Campaigns Roundup

Despite Spring playing hide-and-seek, REC campaigns consistently shines a light on issues close to our members. This week, we've championed our members' voices across different platforms. From making sure they were heard at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) select committee to engage in discussions on Umbrella company regulation and the government’s back-to-work plan on radio shows, we've been there every step of the way. 

DWP Back to Work Plan Select Committee  

This week, our Deputy CEO, Kate Shoesmith, gave evidence to the DWP Select Committee that fed into the government's Back to Work Plan. Sickness absence increased by 300,000 in 2023, whilst our latest labour market tracker showed 1.9 million active job postings. Kate spoke about REC's partnership with Maximus on the Restart scheme and how recruiters and employment support providers can support the long-term unemployed back into work. From the committee, we learned that the Restart success rate nationally is 29%, whilst the REC’s is 67%, showing the valuable work we are doing in this space. If you would like to learn more about the Restart programme, please visit our website. 

Immigration Roundtable 

As part of our Immigration for Growth campaign, we have secured an exclusive roundtable with Home Office officials for an exclusive roundtable for members to feed their views about the government's 5-point immigration plan. Members have relayed to us their concerns about the plan in relation to a tight labour market - and a lack of planning to build the domestic talent to last generations to come. This roundtable will be an opportunity for our members to feed these concerns directly back to Home Office colleagues. This meeting will be taking place on 30th May from 3-4 PM and is open to all REC members. If you're interested, please email Usman Ali, our Immigration Policy Lead, at Usman.Ali@rec.uk.com for more details.  

Cross-government taskforce to address sector shortages 

We know there is a cross-government effort concerning the government's 5-point immigration plan to address sectors at risk of severe shortages in the short term. The driving, haulage and logistics sector has been identified as one of these - and we are keen to hear from members in this sector about the following: 

• Which parts of the sector or specific occupations do you see at risk in the short term? Do you have any evidence to back this up? (This can be case studies, vacancy postings)  
• What recommendations would you like to see the government implement in the short term to address these sectoral shortages (e.g. reforming the Apprenticeship Levy, creation of specific visa routes to bring in overseas workers to address demand).  

If members are interested in feeding in, please contact our Immigration Policy Lead, Usman Ali at Usman.Ali@rec.uk.com.  

Transforming Early Childhood Education and Care report  

This week, the Fawcett Society published its Transforming Early Childhood Education and Care report. They dived into the sector's issues and made recommendations to tackle the persistent serious retention crisis. This correlates with REC data that shows that the number of job adverts for practitioner roles in the UK has doubled between 2022 and 2024.  Key recommendations in the Fawcett Society's report include reforming the funding model, making the system accessible for parents, promoting greater cultural inclusion, challenging gender stereotypes, and introducing a comprehensive workforce strategy. To read the report in full, click here.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) launches free management course for SMEs 

For small businesses who are keen to expand but unsure of how to go about this, the Government this week launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials, a new online training course filled with practical advice and resources for small business leaders. This 12-week course is suited for leaders of newer or smaller SMEs, or those who are looking to explore the principles of business growth and management before taking the next step and enrolling in the full course. Further details can be found by clicking here.  

Research Update  

Earlier this month, the REC published two of its flagship reports. The latest Report on Jobs revealed that the demand for all workers fell for a fifth successive month in March. While the decrease wasn't as big as it was in February, it was still noteworthy. Top of Form April’s Labour Market Tracker shows that despite falling activity across the winter, the job market is presenting more positive signals of growth this spring. The number of active postings in March 2024 was 1,908,641 – up on the number in February 2024. Next month’s Report on Jobs will be published on 9 May. 

Media Corner  

With the Prime Minister taking centre stage with his Rwanda proposal, the REC has still managed to rise above the noise. Our CEO, Neil Carberry, has cut through with appearances on 5live, the Today program, and Wake Up to Money, beating the drum for the need for umbrella company regulation. Additionally, he advocated for improved support for those long-term sick to enter the workforce, stating, "People live longer, they have happier lives if they've got good jobs" You can catch more of his interview on Times Radio here.