The National Careers Service is the publicly funded careers service for adults and young people (aged 13 or over) in England.
53-662: Launched in April 2012, it brought together elements of previous publicly funded careers services for adults and young people such as Connexions and Next Step. The launch was reported by news outlets including the BBC and commented on by organisations such as NIACE , the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, and NAEGA. The National Careers Service aims to provide information, advice and guidance on learning, training, career choice, career development, searching for work, and
106-655: A Jobcentre Plus branch. This announcement was met with concern by Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger as well as chiefs at the Public and Commercial Services union and a member of Liverpool Council's cabinet. This was a partial pilot scheme for one part of the new Universal Credit benefit, which is replacing the income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment Support Allowance , plus Child Tax Credit , Working Tax Credit , Income Support and Housing Benefit . The changeover commenced in October 2013. The Work Programme
159-586: A World Class Skills System", published December 2011. Prior to the National Careers Service, the publicly funded careers service for adults in England was known as Next Step. Next Step launched on 1 August 2010 and for the first time fully integrated the existing web-based, telephone-based and local face to face careers services for adults. Telephone and web-based advice for young people was previously provided through Connexions Direct, which
212-460: A disability. The National Careers Service offer is available throughout England, with devolved responsibility for careers advice in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Publicly funded careers services for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are provided by Careers Service Northern Ireland, Skills Development Scotland and Careers Wales respectively. There is also a dedicated careers service for
265-640: A face-to-face appointment at a local office of the National Careers Service. To book an appointment, customers can call the telephone helpline who will put them in contact with their regional hub, and from there an appointment will be made at the customer’s local office. People aged 18 who are claiming benefits or who are in custody are also eligible for face-to-face advice through the National Careers Service. The service also has presences in other locations, including in Jobcentres , FE colleges, community centres, shops and places of worship. All local centres and
318-535: A general way to suggest poverty or unemployment. In the 1980s in particular, the Social Security office was frequently used as shorthand for the British recession . Dramatic representations have included the sitcoms Hancock's Half Hour , Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads , Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em , Shelley , George and Mildred , Bread , Rab C. Nesbitt , the drama series Boys from
371-461: A measure of this efficiency for the allocation of bonuses for teams meeting specific targets (known as a performance-related pay-system) the relative successes in each team of the factors: As of 2010 , Jobcentre Plus had 750 offices and about 78,000 employees. According to the Work and Pensions Select Committee the organisation caused directly or indirectly 700,000 people to return to work between
424-566: A new government-funded unemployment benefit . The Labour Exchanges Act 1909 was rushed through Parliament and was passed in September 1909 and, after months of planning and recruitment of clerks; 62 labour exchanges were opened on 1 February 1910. The number of offices rose to 430 within four years. At the suggestion of the Prime Minister David Lloyd George , from January 1917, the labour exchanges came under
477-399: A range of backgrounds (careers advisers, youth workers, counsellors, health workers, teachers etc.). However, as the funding for these other professions lay within the control of local councils it was not as accessible. The result was that the careers service in England was abolished and replaced by Connexions, but it was made up predominantly of career guidance professionals and was not really
530-466: A smaller number of larger Benefit Centres rather than local benefit offices and jobcentres. During 2003, the DWP commenced the use of Post Office accounts for the payment of benefits, a process fully operational at the beginning of the financial year in 2005. The accounts are licensed and the electronic benefits transfer banking engine are provided by the company JP Morgan Europe . Prior to these services
583-643: The Coalition government . Some local authorities have retained its branding, however. Connexions was formerly The Careers Service, which had its organisation altered throughout the Conservative government's privatisation process in the mid-1990s. During the period of Labour Government the Connexions service became increasingly focused on the delivery of targeted services to those who were often described as most in need of help. One interesting initiative
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#1732772185718636-700: The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and section 12 of the Children Act 2004 . Jobcentre Jobcentre Plus ( Welsh : Canolfan byd Gwaith ; Scottish Gaelic : Ionad Obrach is Eile ) is a brand used by the Department for Work and Pensions in the United Kingdom . From 2002 to 2011, Jobcentre Plus was an executive agency which reported directly to the Minister of State for Employment. It
689-601: The Employment Service in the mid-1990s, the unemployment benefit offices were integrated into Jobcentres. From the 1970s onwards, benefits were paid in the form of a girocheque , until the early-2000s, when payments would be made directly to the claimant's bank account. The first 56 Jobcentre Plus Pathfinder offices were brought into existence during October 2001. As part of the Efficiency Savings Programme of 2004, changes were made to
