This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'All participation in Work Experience with commercial organisations will be done on a voluntary basis in the Work Programme'.

link to page 1 GET BRITAIN WORKING  
ENGAGING WITH EMPLOYERS AND PARTNERS 
Section 11: Sector-based work academies  (England) 
What are sector-based work academies 
1.  Sector-based work academies (sbwa) are part of the package of Get Britain Working 
measures that can be used by Jobcentre Plus to help individuals into work. They were 
launched on 1st August 2011 in England only. They are also available in Scotland.  Similar 
support is available through the Routeways to Work programme for claimants in Wales. 
2.  sbwa are designed to support JSA and ESA (WRAG) claimants who are close to the 
labour market but who have been unable to find work to move into sustained employment 
in a demand sector. There is a further aim of supporting employers in those sectors to fill 
their vacancies more efficiently. 
3.  Jobcentre Plus District Managers (DMs) have overall ownership and accountability for 
the delivery of sbwa.  
4.  There is no standard approach to designing an sbwa.  DMs are free to deliver flexible 
sbwa to meet the needs of employers, claimants, colleges and training providers in order 
to maximise off-flow within the principles outlined in this guidance. 
5.  The detailed design of sbwa will not be prescribed but will last for a maximum of six 
weeks and must consist of: 
 Pre-employment 
training (PET) of up to 30 hours a week; 
  Work Experience Placement (WEP); and 
  Guaranteed Job Interview (GJI with an employer in the sector)  
6.  Participants will remain on benefit during the sbwa  
7.  The decision for a claimant to participate in a sbwa is voluntary (Jobseeker’s Directions 
should not be used) but: 
  once a JSA claimant has been formally referred to the sbwa, participation in PET 
and GJI becomes mandatory (see note on exception to mandation to GJI); 
  Policy intent is that JSA claimants could have sanctions applied for “gross 
misconduct” while on WEP.  However the definition of “gross-misconduct” is 
currently being established.  Until that work is complete, DMA action should not be 
taken for any claimant failing to complete WEP. 
  once an ESA(WRAG) claimant has been referred to sbwa, participation in Pre-
Employment Training becomes mandatory, but, participation at the Work 
Experience Placement and Guaranteed Job Interview is voluntary;  
  ESA (WRAG) claimants who are in receipt of National Insurance Credits only, lone 
parents responsible for a child under 5 and not yet at school or full-time carers 
cannot be mandated Work-Related Activity.  All 3 elements of sbwa must remain on 
a voluntary basis for these claimants;   
8.  Important note: An organisation called "The Work Academy" already exists and has 
rights to use the registered brand "The Work Academy". Legal advice dictates that we 
must ensure that reasonable steps are undertaken to ensure that sbwa is not confused 
with "The Work Academy".  To avoid the potential risk of a legal challenge to Jobcentre 
Plus if the strict conventions detailed below must be specifically followed.  
9.  In any reference to sector-based work academies, capitalisation should not be used on 
any of the words. When using an abbreviation, "sbwa" should be used and not capitalised. 
When describing a specific sector-based work academy (sbwa), use the name of the 
sector as well, e.g. Retail academy or Hospitality academy, without the specific or formal 

