.uk/employment-support
