Driving Employment Success: Jobs 22's Impact on the Restart Scheme in East Central England

As a provider delivering the Restart Scheme in East Central England (CPA 1b), we're pleased to share our perspective on the latest performance statistics released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the Restart Scheme up to October 2024.

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Overall Scheme Performance

The Restart Scheme has shown significant progress since its launch in June 2021. By October 2024, 840,000 individuals had been referred to the scheme across England and Wales, with 720,000 having started their journey with us and our fellow providers[1]. This high conversion rate from referrals to starts demonstrates the scheme's effectiveness in engaging participants.

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Job Outcomes and First Earnings

We're particularly encouraged by the number of participants achieving positive outcomes:

• 270,000 participants have achieved first earnings from employment during their time on the scheme[1].
• 170,000 participants have reached the milestone of a job outcome, representing sustained employment[1].

These figures are especially noteworthy given that many participants are still within their 12-month support period.

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Performance Against Expectations

The scheme is performing well against its contractual expectations:

• The current number of job outcomes (170,000) represents 90% of the Tender Performance Level (TPL) expectation of 190,000[1].
• More impressively, it stands at 121% of the Minimum Performance Level (MPL) of 140,000[1].

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East Central England Performance

While specific data for our CPA (1b - East Central) isn't provided in the summary, we're proud to be contributing to these national figures. The overall start rate of 86% across all CPAs indicates strong engagement with participants[1].

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Demographic Insights

The scheme is supporting a diverse range of participants:

• Gender split: 55% male, 45% female[1].
• Age distribution: 15% aged 18-24, 62% aged 25-49, and 24% aged 50 or over[1].

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Looking Ahead

With the recent extension of the Restart Scheme announced in the Autumn Statement 2023, we're excited about the opportunity to support an additional 0.55 million individuals over the next two years[1]. The expansion of eligibility criteria from July 2024 will allow us to assist even more people in East Central England.

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Conclusion

We're proud of the role we're playing in the Restart Scheme's success. The latest statistics demonstrate the scheme's positive impact on participants' lives and the wider economy. We remain committed to providing tailored, intensive support to help our participants in East Central England find and sustain employment.

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Citations:

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/restart-scheme-statistics-to-october-2024/restart-scheme-statistics-to-october-2024.