use of "The" at the beginning of the title wherever possible. The following variations of 
wording are acceptable: 
  ”sector-based work academy” 
  “sector-based work academies”, 
   the abbreviation "sbwa"  
  “xxxxx [eg Retail] academy”, 
   “xxxxx [eg Hospitality] academies” 
  “Sector-based work academy” only where the name appears at the start of a 
sentence. 
10. In addition, any proposed marketing or publicity material which features colour 
schemes, logos or provider/employers branding (other than the standard DWP and 
Jobcentre Plus logos) should be cleared with the skills and provision team  
Youth Contract 
242.  The Youth Contract launched on 2nd April 2012,  includes a range of additional help 
for young people, including extra places on sector-based work academies.  Sbwa are open 
to all age groups and Districts should not normally arrange sbwa for particular age groups 
as this could lead to discrimination on age grounds.  For further information on Age 
Discrimination when advertising vacancies and opportunities please see the Discrimination 
Guidance. 
Which claimants are eligible to participate in sbwa? 
11. sbwa are designed to support JSA and ESA (WRAG) claimants aged 18+, who are 
close to the labour market but who have been unable to find work to move into sustained 
employment in a demand sector. (Some colleges/providers will only be able to access 
funding for age 19+) 
12. Claimant groups other than JSA and ESA (WRAG) are not eligible for sbwa.  However 
where the provider agrees to other claimant groups joining the training and/or the 
employer agrees to take other claimant groups for Work Experience Placement  and 
Guaranteed Job Interview, they can participate BUT these must not be counted as sbwa 
participants. Only JSA and ESA (WRAG) customers can be submitted to the sbwa LMS 
opportunities, other customer groups must not be submitted to sbwa LMS 
opportunities. 
13. sbwa are not normally open to claimants on the Work Programme but in exceptional 
circumstances, where Jobcentre Plus is unable to fill a sbwa with pre-Work Programme 
eligible claimants, a District can approach all the Work Programme providers in their 
Contract Package Area to seek nominations 
14. It should be noted that 18 year old JSA claimants undertaking sbwa Pre-Employment 
Training using non-Skills Funding Agency provision must continue to be available and 
actively seeking employment in accordance with their Jobseekers’s Agreement.  This 
applies whether the provision is part-time or full-time. The normal rules for attending an 
Employment Related Course apply in this case (maximum of 2 weeks in any 12 months). 
15. It is expected that claimants will only complete one sbwa. However, this may not be the 
case where a claimant has ceased to participate and the adviser decides that the claimant 
should re-engage in sbwa.  
16. Those participants who are unsuccessful in securing job offers should return to the 
Adviser caseload and be matched to vacancies in the sector/industry for which they 
received sbwa training and work experience, and other sectors for which they have 
transferable skills.  
17. Actions to take when referring claimants to sbwa can be found in the sbwa Adviser 
Guidance. 

Apprenticeships 
Sbwa may be used as a stepping stone to apprenticeships.  A GJI can be for a job 
vacancy or an apprenticeship opportunity.  Sbwa and apprenticeships are open to all ages 
and Jobcentre Plus should not normally advertise these for a particular age group.  If 
funding for the apprenticeship is only available for 18-24 year olds then that information 
should be shown on the opportunity.  For further guidance please see the Discrimination 
Guidance

Data sharing 
18. Data sharing regulations allow for the proportionate sharing of claimant information 
between Skills Funding Agency funded colleges and providers that are supporting JCP 
claimants with their employment, skills and training needs. In practice this means that 
such information can be shared as often as is necessary to support activities such as 
the management of adviser caseloads or any reasonable adjustment requirements and 
in providing updates to monitor and build on the progress a claimant is making with the 
skills activity they are undertaking to support a move into work. 
19. This legislation does not extend to include employers or non-Skills Funding Agency 
funded provider.  Informed consent must be obtained to allow entry to sbwa. Advisers 
should ask the claimant to complete an authority (informed consent) to allow JCP to 
disclose such information to the employer or non-Skills Funding Agency funded 
providers.   
20. The authority applies to the exchange of information between the employer, provider 
and Jobcentre Plus. 
Planning a sbwa  
21. DMs have overall ownership and accountability for the delivery of sbwa. Additional 
resource for districts to deliver a brokerage, management and support function for sbwa 
has been allocated, with DM discretion on how this role is undertaken.  During testing it 
was apparent that appointing a co-ordinator is key to the success of sbwa.  The Skills and 
Provision pages contain details of the co-ordinator role.  
22. The SERM role in sbwa is outlined later in this guidance. 
23. The roles and responsibilities involved in the success of each sbwa will be defined 
locally during the design process. There is no standard approach and each sbwa will be 
individually tailored to meet the needs of all involved. 
24. Districts will need to engage with and bring together local colleges, training providers 
and national and local employers to influence and shape the design of sbwa. Districts can 
choose the range and length of provision to offer, within the parameters set out in this 
guidance. Engaging employers, providers and colleges early in the process is key to 
ensuring that they are able to offer suitable Pre-employment Training (PET), Work 
Experience Placement (WEP) and Guaranteed Job Interviews (GJI) and that there are 
vacancies available for sbwa participants to apply for. Vacancies can be for jobs or 
apprenticeships. 
25. Sbwa opportunities may also arise via a direct approach from colleges, providers, 
employers or local partnerships. 
26. The decision to offer a sbwa should be based on local labour market need.   
The best outcome for any sbwa would be for the claimant to enter a full time job as sbwa 
are designed to support Districts in achieving off flow targets. However it is for District 
Managers to decide, using the flexibility afforded to them, how to deploy activity on sbwa 
taking account of the needs of their locality and local labour market and then secure the 
types of vacancies that will lead to achievement of their off-flow target.  This can include:  
 part-time 
contracts 
  zero hour contract vacancies where appropriate. 

