REC writes to the Chancellor ahead of Autumn Budget

Ahead of the next fiscal statement, originally planned for 31 October, but now scheduled for 17 November, the REC has written to the Chancellor, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, setting out some of the pragmatic steps that can be taken now to boost growth and productivity.

In our letter, we shared the findings from our Overcoming Shortages report and highlighted the economic impact of not taking action on this. As well as calling for unified thinking across government by developing a Future Workforce Strategy, we’ve called for more flexibility in the Apprenticeship Levy, so that it can work for everyone in the labour market and be used for accredited, modular training courses.

We’ve also called for a wholesale review of the application of the off payroll working rules which would include establishing a Single Enforcement Body and introducing umbrella company regulation, as well as making further improvements to HMRC’s CEST tool.

We’ve also called on government to do more to help parents stay in the workplace by helping tackle the rising costs of childcare provision in the UK.  Away from policy, the REC acted as a Gateway organisation for the Kickstart Scheme, delivering 210 placements, and we're currently working in collaboration with Maximus to support the Restart Scheme, placing 130 people into new roles through REC work so far this year so we understand first-hand the genuine value of these schemes. Activation programmes, like Kickstart and Restart, are an excellent way of engaging those furthest from the labour market. That’s why funding for these schemes should continue if we are to address ongoing labour shortages across the UK.

You can read the letter here.