About ERSA
Chair's introduction
ERSA was founded during 2005 to provide a voice for private and voluntary sector providers of publicly funded employment programmes. As the welfare to work market developed it became increasingly clear that providers needed a representative body to raise the profile of the provider network and undertake effective representation on an industry-wide basis. From the original twelve founding organisations, the Association now has a thriving membership, an achievement of which ERSA is extremely proud.
A high-performing welfare to work system is not only essential to economic prosperity but employment changes lives for the better; that’s why we advocate measures that are focused on individuals and will improve employment outcomes and sustainability. We do this through consultation with our members, and leading policy debate by making representations, taking part in consultations, publishing policy documents and commissioning independent research projects.
Independent providers of employment related services are the Government’s welfare to work delivery partners and ERSA will continue to engage constructively with the public policy debate on welfare reform. In addition to responding to consultations on DWP’s ‘In Work, Better Off’ and ‘Improving Specialist Disability Employment Services’ we contributed extensively to DWP’s Commissioning Strategy published February 2008. ERSA were very pleased to see the introduction of a Code of Conduct in this document, an idea inspired by our own Code of Business Conduct for our members.
As an Association of providers who help individuals overcome barriers to skills and employment and who work closely with employers, we are very proud our membership has signed the Skills Pledge, making the most of this unique position to link up the skills and employability agenda and help people stay and advance in work. David Lammy, Minister of State for Skills said of this event, “We are pleased that ERSA members have signed the Skills Pledge. This public commitment shows that voluntary and private sector welfare-to-work providers are aspiring to the highest professional standards.” Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform added, “We think the evidence is clear that tackling skills is key to raising the employment rate further. So we want to build on the success of welfare-to-work with a highly integrated employment and skills system that can help people both get into work and also get on at work.”
This is an exciting and important time to be involved in the welfare to work sector, and with plenty to be involved in with the introduction of Flexible New Deal and the implementation of the Leitch and Freud Reports, ERSA will be working hard on behalf of its members to meet these new challenges.
Please do get in touch if you would like to know more about ERSA.
Fran Parry
Chair, ERSA
Angus Knight UK
Stuart Knowles
Deputy Chair, ERSA
Shaw Trust
April 2008