link to page 1   self-employment vacancies, for example, a taxi firm which recruits drivers to it’s 
business but those drivers operate as self-employed once appointed.  NB GJI for 
self-employed vacancies are not mandatory

Districts will need to build a picture of local labour demand featuring vacancy trends, 
current vacancies, claimant caseloads/volumes by JSAg preferences /occupations sought 
using a range of sources including 
  Using the Knowledge Hub to find out information on: 
 
Analysing vacancies available by sector; 
 
Employer engagement/vacancy planning; 
 
Local Labour Market knowledge and intelligence in relation to vacancies and 
new business opportunities; 
 
Supply and demand data; and 
 
 Vacancy trends and current vacancies (by sector); 
  Sector Employability Toolkits which are available for use by District teams and have 
been developed by Sector Skills Councils in consultation with employers; 
   National Skills Academy Toolkit, information available via Business link; 
  Local Enterprise Partnerships and other local partnerships intelligence; 
  Building relationships with employers, colleges and providers; 
  Using adviser knowledge/networks to identify what participants want; 
  Revisiting employers who may have expressed an interest in sbwa as a result of 
previous engagement; 
  Consulting the National Employers Get Britain Working pages to establish the 
position at a National level and through contact with NEST to gain support from 
national employers in the location; 
  Using claimant caseloads and JSAg preferences; and 
  Consulting employer forums and networks; 
27. During planning the following must be considered: 
  ensure employers with vacancies are involved in the process from the outset and that 
the sbwa is planned around their needs. All 3 elements must be at least in the planning 
stage before opportunities are put on LMS and any referrals made. 
  a single point of contact should be put in place for colleges, training providers and work 
experience host employers once the sbwa programme is underway, to deal with or 
allocate responsibility for responding to any issues that arise during the delivery of the 
sbwa; 
  sufficient numbers of work experience placement opportunities and guaranteed job 
interviews in the appropriate sectors/industries should available to match the number of 
sbwa participants completing pre-employment training; 
  sbwa is available for all age groups.  This must be remembered especially where the 
employer is keen to be involved in the Youth Contract. Sbwa should not normally be 
set up for specific age groups.  
  advisers have access to sufficient information to give them a high level of awareness of 
sbwa opportunities available locally and sbwa are effectively promoted to eligible JSA 
and ESA (WRAG) claimants e.g. by ensuring that details of the sbwa appear on the 
District Provision Tool (DPT); 
  to maintain momentum of the sbwa, the separate elements should be brought together 
in a seamless manner and time gaps between the different elements should be kept to 
a minimum;  
  ensure sbwa Pre-Employment Training, Work Experience Placements and Guaranteed 
Job Interview opportunities are set up on LMS;  

