Guarded welcome for returnerships plan

Experts have welcomed a plan for “returnerships”, part of a package of measures announced in the Spring Budget to encourage people back into the workforce. But they say they must be accompanied by more investment in skills.

Returnerships are aimed at the over-50s who have taken early retirement, and bring together existing programmes, with a focus on flexibility and previous experience to reduce the length of training.

Ben Willmott, head of public policy for the CIPD, told Personnel Today magazine that they were “a step in the right direction.

“However, the government must strengthen its ambition on skills investment as part of its plans to boost growth.”

Stephen Evans, chief executive of the Learning & Work Institute, said the measure was “a significant step forward, but there’s much more to do to tackle worker shortages.” He noted that “skills funding will still be £1 billion lower in 2025 than in 2010”.