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07/07/2010
(L - R) Tony Hawkhead, Matthew Taylor, Andrew Selous
Matthew Taylor, chair of the National Housing Federation (NHF), has called upon both the House of Lords and House of Commons to ‘open the doors’ to allow private/voluntary sector partnerships to act as local employment generators.
Speaking at a joint Groundwork/NHF event looking at unemployment held at the House of Commons yesterday, soon-to-be Lord Taylor said that a partnership involving both sectors could change the fortunes of communities on a national scale in a cost effective way - but that both Houses must ensure the conditions were right for them to be able to do so.
Andrew Selous, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Iain Duncan Smith, also attended the event and spoke of the Government’s aspiration to encourage specialist local delivery of employment schemes and desire to make an ‘economic proposition’ to people on benefits so that they are better off if they accept work.
Groundwork and the National Housing Federation have worked together since 2009 to find temporary employment for more than 6,000 people and have found that local employment schemes can transform places and lives.
Communities are uniquely placed to make their neighbourhoods better places to live, and the two organisations argue that housing associations and local charities such as Groundwork are ideally placed to provide the skills and support people need to get back into work as well as job opportunities through improving their local environment with roles in land maintenance, recycling, home energy improvement and other green jobs.
Also speaking at the event yesterday, Groundwork’s chief executive Tony Hawkhead said: "Groundwork, together with our partners at the National Housing Federation, feel a responsibility to help disadvantaged people seize every opportunity to secure a job that not only benefits themselves but also their communities, despite these tough economic times.
"In our experience, local jobs can not only alleviate pressure on public services and unemployment benefits by helping people to become economically independent, but can also become the cornerstone of local regeneration and create more resilient communities.
"The Groundwork/NHF partnership is just one example of how a joined-up approach between the private and voluntary sector can help unemployed communities reintegrate with society, on a massive scale, in a cost-effective way."
Paul Rees, assistant director of the National Housing Federation, said: "Housing associations are uniquely placed to deliver training, work placements and jobs to unemployed people - right in the heart of the communities where they’re most needed.
"Housing associations have quickly established themselves as employment generators - with an impressive track record for helping people back into work in areas which have been hit hard by the economic downturn.
"The partnership between the Federation and Groundwork is on track to create over 6,000 jobs for unemployed people by next year, and with the right support - this success story could be rolled out on a far wider scale."
Delegates at the event were also shown the following film, made in conjunction with the BBC, illustrating the benefits of the Groundwork/NHF approach to local employment schemes, as told by four individuals who have taken part.