  ensure JR and signing arrangements are considered during the planning stages of the 
sbwa;   
  ensure sbwa participants are notified of sbwa start dates and move seamlessly from 
Pre-Employment Training to Work Experience Placement and then to Guaranteed Job 
Interview; 
  The SL2 process will be used to refer claimants to providers – ensure providers 
understand the process.  This is particularly important for mandation; 
  There is no form to refer claimants to the employer for WEP and GJI.  ensure colleges 
and training providers are provided with details of sbwa participants  that are expected 
to start the Pre - Employment Training; 
  ensure employers are provided with details of sbwa participants that are expected to 
start Work Experience  Placements and attend Guaranteed Job Interviews; 
  ensure colleges and training providers agree start dates for Pre Employment Training 
and communicate these to Advisers, e.g. by entering on the DPT; 
  ensure employers agree start dates for Work Experience  Placements and dates of 
guaranteed job interview; 
  ensure colleges and training providers confirm sbwa starts, FTAs, early leavers and 
completions; 
  ensure Work Experience Placement employers confirm sbwa starts, FTAs, early 
leavers and completions; 
  ensure employers providing Guaranteed Job Interviews confirm attendance, FTA, and, 
wherever possible provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates; 
  ensure SLA is completed with provider, where provider is not Skills Funding Agency 
funded;  
  ensure Work Experience Placement Agreement is completed with employer; 
  involve the Senior Employer Relationship Manager and National Employer Service 
Team (SERM and NEST) where appropriate;  
  A list of top ten tips have been identified from feedback/evaluation of the experiences 
of the Test Districts to help in the setting up and operation of sbwa.  
Engaging with training providers  
28. In order to establish a sbwa, districts should engage with colleges and other training 
providers to: 
  Promote the benefits of their involvement in sbwa by using the planning discussions 
with training providers and partner’s fact sheet. 
  agree who will lead on employer engagement and link the work experience 
placement element to the training programmes  
  agree sector focus for sbwa;  
  agree a programme of training provision that meets local labour market demand and 
the needs of employers 
  share vacancy information and employer leads; 
  agree local planning assumptions on potential referral volumes across the 
academic year; 
  agree roles and responsibilities to facilitate employer input to the training and 
deliver the required Work Experience Placement; 
29. If providers are unable to deliver what is required by the employer: 
  consider whether you are engaging at the right level  
  consider finding an alternative provider e.g. revisit those colleges who have 
previously been reluctant to engage, try new providers  

  for Skills Funding Agency provision, consider escalating the problem through The 
Issues Resolution and Escalation Process 
Engaging with employers  
30.  Use your local knowledge to identify those employers who, based on the local 
labour market demand and sector identification would benefit from and be able to 
participate in a sbwa. 
31. Before approaching local outlets of national employers districts should consult the 
National Employers Get Britain Working sites to establish what has been agreed to enable 
local delivery. 
32. Discuss sbwa, and the overarching Get Britain Working measures and Youth Contract 
as part of your targeted and routine engagement. 
33. Explain the key features of sbwa and promote the business benefits of their 
involvement using key points from: 
  key messages for employers 
 the 
‘Preparing for sector-based work academies Factsheet’; 
  the presentation developed to support engagement discussions about Get Britain 
Working; and  
  the sbwa employer guide available via  Business Link website  
34. Explain to the employer how Jobcentre Plus will support them during the sbwa by 
providing an overview of your district’s co-ordinator/single point of contact role. 
35. Know the employers business, recruitment needs and activity, personalise your 
approach and explain how sbwa will support their recruitment needs.  
36. Consider what the employer can and is willing to offer – they can commit to just one of 
the elements, e.g. Guaranteed Job Interviews, to support delivery – they don’t have to 
commit to all of the elements.  The sbwa can be organised with a group of employers 
providing different elements. 
37. If the employer would like an overview of the training available, familiarise yourself with 
the appropriate information available in the QCF framework and/or liaison with the 
Skills Funding Agency. 
38. Where appropriate, explore a consortium approach and how they can work with other 
employers in the area, including outlets of national employers.  
39. Manage employer expectations when discussing their role and requirements in taking 
part in a sbwa. 
40. Explain that a Work Experience Placement Agreement will be signed between 
Jobcentre Plus and the employer to cover roles and responsibilities e.g. health and 
safety, if not already in place. 
41. There may be occasions where the employer wants to influence the training, be part of 
the selection process or be happy to discuss the Work Experience Placement with 
claimants prior to them participating.  In these instances the LMS opportunity should 
reflect that the employer has agreed to this.  
42. Explore the possibility of an employer led sbwa, explaining to the employer that this will 
involve them providing both the Pre-Employment Training and Work Experience 
Placement elements of the sbwa and that no funding will be provided for the training.  
43. Discuss suitable training providers who are able to accommodate the employer’s 
training requirement. 
44. Providers and employers would normally be expected by law, to arrange and fund any 
reasonable adjustments. However where these costs cannot be met from any other 
source Jobcentre Plus can consider meeting these costs 
45. Deliver the right messages about the Work Experience Placement element of sbwa. 
Avoid creating confusion if the employer is already participating in the Work Experience 
measure. Build on these discussions, re-inforcing the differing aims of the work experience 
placement which now also forms part of a sbwa. The key differences in the two measures 
are :- 

