REC’s Shoesmith blogs on key themes from the Conservative Party Conference
2 October 2013
The party conference bandwagon rolled to a close this week with the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) head of policy Kate Shoesmith was there to keep up with all the action and debate, which centred on the following topics:
Wed, 2 Oct 2013 | By Kate Shoesmith, head of policy, RECThe party conference bandwagon rolled to a close this week with the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) head of policy Kate Shoesmith was there to keep up with all the action and debate, which centred on the following topics:
1. Efficiencies and public sector reform
Politicians and commentators alike reflected on how important continued efficiency drives are in the public sector, especially important given the Chancellor’s promise to deliver a budget surplus if re-elected. Top of the list for on-going reform was the National Health Service and education.
At the REC-PCG joint fringe event, we highlighted how all government departments need to operate with clarity and consistency. We stressed how this is the only way our members are going to be able to continue to play their part in resourcing high quality candidates and contractors for the public sector. The good news was that many Conservative MPs, including our guest speakers Adam Afriyie MP and Chris Pincher MP, wholeheartedly agreed with us.
2. Work versus welfare
Much has been made in the media of Iain Duncan Smith’s (IDS’) hard line on ensuring that those who have been unemployed for the longest are helped back into jobs via the Work Programme and that new jobseekers are supported to understand the skills they require for today’s jobs market.
REC’s partnership agreement with DWP and Jobcentre Plus has already helped facilitate better working relations between the private and public employment services. However we think IDS’ call for action can only work by including recruitment agencies, many of whom have demonstrable success in this area, and we will continue to promote this message with government.
3. Flexible working, self-employment and enterprise
We may not have the UK version of the ‘American Dream’ just yet but driving up aspirations and encouraging more people to establish employment models that suit them was a shared vision at conference.
Understanding how the regulation and taxation systems, including IR35, can support different types of work was often reflected upon. Ministers also accepted some of the feedback levelled that it would be better to enforce what already exists and engage with businesses and recruiters before designing new rules and regulations.
4. Supporting business and economic growth
Each political party continues to slog it out as to who best represents the interests of business, and the Conservatives set out their pitch in Manchester. Promised infrastructure investment could create more jobs in key sectors including construction. The BIS minister, Michael Fallon MP, committed to ensuring small businesses can more easily participate in public sector procurement contracts.
As many of our members are themselves SMEs and work with SMEs, this could be an important opportunity going forward. There was also recognition that if businesses are to grow, the government’s industrial strategies in priority sectors (such as life sciences, engineering, creative industries and professional services) need to be supported by an education policy that helps young people to understand the world of work and encourages a diverse range of talent into employment.
Recruiters were challenged by businesses such as Fujitsu and Trading for Good to step up to the mark and help other employers achieve the diversity of talent they need.
As the politicians head back to Whitehall, the REC will be taking forward these points with the great contacts we have made this conference season and we will continue to champion the crucial role recruiters play in helping businesses achieve their targets and getting people into work.
1. Efficiencies and public sector reform
Politicians and commentators alike reflected on how important continued efficiency drives are in the public sector, especially important given the Chancellor’s promise to deliver a budget surplus if re-elected. Top of the list for on-going reform was the National Health Service and education.
At the REC-PCG joint fringe event, we highlighted how all government departments need to operate with clarity and consistency. We stressed how this is the only way our members are going to be able to continue to play their part in resourcing high quality candidates and contractors for the public sector. The good news was that many Conservative MPs, including our guest speakers Adam Afriyie MP and Chris Pincher MP, wholeheartedly agreed with us.
2. Work versus welfare
Much has been made in the media of Iain Duncan Smith’s (IDS’) hard line on ensuring that those who have been unemployed for the longest are helped back into jobs via the Work Programme and that new jobseekers are supported to understand the skills they require for today’s jobs market.
REC’s partnership agreement with DWP and Jobcentre Plus has already helped facilitate better working relations between the private and public employment services. However we think IDS’ call for action can only work by including recruitment agencies, many of whom have demonstrable success in this area, and we will continue to promote this message with government.
3. Flexible working, self-employment and enterprise
We may not have the UK version of the ‘American Dream’ just yet but driving up aspirations and encouraging more people to establish employment models that suit them was a shared vision at conference.
Understanding how the regulation and taxation systems, including IR35, can support different types of work was often reflected upon. Ministers also accepted some of the feedback levelled that it would be better to enforce what already exists and engage with businesses and recruiters before designing new rules and regulations.
4. Supporting business and economic growth
Each political party continues to slog it out as to who best represents the interests of business, and the Conservatives set out their pitch in Manchester. Promised infrastructure investment could create more jobs in key sectors including construction. The BIS minister, Michael Fallon MP, committed to ensuring small businesses can more easily participate in public sector procurement contracts.
As many of our members are themselves SMEs and work with SMEs, this could be an important opportunity going forward. There was also recognition that if businesses are to grow, the government’s industrial strategies in priority sectors (such as life sciences, engineering, creative industries and professional services) need to be supported by an education policy that helps young people to understand the world of work and encourages a diverse range of talent into employment.
Recruiters were challenged by businesses such as Fujitsu and Trading for Good to step up to the mark and help other employers achieve the diversity of talent they need.
As the politicians head back to Whitehall, the REC will be taking forward these points with the great contacts we have made this conference season and we will continue to champion the crucial role recruiters play in helping businesses achieve their targets and getting people into work.
- Click for more from the REC’s Tom Hadley from the previous Labour Party Conference in Brighton, and the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow.