742-549: The Learning and Skills Act . There were Connexions Centres around the country – usually several in each county – which offered support and advice on topics including education, housing, health, relationships, drugs and finance. Since 2012, Connexions has not been a coherent national service, following changes to the delivery of careers in England and the establishment of the National Careers Service by
795-495: The Work and Pensions Select Committee during 2005–2006, the number of employees within the organisation amounted to 71,000. The amount of money released by the Department for Work and Pensions to people in work-related benefit amounted to £100 million. The 2000 Makinson Report, written by John Makinson , led to the introduction of a team-based incentive scheme, created in order to improve staff efficiency. The scheme takes as
848-527: The Blackstuff and the films Hot Enough for June , Made in Britain , The Full Monty and I, Daniel Blake . In the black comedy series The League of Gentlemen , a recurring character is Pauline Campbell-Jones (played by Steve Pemberton ), the demented leader of a Restart course for a group of unemployed people. The ITV sitcom The Job Lot , starring Russell Tovey and Sarah Hadland ,
901-504: The Connexions Partnerships). Some chose to take services in-house, others to commission services from other providers. The brand however, remained. As a result, there was very little in terms of uniformity. Berkshire Connexions, for example, was run differently, and structured differently, to Surrey or Oxfordshire Connexions. There were 47 Connexions Partnerships throughout the country. These partnership offices managed
954-654: The Connexions service on a local level, bringing together all the key youth support services in their area. The partnership offices managed the Connexions Centres in their locality. Following early public spending cuts under the Coalition Government Connexions services were badly hit. In many areas the service vanished altogether, whilst in others the service remained. Typically support for the NEET group has continued to be funded through
1007-526: The Government aimed for the National Careers Service to have the capacity to help 700,000 adults face-to-face each year, to handle up to one million telephone advice sessions and provide 20 million online sessions. Connexions (agency) Connexions was a UK governmental information, advice, guidance and support service for young people aged 13 to 19 (up to 25 for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities), created in 2000 following
1060-590: The Isle of Man. The National Careers Service can be accessed online, by telephone, or face-to-face for those who are 19 or over. The National Careers Service website contains sections on careers information and help to plan and implement career development activities. This can be accessed independently of careers advisers. Sections include: The website also provides the facility to email an adviser or talk to an adviser by webchat, and has online community areas including forums. The National Careers Service mobile website
1113-514: The National Careers Service helpline is 0800 100 900 and the helpline is open every day between 8am and 10pm. Customers of all ages use the same phone number and then select options for young people or for adults – advice for these groups is provided by two separate organisations. Minicom users can access the service through the number 08000 968 336 (for people aged 13 to 18), or 08000 568 865 (for people aged 19 or over). The National Careers Service also has dedicated numbers which provide support in
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#17327721857181166-431: The banking facility were provided by Citibank . As of 2012, the payment system for benefits is being streamlined, and all payments will now be made into bank, building society or Post Office accounts, and the use of Girocheques was phased out by early 2013. In 2012, the DWP announced a "trailblazer" scheme under which all new job seekers on Merseyside would be required to claim benefits online rather than in person at
1219-678: The benefits claim for processing. The new system instead asks individuals to call a Jobcentre Plus call centre , where claim details are taken over the phone and entered directly to the computer system by the call agent. From summer 2012 new claimants with Internet access are strongly encouraged to make their claim online, and interview details were then sent to the claimant by text message. Customers are then asked to attend an interview at their local jobcentre to discuss work issues with an adviser, and finalise their claim, provide relevant signatures and proof of ID and address. The processing of benefits claims has also changed, so that they are processed at
1272-476: The contact centre providers must undergo a matrix Standard assessment, with all providers meeting the enhanced matrix Standard by the end of March 2013. The matrix Standard is an independent quality standard for information, advice and guidance services. To achieve accreditation, organisations must undergo inspection and show that they meet requirements around leadership and management, resources, service delivery and continuous quality improvement. At its foundation
1325-673: The decline of war production industries. The out-of-work donation scheme (the original " dole ") was originally only a temporary measure. As unemployment benefit was payable only for those with a contributions record, and even then for only twelve months for each claim, there remained a group on long-term low incomes, without access to benefit. That was relieved after the enactment of the National Assistance Act 1948 ( 11 & 12 Geo. 6 . c. 29), when payments began to be made to jobseekers on low incomes regardless of contributions. Initially, benefits were paid weekly in cash, at
1378-412: The employment exchange. From 1973, the-then Department of Employment began to open a new network of 'Jobcentres', with orange signage (re-branded 'Employment Service Jobcentre', with dark blue signage, from 1994 to 2002) that advertised jobs but did not process benefits. During this time, claimants were required to make claims and 'sign on' at separate unemployment benefit offices. With the introduction of
1431-479: The form of stamps which were affixed to an Unemployment Book (later called the National Insurance card). When no work was available, benefit was payable. The basic rules and administration regarding claims and the disallowance of benefit remain unaltered today. From 1918, payments were also made to unemployed ex-soldiers and their dependants, as well as to civilians who found themselves unemployed due to
