Over 5,000 people take positive Steps into work

The Department for Employment and Learning’s Steps to Work programme has found work for more than 5,100 people in Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the statistics released yesterday, Employment Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said: “Helping this number of people into employment during these tough economic times is a very real achievement. The Steps to Work programme success is particularly pleasing in light of the Executive’s main priority to keep people in work and put people back to work.”

The Minister added that his staff faced many pressures dealing with the increased numbers of people becoming unemployed but knew they would continue to provide the best service possible to help get people back into work.

He said: “It is particularly important that a partnership approach is taken with employers to ensure that the success of the programme is maintained. I encourage employers across all sectors; private, public, community and voluntary, to become actively involved in the Steps to Work programme by offering quality work experience placement opportunities.

“Placements enable those without work to maintain existing skills or develop new ones so that they are ‘ready to go’ when the economy improves. It is through programmes, such as the flagship Steps to Work, that unemployed people gain hope by allowing them to demonstrate that they can make a worthwhile and valuable contribution to business and economic growth.”

Notes to editors:

1. Steps to Work (StW) is the Department for Employment and Learning’s main adult return to work programme. It was introduced in September 2008 and subsumed the former New Deal programmes. Its aim is to assist people who are unemployed or economically inactive to find and sustain employment. Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) claimants aged 18 to 24 who are unemployed for six months or more and those aged 25 or over unemployed for 18 months are required to participate in the programme.
2. Steps to Work has opened up the Department’s provision to a much wider client group, in particular the economically inactive (Incapacity Benefit/Employment & Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, customers in receipt of other benefits and other inactive customers who are not in receipt of benefits).
3. There were 4,371 people from Steps to Work who found unsubsidised work; 636 found work with Subsidised Employers and a further 147 found work through “Step Ahead” in the voluntary and community sector.
4. Media queries should be directed to Communications Branch, Department for Employment and Learning, Tel: 028 9025 7492. Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.