Brighton University’s School of Business and Law played host to the first advisory board meeting of the Activating Employers project this week. It was the first opportunity for the project team and the board members to meet face to face and discuss the future direction of the project.
The meeting provided leading experts and scholars the opportunity to exchange views on recent social procurement and employment policy advancements in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. Notably, recent legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the United States has underscored the importance of public procurement in job creation initiatives. Similar trends are emerging in Australia, particularly in Victoria, and to some extent in Scotland, Wales, and England.
However, a crucial aspect has been absent from existing discussions on the subject of public contracting: the essential connection between employment services and job creation through social procurement. The gap between social procurement and active labour market policies represents a missed opportunity to effectively address poverty.
Participants reached a consensus that the primary challenge in fostering quality job opportunities in low-wage industries lies in engaging employers. Other critical issues include inadequate public oversight and capacity, as well as the urgent need for political prioritization. It was also emphasized that public employment services should lead by example by promoting job retention and career advancement within their own workforce.
The meeting concluded with a focus on the project's future efforts. Advisory Board members offered valuable insights into how the project team can effectively engage stakeholders. The next phase of the project will involve direct engagement with policymakers and practitioners in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia, with the aim of gathering essential input as the team prepares for fieldwork in 2024.
The UK Procurement Act 2023 is due to come into force in the latter half of 2024. It will introduce the largest shift in UK procurement objectives since the introduction of the Social Value Act (2012) and apply to most sectors in the UK.
Activating Employers team members Dr Anne Daguerre and Dr Sean Vincent, both of Brighton University, made the first public presentation of preliminary findings of the Activating Employers project at the Social Policy Association annual conference held at the University of Nottingham.