1484-502: The government's agenda for community and social welfare. Services were provided in the first instance via job advisers, both in-house and on the telephone. An information technology system known as the Labour Market System (LMS) contained the personal details of job seekers and advertised job vacancies for employers within each of the public offices. Between 2012 and 2018 a government website named Universal Jobmatch
1537-542: The inflexibility and lack of choices in the scheme. From 19 October 2012, all claimants applying for Jobseeker's Allowance were expected to look for work online, using the new Universal Jobmatch , an online system accessible from the government portal and powered by Monster.com , either at their local Jobcentre or from their home computer . Those jobseekers who do not possess the necessary computer skills will be offered IT training . Jobseekers are expected to use 30 hours of their own time per week searching for jobs, on top of
1590-407: The issuing of a financial provision due to, in the first case, lack of employment, of an allowance to assist with the living costs and expenditure intrinsic to the effort to achieve employment, or in all other cases the provision of social-security benefit as the result of a person without an income from employment due to illness-incapacity including drug addiction. The organisation acted from within
1643-615: The labour market. It can be accessed online, by telephone, and face to face (for people aged 19 and over). The service aims to provide: The idea of a careers service for those aged 13 and over was raised in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills strategy document "Investing in Skills for Sustainable Growth" published in November 2010. Plans for the new service were laid out in a further document, "New Challenges, New Chances: Further Education and Skills System Reform Plan: Building
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1696-502: The languages listed below: These lines are available for people aged 19 or over only and are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (the Punjabi and Urdu phonelines operate from 9am to 8pm). This facility is promoted among non-English speaking communities and targets those who want to improve their English skills and employment opportunities. Adults may be able to get face-to-face guidance in their community. People aged 19 or over can request
1749-404: The local authority, but the careers element of the Connexions service was eventually devolved to schools. Principally, Connexions offered an impartial, client-centred, careers, information and guidance service. The staff were known as Connexions Personal Advisers, and were trained to offer confidential advice and practical help relating to a wide range of issues. The concern was that the result
1802-590: The mandatory Work Programme, or take part in community service. On 14 May 2018, the Universal Jobmatch was replaced by the Find a Job service, accessible via the government portal and powered by Adzuna . The Universal Jobmatch service closed down on 17 June 2018. The Jobcentre Plus service (and its forerunners the Social Security office, Unemployment Benefit office and Jobcentre/Labour Exchange) have featured in all forms of popular culture, often depicted in
1855-601: The months of April 2005 and January 2006. According to The Guardian newspaper, the total number of jobseekers in May 2012 was 1,590,708. Jobsearch facilities are available to anyone via the Universal Jobmatch website – the UK's most visited recruitment website with over a million visitors each week. Jobcentre Plus also offered services to employers and employment agencies, who can register their vacancies online through
1908-530: The multi-disciplinary organisation originally envisaged. However, Connexions services typically worked closely with many other services, particularly those within local government, such as the Young Offenders Team (YOT), Teenage Pregnancy Workers, Children's Services, but also Housing Associations, Job Centres, and others. From 1 April 2008 responsibility for providing Connexions Services was transferred to local authorities in each area (rather than
1961-464: The new Ministry of Labour and were renamed employment exchanges, so as to more accurately reflect their purpose and function. The National Insurance Act was passed in 1911 and the first payments were made at exchanges in January 1913. Initially this covered only elected trades, such as building , engineering and shipbuilding . Weekly contributions were paid by workers, employers and the state in
2014-607: The new careers service is established." The new career service referred to is the National Careers Service , which was established on 1 April 2012. A 2010 research report by the National Youth Agency and the Local Government Association noted that some young people were unclear about the role and function of Connexions, although those who had interacted with the service were generally positive about it. Through this process, funding that
2067-592: The number of districts from seventy to fifty, the number of management and support staff employed were reduced by 5% and, amongst other things, the number of locations specifically employed to process claims would be reduced from 650 to 77. In the 1990s, the Jobcentre reinforced a dress code which required male members of staff to wear ties. The code was later held to be in breach of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 . According to figures obtained by
2120-434: The online service or by calling Employer Direct. Vacancies are available immediately online. Alongside these changes, Jobcentre Plus has also changed the way in which claims to benefits are processed. In the past, claimants contacted their local benefits office, were asked to manually complete the appropriate forms, and then booked an interview with an adviser in order to discuss work related issues (as appropriate) and submit
