§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what services are provided under the New Deal to(a) those over the age of 25 years and (b) those who have been unemployed for (i) under two years and (ii) over two years; and if he will make a statement [47856]
§ Mr. Andrew SmithThe New Deal for long-term unemployed people aged over 25 provides a much better deal for this age group. People who have been unemployed for two years or more will
receive tailored guidance from an ES New Deal Personal Adviser to help them get a job;have the chance, where it is appropriate to them, to benefit from a subsidised job with an employer or to improve their skills and employability through a period of full time education and training;benefit from further individual advice to build on the progress they have made during their time on the New Deal.Some unemployed people who have been claiming JSA continuously for a year or more will also be able to enter the New Deal early at the discretion of the ES New Deal adviser. These include people:
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- who have problems with reading, writing or numeracy;
- who are disabled;
- whose first language is not English, Welsh or Gaelic.
For those who do not enter early and have been unemployed for less than two years a full range of existing ES and TEC services will continue to be available. These include:
- Travel to Interview
- Training for Work
- Work Trials
- Starting your own business.