The Case for Women’s Employment Support

Elizabeth Taylor shares the views and insights of the ERSA Women’s Employability Forum on barriers and remedies to women’s employment.

More than 25% of working age women are economically inactive. Six hundred thousand women work in low skilled, low paid roles and receive Universal Credit, requiring them to actively increase their hours and income. Yet stifling women’s work aspirations are commonly occurring barriers such as caring responsibilities, a lack of available and affordable childcare, and the debilitating self-doubt of trying to start or return to work.

Removing these barriers and unlocking women’s full potential is key to achieving the government’s Get Britain Working White Paper ambitions and addressing child poverty.

Women’s circumstances, especially those with children or other caring responsibilities, will change over time, as may their location and career aspirations. Some may be new to working life, others career-switchers or unretirers. Many are mothers returning after a break, or women with criminal convictions looking for employment.

What is needed for all are flexible, person-centred, and innovative solutions that blend that holy grail of health, skills, employability, and business support. I welcome the government’s recent shift of Skills responsibilities to the Department for Work and Pensions in acknowledgement of this and firmly believe that with meaningful input from funding bodies, employability providers, and employers, women at all stages of life can sustain good work.

Speaking recently to MPs on this topic, I was heartened by the acknowledgement of the issues faced by women who want to work and shared four areas of continued focus that are, in my view, essential to help support more women into the UK workforce:

The way forward

Flexible working

The Timewise Annual Index 2023 found only 31% of job adverts overtly offer some form of flexible working and that while legislation now gives people the right to request flexible working from day one in a new job, there is evidence that many employers remain resistant to flexibility for new recruits.

Women need greater access to flexible working, be that for an employer or via supported self-employment, including through the government’s own ‘Find a job’ website. Working with employers to consider adaptations to job design including working from home options, staggered hours, and compressed work weeks also remains a vital part of women’s employment support.

Affordable childcare

The high cost and lack of availability of childcare remain a significant issue for women. While there has been an increase in funded hours childcare, it is only available during term-time, some nurseries are choosing to opt-out, and competition for pre-existing spaces has increased.   

The Coram Family and Childcare Annual Survey 2024 found significant increases in the cost of childcare and additional costs charged to families accessing funded places. Available and affordable childcare is essential to many mums, including when they undertake training or volunteering.

Training and volunteering

Women may need to improve their functional and job-specific skills, to volunteer, or be mentored before they are in a position to move into work. This will not only improve the skills and employment options for individuals but can address skills shortages in the labour market and address unfilled vacancies.

Time and allowance for women to develop their working capacity in this way is vital to programme design.

Specialist provision

Women require specialist support delivered within the newly created jobs and careers service as well as through devolved funding of specialist organisations in the community.

I am lucky in my role to see at first hand the many organisations and programmes already working to support women to upskill, volunteer, and progress through working life. Utilising familiar venues, employing innovative engagement methods, and working with employers to design family-friendly roles is all happening.

It also illustrates that no single programme will suit all women. Employment support must be delivered at the right pace and by professionals adept at engaging women and providing the specialist support they need. Parent or Lead Carer Advisors in the new iteration of the local employment service would be a valuable source of support, with a robust network of onward signposted provision.

By Elizabeth Taylor, ERSA CEO

With thanks to the Women’s Employability Forum and other ERSA members who took time to share their expertise: Belina Grow CiC, Successful Mums, Transform Lives Company, Women’s Work Lab, Ingeus, Momentic, Palladium, Reed in Partnership, RIFT Social Enterprise CiC.