From education to employment

On the IEP’s 10th anniversary ERSA reflects on its role in establishing the Institute of Employability Professionals

On the IEP’s 10th anniversary (@IepInfo) ERSA (@IepInfo) reflects on its role in establishing the Institute of Employability Professionals.

In July 2011, the Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP), was launched at the Welfare to Work Convention in Birmingham. The IEP was a new organisation dedicated to improving the take-up of training and qualifications by individuals working in the employment services industry.

The purpose of the IEP was to provide recognition to those employability professionals looking to enhance their careers in the sector. By providing career support to individuals wishing to undertake a professional qualification as well as providing opportunities for individuals to network and share best practice.

In September 2011, ERSA led a successful collaborative bid, with AELP and Inclusion, to the UK Commission for Employment & Skills (UKCES) for Growth & Innovation Fund investment to establish an Institute of Employability Professionals for the employment services industry.

ERSA as the sector’s trade body representing organisations recognised the need for a separate organisation focussing on individuals working in the sector through a membership-led institute dedicated to raising performance through professional standards and qualifications for people working in the employment services sector.

This built upon the successful work by PoWER (the Professionalisation of Welfare to Work Expert Reference), a cross-industry collaborative group who in partnership with EDI launched the first suite of qualifications for the employment services sector in the summer of 2011.

Great sector leadership was in place to establish the two complementary organisations, ERSA and IEP, and the sector should today remember the work of Fran Parry, Alan Cave (then of the DWP) and Janette Faherty OBE  for having the vision to establish the IEP, and for encouraging ERSA to incubate the IEP, and drive forward the professionalisation of the welfare to work industry/employment support sector committed to raising standards. The purpose of the IEP was, and remains, to provide recognition to those employability professionals looking to enhance their careers in the sector. By providing career support to individuals wishing to undertake a professional qualification as well as providing opportunities for individuals to network and share best practice.

ERSA helped establish the first IEP board chaired by Janette Faherty OBE, and several companies stepped forward to become Founder Patrons. The Founders each made a significant contribution to setting up the Institute and preparing it for launch.

The IEP Founder Patrons were: Avanta, EDI, ESG, Inspire 2 Independence, JHP Group, Maximus, Parkhouse Bell, PPDG, Seetec, Shaw Trust, Remploy, Working Links and Workpays.

It is great to see the legacy of the sector’s leaders and IEP Founder patrons ten years on today.

Happy Anniversary IEP from ERSA.



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