This seminar was one of three expert seminars held by the Foundation in September as part of its new programme of work on low earners through the recession and recovery. This seminar addressed the problems faced by low earners in the areas of work and skills in the recession and discussed the opportunities for how these problems might be minimised and overcome, paying particular attention to the role that the Government, private, public and third sector organisations can and should be playing. This was followed by a discussion of low earners in work – specifically the challenges faced and possible solutions, and a discussion on low earners and skills. The attendees addressed two key questions: how to get low earners back into work quickly and how to get low earners into sustained and appropriate employment. The seminar discussed targets, routes to employment, regional variation and government and business co-operation. The discussion on skills centred around three interrelated issues: access, funding and appropriate skills. To conclude, the Chair asked each of the Speakers to make some final remarks regarding the future of work and skills policy with the likelihood of a new party forming the government in 2010. The consensus was that Conservative skills policy is still being formulated and that the new government could have an impact on the way tax credit entitlement is calculated as well as other forms of income support and benefits. It was agreed that the recession has highlighted the position of low earners in the economy and it is hoped that this group receives greater attention going forward.
