Five themes of change plan:

1. Focus on the individual: extend opportunities to offer personalised employment and skills advice.
2. Focus on employers: bring more consistency in engaging employers in the process from career and training advice through to in work support.
3. Influence training and work supply - improve the range and quality of training and employment opportunities
4. Influence the wider determinants of health and work: add work related considerations to activities under other strategies and initiatives
5. Operate as a system to promote co-design in the way that partners organisations work together

The analysis identifies causes of supply and demand issues in the labour market in Kent and Medway shaping the focus of the five themes of change working plan.

It found that:

• Kent and Medway has a highly varied economy with notable disparities in terms of socio-economic outcomes. Nevertheless, the area has a tight labour market, where demand for workers is high and employers can struggle to find workers with the right skills and people are often unable to obtain employment because they do not have the skills employers need.
• Mismatches in employer / employee expectations are prevalent, with a particular gap in terms of younger people lacking job readiness, skills and confidence for work.
• Health issues, in numerous forms, are a widespread driver of economic inactivity.
• A high prevalence of health issues has a knock on effect on care demands on unpaid family members, which in turn limits their ability and availability to work.
• Particular priority groups to be identified for action include: young people; women currently unemployed; those with long-term health conditions; those involved with the criminal justice system.

Read the full report here