Too many hurdles in front of job seekers, report says

These were the findings of a report called ‘Working for Fife 2015’ compiled by Fife Voluntary Action, which reviewed the provision of third sector projects helping people into work.

It shows that charities and voluntary organisations are playing an increasing role in supporting Fife jobseekers into work but that major hurdles remain.

Over half of third sector employability service providers said they knew of people who could not take up a job due to transport issues. Of these, 43 per cent said public transport did not run at suitable times, particularly for early morning and evening shift work. The report calls for transport to be considered by employers as well as at a strategic level.

Another area of concern is the uncertain nature of funding for third sector employability projects, with 58 per cent of current projects receiving funding that will end by March. This could have a major impact on services for jobseekers as nearly 4000 people a year are helped by these projects.

Pegs Bailey, employability development officer for Fife Voluntary Action and co-author of the report said: “The research has shown there has been an increase in those finding work with support from the third sector, but there are still challenges to be overcome particularly in relation to funding of projects where short-term funding is preventing a longer-term approach.”

The report has put forward recommendations to help overcome the problems.