Michael Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland, has been called on to support the devolution of DWP employability projects and Job Centre Plus to the Scottish Parliament.

Speaking at the 2011 Welfare to Work Scotland Convention today (6 September), Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO will launch a letter to the Secretary of State for Scotland urging him to lend his support in lobbying the UK Government for the introduction of a Community Programme to provide temporary jobs in the community for long-term unemployed people in Scotland.

Martin Sime, Chief Executive, SCVO said: “We need to help unemployed people until the economy recovers. A Community Programme would be a win/win for individuals and hard pressed communities up and down the country. We recommend setting a target to create 100,000 opportunities over the next three years through this programme. We urge the UK Government to adopt this programme or allow the Scottish Government to go it alone and have the savings it generates for the UK Treasury reimbursed.

“But, ultimately, we want the Scotland Bill to usher in more employability powers for Scotland. At present the UK and Scottish Government approaches are out of kilter, leading to dysfunction and duplication. No matter how hard everyone tries on the ground clunky institutional arrangements create barriers. The UK Government’s move towards a profit-driven Work Programme has further widened the gap between its approach and Scotland’s positive, inclusive approach.

“We need to help unemployed people do more than just make multiple applications for jobs they won’t get or acquire skills they have little prospect of using in the next few years. A Community Programme would be an injection of energy where it is most needed. Employability is already devolved in Northern Ireland and now we must build a new, more flexible and clever system in Scotland that helps the unemployed secure long-term jobs, benefiting communities and generating savings to the public purse in the process.”

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations is the national body representing the interests of charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises.  The Scottish third sector turns over £4.4 billion a year and employs 137,000 people in over 45,000 organisations.  For more on SCVO see www.scvo.org.uk