City Strategy
The City Strategy aims to tackle worklessness in our most disadvantaged communities across the UK – many of which are in major cities and other urban areas.
It will initially focus on 15 pathfinder areas that are currently furthest from the Government’s aim of 80 per cent employment, most of which are in our major cities and other urban areas. The 15 City Strategy pathfinders were due to finish in March 2009. Ministers have agreed to extend DWP's support for all pathfinders for a further two years.
The strategy is based on the idea that local partners can deliver more if they combine and align their efforts behind shared priorities, and are given more freedom to try out new ideas and to tailor services in response to local need. It will aim to:
- ensure provision is more attuned to the needs of local employers so individuals gain the skills and attributes they need to access the particular jobs that employers need to fill
- play a significant role in increasing local employment rates, ensuring those most disadvantaged in the labour market can receive the help and guidance they need.
In doing so, we hope it will contribute to the government’s long-term aims of increasing the number of people in work and tackling child poverty.
The strategy will test:
- how best to combine the work of government agencies, local government and the private and voluntary sectors in a concerted local partnership (consortium) – to provide the support jobless people need to find and progress in work
- whether local stakeholders can deliver more by combining and aligning their efforts behind shared priorities, alongside more freedom to innovate, and tailor services in response to local needs.
- Evaluating City Strategy – first national evaluation update July 2008 (74KB)
