Tony Wilson

... the UK used to contribute to and benefit from.
I think though it's limited to EEA members only though (EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland)
ec.europa.eu/social/main....

Arrangement marks a new era of statistical cooperation with Eurostat When the Office for National Statistics ceased to be a member of the European Statistical System in 2020, all work with Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, ended. National Statisti

Good to see this blog.ons.gov.uk/2024/10/09/a...

Another area where it would be good to explore a more 'pragmatic approach to cooperation' would be the European Public Employment Services Network, which...

Thank you and I agree!! Looking forward to never writing another briefing on the labour market ever again.

Thanks Patrick, and yep I will tell you all about it!

Thanks Ben that's kind of you to say. Am really looking forward to it and it will be great to stay in touch on the other side...

Thanks Andrew!

Thanks Paul, plenty of clothes in the wardrobe still at IES though!

Thanks Ashwin that's really kind of you to say, looking forward to it!

Ha! Well I wouldn't be here now without him offering me a job in 2005 and lots of advice since...

Thanks Heather!

Thanks Tony that's kind of you to say. Looking forward to it.

Thanks Calum! IES will be great without me, onwards and upwards for the team...

Thanks Craig!

Thanks Anna, that's really kind of you to say

Thanks Catherine!

Thanks Jill! Hope all's well with you,

As I've just said on the 'other place', I've mixed feelings about leaving IES - I have absolutely loved it and it's given me the chance to do work I've really enjoyed and with some great people. But I am also really looking forward to the new role in DWP, can't wait to get started (in two weeks!!)

But my understanding is that Werkpleinen still exist as a pretty comprehensive network (at least cf. to UK) with co-located services and relatively open access. So a little more nuanced/ multi-level than CSJ implies

Also obvs big difference with UK is we don't have insurance/ assistance divide!

Social insurance is national through the UWV (Employee Insurance Agency).
They employ advisers and commission services, and co-manage local jobcentres ('werkpleinen') with councils.
Unlike UK they use a lot of segmentation/ triage, but like UK it's increasingly online.
www.werk.nl/werkzoekende...

Yep although I think it depends how you do it, I don't think national govt has a monopoly on bureaucratic contracting!

Good question!
I'm sure it would still be possible, as those areas still have residents with underlying entitlements to benefits, employment, skills support etc (and national/ local govt responsibilities) - but must admit I'm not close enough to detail of those reforms.

... again shows why you can't just lift and shift - would be very difficult (if not impossible) to devolve AEB in England to individual local authorities in my view. But of course you could carve out funding for retraining etc and devolve that so local areas can commission (rather than grant fund).

No I don't! But just googling, this seems to set out how Dutch funding for schools and colleges works.
eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-edu...

My understanding of the 'skills' bit of employment devo though is that it is specifically around retraining etc - not full equivalent of AEB. Which...

And Dan's paper was invaluable in the paper I wrote in 2017 for LGA, arguing for much more devo based on what has worked in Netherlands.
Which includes view one-stop integration between the national employment service and local provision (Work Squares) pdf
learningandwork.org.uk/wp-content/u...

In one assessment researchers suggest that despite some problems the Dutch funding formula, when combined with a strong cultural commitment to equal access, ensured that the system has reaped ‘the benefits of decentralisation while at the same time ensuring a high degree of similarity in service standards across the country’ (Allers, 2011, p.8). Other analysts warn, however, that while block grant funding systems may yield efficiency gains and promote early intervention they also risk ‘under provision’, especially as such devolutions are often accompanied by significant cuts in the prior levels of central government expenditure (Vermeulen, 2015). For example, whilst municipalities have increased activation for the flow of new claimants many have little provision for long term claimants or for the large numbers of people who are exempted from job search requirements on ‘social grounds’ (Slotboom and Blommesteijn, 2015).

Also I would recommend this 2016 paper by Dan Finn (pdf) which runs thru various lessons from overseas.
Ch 3 covers Dutch approach/ history on social insurance AND social assistance. Lots we can learn from, but not without some criticism too (e.g. screengrab below) core.ac.uk/download/pdf...

So I think we can definitely learn from Netherlands' approach to employment - in lots of ways - but I would be very cautious about thinking that one part of one element of it (the employment support element of their social assistance model) will be the answer to the challenges we're facing here.

Third related point is that municipalities in Netherlands were pretty well placed to do this by 2009, after literally decades thru 1990s and 2000s of different national and local commissioning and municipal delivery.
Contrast with challenges for local govt now after 15 years of austerity.

meaning that while entitlement rules were largely set nationally, everything related to eligibility/ monitoring happened locally. And municipalities were driven hard to reduce spending - which they did both thru access to employment support and thru stricter application of rules, more anti-fraud etc

have much better childcare system, highly flexible labour market (a so-called 'flexicurity' model), and they did a LOT (some good, some bad) on welfare reform thru the 2000s.

Second tho, more importantly, their approach on devolution includes block grant devolution of social assistance budgets...

First is should go without saying that devo of employment/ skills is not the *only* reason the Dutch had a strong recovery from the 2008/9 recession.
Demand factors hugely important, but they also have a more effective approach on employer responsibilities around reintegration of disabled people,