New Year Message from ERSA Chair

Welcome back to what is likely to be an extremely busy 2012. 

This year has the potential to be a very challenging year for the welfare to work industry, which means it is right that ERSA, as our trade body, focuses its efforts on the most important issues for us as a sector.  ERSA is therefore going to be focusing on three things in the year ahead.

First, maintaining the partnership with government to ensure that welfare to work services deliver for all customers in the face of an increasingly difficult economic forecast.  This means keeping an eagle eye on the performance and viability of the existing government commissioned programmes, notably the Work Programme and Work Choice, but also working closely with government to make sure that newly commissioned programmes also deliver for customers and are commercially viable for the industry.  

Next, working with the industry to ensure that there are effective supply chain relationships in all welfare to work programmes.  ERSA unveiled its ten point plan for effective supply chains at its conference late last year and it is actively working with voluntary sector representative bodies and government to provide constructive answers to challenges facing some potential voluntary and community sector providers.

Third, placing standards at the heart of the industry.  I am delighted that ERSA was successful last year in gaining funding to set up an Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP), a new entity which will go live by June 2012.  It will take a huge amount of collaborative work in the months ahead, but I am confident that together we are going to deliver an important new organisation that will serve our industry well.

I’m personally very proud of what ERSA has achieved over the last 12 months, fuelled by a new executive team, refreshed board, and a 40 percent membership growth.  I’m very much looking forward to working with you all in the months ahead.