Turning to the question of progression in work, nearly two-thirds of the working participants in the first survey believed that their job offered opportunities for promotion or progression and that their employer would be willing to offer training that would help promotion prospects (Table 6.9). In both cases these proportions had increased slightly45 by the time of the second wave survey.
However, 59% of those who had been in work at any point since their referral had not been offered any form of training by their employer (Table 6.10).
Looking in more detail at the types of jobs found by participants which were associated with training provision, in-work training was most prevalent in sectors such as health and social work (66% of respondents in this sector received training), professional, scientific and technical activities (68%) and finance and insurance (93%) and less common in the construction (18%), transportation (32%) and
Table 6.9: Participant views on prospects for in-work advancement Job offers opportunities for
promotion or increased responsibility
%
Employer will offer training that would help promotion
prospects %
Wave 1 Wave 2 Wave 1 Wave 2
Yes 62.4 67.3 65.4 69.1 No 32.6 27.6 26.5 22.6 Don't know 5.0 5.0 8.0 8.3 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Unweighted Base 713 513 621 427
(Respondents currently in paid work or self-employment)
(Respondents currently in paid work)
Significance of difference between Wave 2 and Wave 1 (t-test): * p<0.05 ** p<0.01
From the perspective of occupational type (Table A.0.45, Appendix 1), those in associate professional and technical occupations (64% receiving training) and those in caring, leisure or other service occupations (63%) were most likely to receive training in work, while those in skilled trade occupations (24%) and plant and machine operatives (30%) were the least.
The qualitative research suggested a strong motivation among most participants to stay in work. Many participants expected their jobs to continue, some had aspirations to progress to a permanent role, to increase their hours, or to apply for promotion and in some cases these opportunities had already been mentioned by employers.
Others said they were content to stay at their current level, at least for the time being (for example, while their health stabilised). A smaller number of participants felt that their job was adequate for the time being, but planned to move on at some point in the future to pursue longer-term aspirations. A further small group were not expecting to stay in their job and anticipated moving on in the near future. In some cases this was because the job itself was seen as unsuitable, while in others it was the broader employment context in which participants were doubtful that their position would remain open or financially viable for much longer.
Some participants who had been in employment for some time reported that they had progressed or developed in their role, for example, by being given greater
responsibility or enhanced duties, undertaking training to gain additional skills or being promoted. Others were actively volunteering to increase their responsibilities
Table 6.10: In-work training
Nature and extent of in-work training received %
None 59.4
Attended training courses in the workplace 26.1
Attended a training course off-site 12.9
Undertaken any other learning or training funded or supported by your employer
11.2 Attended seminars or conferences aimed at developing knowledge
and skills
10.8
Don't know 1.0
Unweighted base: 895
(All respondents who had been in employment at some point since referral to WP)
Note that responses sum to more than 100%,as respondents could give more than one response
undertaking (further) job-related training, and in some cases participants had made initial enquires or expressions of interest about potential opportunities.
In contrast, there were participants who did not foresee opportunities for progression with their current employer, at least in the short-term. Some linked this to “tight budgets”. Some who had taken up fixed-term positions said that they would not have expected promotion within that contract period, but that the experience would place them in a stronger position when applying for future roles.
Some participants had undertaken or were soon going to be involved in work-related training, facilitated by their employer. Examples included courses in specific skills or qualifications relevant to the job (for example, scaffolding, manual handling, nursery teaching) and more general training (for example, fire marshalling, first aid). Some of these courses were mandatory requirements of the jobs participants were doing (for example, care work, working at heights). However, few participants described the offer or uptake of formal training that would lead to nationally recognised
qualifications (such as NVQs), with the exception of those employed in an apprenticeship. The earlier research (Newton et al, 2012) had suggested some reluctance on behalf of providers to pay for training and certification; instead they suggested that employers would pay for this on recruitment. The more recent evidence from the participant qualitative research tends to support this view. While some participants who had been in employment for some time would have liked to take on more responsibility, for others, progression in work was not important, even where opportunity appeared to exist. This view typically related to age or health although some did not want the pressure that would come with additional
responsibility.
A final point emerging from the qualitative research was that there was little evidence of Work Programme providers acting to facilitate in-work progression.
6.3 Summary
The research found that just over half of participants who had been employed at some point during their time with the programme noted that they had received in- work support (or at least some form of further contact from their Work Programme provider). People with caring responsibilities were more likely to receive this support than others, as were people with a gap of five years or more since last working.
Most participants receiving in-work support had not felt pressurised by their advisers to stay in work. Participants contacted for the qualitative research were more likely to say that they had felt pressure from Jobcentre Plus staff to take up jobs. For many, the pressure to stay in work stemmed from the drop in income if their employment was to end. Some also said that feeling under pressure to take-up and sustain work was not necessarily problematic since this provided impetus to keep working,
alongside their own intrinsic motivation.
Where participants identified further needs for in-work support, these most commonly related to financial support and financial advice. There were also indications that they would welcome an intervention from providers where jobs were breaking down or where jobs were not well matched to their circumstances.
Participants who had not received in-work support reported similar preferences for the support they might welcome.
The data provide an insight into the sustainability of work and there were indications that participants believed that they could progress in work, with more positive signs of this at the wave 2 survey. The research also suggested that most were motivated to stay in work. However, the role of in-work support in achieving sustained employment and helping participants to progress within employment was far from conclusive. Much in-work contact from providers was perfunctory, not particularly valued by participants as contributing to job retention, and often seen as being largely driven by providers’ needs to validate continued employment in order to claim outcome