Evaluation of Single Provider Employment Zone Extensions to Young People, lone parents and Early Entrants - Interim Report
Research Report No. 228
By Rita Griffiths and Dr Gerwyn Jones
Employment Zones (EZs) were introduced in April 2000 in fifteen UK areas with high concentrations of long term unemployment. EZs target unemployed people over the age of 25 who have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) for at least twelve months. Significant flexibility and adviser discretion in the use of funds and help provided, is fundamental to the EZ 'work first' approach of assisting unemployed people into sustained employment.
EZs were expanded in April 2003 to include lone parents, unemployed people aged 18-24 otherwise returning to New Deal and JSA claimants entitled to early entry due to the disadvantages they face in the labour market. Participation for young people, and early entrants who choose to join, is mandatory. For lone parents, participation is voluntary.
In November 2003 Insite Research and Consulting was appointed by the Department for Work and Pensions to conduct a two phase qualitative evaluation of the extension of EZs to new client groups.
This report presents interim findings from phase one of the research which ran from November 2003 to November 2004. It is based on a series of face to face interviews held with EZ staff and new customers and observations of meetings between EZ advisers and new customers, in the seven EZ areas where a single provider was contracted to deliver EZ services.
January 2005 80 pages 297x210mm
ISBN 1 84123 772 8
