Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Tony Wilson

@wilsontony.bsky.social

1.3K followers 280 following 75 posts

Employment, labour markets and social inclusion. Personal views etc.

Communication & Media Studies 33%

Sociology 15%

more

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 9

... the UK used to contribute to and benefit from.
I think though it's limited to EEA members only though (EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland)
ec.europa.eu/social/main....

European Network of Public Employment Services

Public employment services Summary

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 9

Good to see this blog.ons.gov.uk/2024/10/09/a...

Another area where it would be good to explore a more 'pragmatic approach to cooperation' would be the European Public Employment Services Network, which...

Arrangement marks a new era of statistical cooperation with Eurostat

When the Office for National Statistics ceased to be a member of the European Statistical System in 2020, all work with Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, ended. National Statisti

blog.ons.gov.uk

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thank you and I agree!! Looking forward to never writing another briefing on the labour market ever again.

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Patrick, and yep I will tell you all about it!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Ben that's kind of you to say. Am really looking forward to it and it will be great to stay in touch on the other side...

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Andrew!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Paul, plenty of clothes in the wardrobe still at IES though!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Ashwin that's really kind of you to say, looking forward to it!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Ha! Well I wouldn't be here now without him offering me a job in 2005 and lots of advice since...

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Heather!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Tony that's kind of you to say. Looking forward to it.

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Calum! IES will be great without me, onwards and upwards for the team...

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Craig!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Anna, that's really kind of you to say

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Catherine!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

Thanks Jill! Hope all's well with you,

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Oct 2

As I've just said on the 'other place', I've mixed feelings about leaving IES - I have absolutely loved it and it's given me the chance to do work I've really enjoyed and with some great people. But I am also really looking forward to the new role in DWP, can't wait to get started (in two weeks!!)

Institute for Employment Studies @employmentstudies.bsky.social · Oct 2

IES News: Tony Wilson will be stepping down as IES Director on 11 October, in order to take up a new post at the Department for Work and Pensions as an Expert Adviser. Tony has been instrumental in the growth, success and impact of IES over the last six years. Learn more here: bit.ly/3N6X0jk

Tony Wilson, Institute Director at IES, to join Department for Work and Pensions in October | Institute for Employment Studies (IES)

Reposted by Tony Wilson

Institute for Employment Studies @employmentstudies.bsky.social · Oct 2

IES News: Tony Wilson will be stepping down as IES Director on 11 October, in order to take up a new post at the Department for Work and Pensions as an Expert Adviser. Tony has been instrumental in the growth, success and impact of IES over the last six years. Learn more here: bit.ly/3N6X0jk

Tony Wilson, Institute Director at IES, to join Department for Work and Pensions in October | Institute for Employment Studies (IES)

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

But my understanding is that Werkpleinen still exist as a pretty comprehensive network (at least cf. to UK) with co-located services and relatively open access. So a little more nuanced/ multi-level than CSJ implies

Also obvs big difference with UK is we don't have insurance/ assistance divide!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

Social insurance is national through the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency).
They employ advisers and commission services, and co-manage local jobcentres ('werkpleinen') with councils.
Unlike UK they use a lot of segmentation/ triage, but like UK it's increasingly online.
www.werk.nl/werkzoekende...

Dienstverlening | werk.nl

Op werk.nl vindt u alles over werk zoeken, succesvol solliciteren en geven we tips om uw kans op werk te vergroten. Ontvangt u een uitkering, dan ontvangt u misschien aanvullende dienstverlening. Bekijk onze dienstverlening per uitkering.

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

Yep although I think it depends how you do it, I don't think national govt has a monopoly on bureaucratic contracting!

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

Good question!
I'm sure it would still be possible, as those areas still have residents with underlying entitlements to benefits, employment, skills support etc (and national/ local govt responsibilities) - but must admit I'm not close enough to detail of those reforms.

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

... again shows why you can't just lift and shift - would be very difficult (if not impossible) to devolve AEB in England to individual local authorities in my view. But of course you could carve out funding for retraining etc and devolve that so local areas can commission (rather than grant fund).

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

No I don't! But just googling, this seems to set out how Dutch funding for schools and colleges works.
eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-edu...

My understanding of the 'skills' bit of employment devo though is that it is specifically around retraining etc - not full equivalent of AEB. Which...

Funding in education

eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

And Dan's paper was invaluable in the paper I wrote in 2017 for LGA, arguing for much more devo based on what has worked in Netherlands.
Which includes view one-stop integration between the national employment service and local provision (Work Squares) pdf
learningandwork.org.uk/wp-content/u...

learningandwork.org.uk

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

Also I would recommend this 2016 paper by Dan Finn (pdf) which runs thru various lessons from overseas.
Ch 3 covers Dutch approach/ history on social insurance AND social assistance. Lots we can learn from, but not without some criticism too (e.g. screengrab below) core.ac.uk/download/pdf...

In one assessment researchers suggest that despite some problems the Dutch
funding formula, when combined with a strong cultural commitment to equal access,
ensured that the system has reaped ‘the benefits of decentralisation while at the
same time ensuring a high degree of similarity in service standards across the
country’ (Allers, 2011, p.8). Other analysts warn, however, that while block grant
funding systems may yield efficiency gains and promote early intervention they also
risk ‘under provision’, especially as such devolutions are often accompanied by
significant cuts in the prior levels of central government expenditure (Vermeulen,
2015). For example, whilst municipalities have increased activation for the flow of
new claimants many have little provision for long term claimants or for the large
numbers of people who are exempted from job search requirements on ‘social
grounds’ (Slotboom and Blommesteijn, 2015).

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

So I think we can definitely learn from Netherlands' approach to employment - in lots of ways - but I would be very cautious about thinking that one part of one element of it (the employment support element of their social assistance model) will be the answer to the challenges we're facing here.

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

Third related point is that municipalities in Netherlands were pretty well placed to do this by 2009, after literally decades thru 1990s and 2000s of different national and local commissioning and municipal delivery.
Contrast with challenges for local govt now after 15 years of austerity.

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

meaning that while entitlement rules were largely set nationally, everything related to eligibility/ monitoring happened locally. And municipalities were driven hard to reduce spending - which they did both thru access to employment support and thru stricter application of rules, more anti-fraud etc

Tony Wilson @wilsontony.bsky.social · Sep 23

have much better childcare system, highly flexible labour market (a so-called 'flexicurity' model), and they did a LOT (some good, some bad) on welfare reform thru the 2000s.

Second tho, more importantly, their approach on devolution includes block grant devolution of social assistance budgets...