  Work Experience measure : 
 
aimed at 18-24 year olds on JSA;  
 
for claimants further away from the labour market who have little or no work 
experience; 
 
lasts between 2 – 8 weeks;  
 
provides an insight into the world of work; 
 
helps to build participant’s CV and employability 
  Work Experience Placement element of sbwa  : 
 
aimed at motivated, job ready JSA and ESA (WRAG) claimants close to the 
labour market with no significant basic skills needs (such as literacy or 
numeracy);  
 
enables participants to consolidate their training with real work experience; 
 
is designed and tailored to meet the employer’s specific sector requirement – no 
minimum period; 
 
shows recent knowledge and awareness of the sector, enabling them to present 
this during a Guaranteed Job Interview. 
46. There is not a specified minimum duration for sbwa work experience, so in theory it 
could be as short as one day.  What is important is that the work experience placement 
provides sbwa participants with a meaningful experience of the reality of working in the 
sector/industry, and an opportunity to demonstrate their skills to the host employer in 
the workplace rather than the classroom. 
Designing a sbwa 
47. Sbwa 
must combine three elements  
 Pre-Employment 
Training 
  A Work Experience Placement, and 
  A Guaranteed Job Interview for participants completing both of the above elements. 
48. Sbwa does not have a minimum length 
49. The combination of time spent on the three components will be up to a maximum of six 
weeks. Exceptionally, there may be short breaks between the elements to fit in with an 
employer’s recruitment practices or to accommodate bank holidays, but it is crucial that 
these be kept to a minimum and that the momentum of the scheme be maintained. 
50. Sbwa can be employer-led, with employer funded, non accredited training; 
51. Sbwa can be provider-led where the provider has engaged employers to provide Work 
Experience Placement as part of the training, (with Jobcentre Plus input); To ensure that 
any employer led sbwa meets policy intent, SERMs should e mail the Lee Miller  National 
Employer Service Team Manager with the details. Districts should e mail the details to 
Provision Support JCP. Policy advice will be provided as appropriate. 
52. The sbwa can include blended Work Experience Placement and training, and be 
delivered in any order with the Guaranteed Job Interview typically being held at the end of 
the scheme. The Guaranteed Job Interview cannot be before the Pre-Employment 
Training.  
53. Jobcentre Plus will provide payment for travel, and childcare costs and replacement 
care costs.  
54. Providers and employers would normally be expected by law, to arrange and fund any 
reasonable adjustments. However where these costs cannot be met from any other source 
Jobcentre Plus can consider meeting these costs. 
55. sbwa can be a stepping stone to Apprenticeships. 