2173-485: The state-run labour exchanges , originally the vision of Winston Churchill , President of the Board of Trade , and William Beveridge , who had worked for a more efficient labour system in the early years of the twentieth century. This was intended to address the chaos of the labour market and the problems of casual employment. In 1908, Beveridge was commissioned to devise a scheme which would combine labour exchanges with
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2226-511: The structure and management of Jobcentre Plus as part of the governmental review headed by Sir Peter Gershon and Sir Michael Lyons to increase departmental efficiency amounting to £960,000,000; a target considered achievable in the period 2007-08. This initial plan was implemented within the Jobcentre structure as the Delivering our Vision Programme . Between 2005 and 2008, directors of the board were to be reduced in number from eight to six,
2279-481: Was a professional that was a 'jack of all trades, master of none', with many ex-career guidance professionals in particular concerned that the increased remit of their role has been detrimental to their expertise and knowledge in matters of career guidance. A web site, Connexions Direct, offered information on various topics of potential interest to young people in England. Connexions also offered one-to-one support by telephone, SMS , and instant messaging . Consent
2332-479: Was developed to provide a mobile friendly platform for accessing learning and work related information helping service users to develop a CV, search for work, prepare for an interview and more. It includes a job profile section with information about specific job roles, what they involve, necessary qualifications and where to look for vacancies. The National Careers Service mobile website has regularly updated content, with features including: The telephone number for
2385-720: Was formed by the amalgamation of two agencies, the Employment Service, which operated Jobcentres, and the Benefits Agency , which ran social security offices. Jobcentre Plus was an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions of the government of the United Kingdom between 2002 and 2011. The functions of Jobcentre Plus were subsequently provided directly through the Department for Work and Pensions. The agency provided services primarily to those attempting to find employment and to those requiring
2438-427: Was introduced in 2011, and is mandatory for all jobseekers from nine months onwards. Unlike the previous New Deal scheme which offered the choices of: training, help in setting up a business, unpaid work placement in a field appropriate to the jobseeker, the work program requires that jobseekers must take unpaid work experience in a discount shop or similar big business retail. This has led to much controversy regarding
2491-400: Was nominally sought prior to sharing information, such as school attendance records, unless there was a statutory or common law duty to do so. Such consent was not necessarily limited in scope, or length of time in effect. Consequently, confidentiality may not be guaranteed. Information sharing powers were granted under sections 114 to 121 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 , section 115 of
2544-478: Was originally given directly to local councils for the delivery of the service, was henceforth allocated directly by central government (via regional offices) to private careers companies. This meant the Labour government was more easily able to use funds previously allocated for careers services, for the creation of the Connexions service. The service was originally intended to be constituted by professionals from
2597-1019: Was part of the wider Connexions service. The National Careers Service is funded and managed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency , sponsored by the Department for Education . The remit of the National Careers Service is to provide "information, advice and guidance to help [customers] make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities". The service offers confidential and impartial advice, supported by qualified careers advisers. This includes support with: The service also participates in national learning campaigns such as Adult Learners' Week . Whilst available to any individual aged 13+, National Careers Service focuses on supporting six priority groups to get into work. These include: young people aged 18–24 who are not in education, employment or training ; those unemployed for more than 12 months; low-skilled adults; single parents; unemployed adults over 50; and adults with special educational needs or who have
2650-474: Was set in a busy West Midlands job centre. The series was produced by Big Talk Productions and written by Claire Downes, Stuart Lane and Ian Jarvis. Love on the Dole is a novel by Walter Greenwood , about working class poverty in 1930s northern England. It has been made into both a play and film. British reggae band UB40 are named after the paper form with the same name (Unemployment Benefit, form 40) that
2703-600: Was the introduction of the Connexions Card . Following the 2010 election of the Conservative/Lib Dem Coalition the future of Connexions was called into question. Where Connexions was retained as a branding, it was a local decision, and there was considerable local divergence around branding and delivery. Government guidance from 2011 stated that "There will be no expectation that local authorities should provide universal careers services once
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#17327721857182756-502: Was used to apply for unemployment benefit. Jobcentre Plus as an executive agency ceased to exist as of 4 October 2011. Services offered by Jobcentre Plus are now offered directly by the Department for Work and Pensions. Although the Jobcentre Plus corporate brand remains in place at the present time, it functions only as a public brand of the Department, rather than a separate entity. In November 2024 plans were announced to merge
2809-411: Was used whereby jobseekers could search for employment and employers could upload and manage their own vacancies whilst searching for prospective employees. Claims may be made for the working-age benefit Universal Credit . Previously claims for Jobseeker's Allowance , Incapacity Benefit , Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support could be made. The forerunners of the Jobcentre Plus were
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