sbwa Pre-Employment Training 
56. The length of Pre-Employment Training should be in line with the employer’s needs as 
long as the sbwa consists of Pre-Employment Training, Work Experience Placement and 
Guaranteed Job Interview and does not exceed 6 weeks.  
57. sbwa includes Sector-specific Pre-Employment Training, primarily funded and 
delivered through the Skills Funding Agency and which enable participants to undertake 
units on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF).  However where the Pre-
Employment Training element of a sbwa is not funded through the Skills Funding Agency, 
participants do not have to undertake units on the QCF but, Jobcentre Plus should seek to 
influence the type of training being offered to ensure that the skills participants develop are 
transferable and meet industry standards wherever possible. This will normally be full-time 
training, although the employer’s requirements should be considered and part-time 
courses provided where appropriate.  
58. Where the approach is made directly from an employer the first preference would be to 
facilitate training delivered by a Skills Funding Agency provider, as this will be funded 
through the Adult Skills Budget and will include accredited Qualification and Credit 
Framework (QCF) modules. However the employer could deliver and fund in-house non-
accredited training.  
59. If an employer states that they wish to use their own training provision, and to use their 
own preferred training provider or their own in-house training team to deliver, then the 
employer must fund the training.  However if the employer wishes bespoke training to be 
delivered, you must follow the normal hierarchy: 
  Firstly you must explore all avenues with colleges to offer Skills Funding Agency 
funded training 
  If Skills Funding Agency funded provision is not suitable or available, then you must 
discuss with the Work Programmes Division JCPSC Performance Manager the 
potential for using the Support Contract.  This is in scope of the Support Contract 
because clauses are written into the contract to facilitate the delivery of Pre 
Employment Training where the Skills Funding Agency or the Devolved 
Administrations can not deliver. 
  In the unlikely event of the JCPSC not being able to provide the training, then the 
prime providers of either the Work Programme or ESF contracts can be considered.  
Clauses have been written into contracts for both WP and ESF 2011-13 to facilitate 
PET delivery.  You must discuss with the Work Programmes Division Performance 
Manager the potential for delivering the required training using the Work 
Programme or ESF contracts as the contractual vehicle.  
  As a very last resort, ad hoc procurement using the Flexible Support Fund can be 
considered but this is likely to involve a lengthy competitive tender.   
In all cases where a DWP provider delivers the Pre Employment Training, additional 
payments will be made to the provider using the Flexible Support Fund. 
sbwa Work Experience Placement 
60. The Work Experience Placement should enable participants to consolidate their 
training with real work experience; 
61. It should be designed and tailored to meet the employer’s specific sector requirement 
(as long as the sbwa consists of Pre-Employment Training, Work Experience 
Placement and Guaranteed Job Interview and does not exceed 6 weeks).  
62. Work Experience Placement can take place during evenings and weekends if this is 
the employer’s normal pattern of shifts.   
63. There is not a specified minimum duration for sbwa Work Experience Placement.  
What is important is that the Work Experience Placement provides sbwa participants 
with a meaningful experience of the reality of working in the sector/industry, and an 

link to page 4 opportunity to demonstrate their skills to the host employer in the workplace rather than 
the classroom. 
64. Work Trials must not be used as a substitution for the Work Experience Placement. A 
Work Trial is conducted on a non-competitive basis where the participant has been 
successful at a  job interview, is the only person under consideration for the post and 
will be recruited providing the trial is successful. 
65. WEP should not be confused with Work Experience.  Differences between Work 
Experience Placement and WE can be found later in this guidance. 
66. A Work Experience Placement Agreement  should be signed by the employer. 
sbwa Guaranteed Job Interview  
67. Must be linked to a vacancy/apprenticeship (not a mock or practice interview); 
68. Will typically take place at the end of the scheme, although some flexibility can be used 
in order to meet the recruitment needs of the employer. However, the Guaranteed Job 
Interview must not take place before the Pre-Employment Training.  
69. There can be a short break between the end of the participation in sbwa and the 
Guaranteed Job Interview. 
70. There is no policy intent to exclude employers that use on-line recruitment from 
participating in sbwa. However it does present an additional responsibility for sbwa co-
ordinators in that, if the online application is used by the employer as part of a sift process 
and the claimants are only offered an interview if they successfully complete the online 
application, then there is a responsibility on Jobcentre Plus to arrange a Guaranteed Job 
Interview with another employer within that sector so that all 3 elements of the sbwa 
process are followed.  
71. The Guaranteed Job Interview does not have to be with the employer delivering the 
Work Experience Placement, districts can broker and match individuals to other employers 
vacancies within the sector. 
72. GJI is mandatory for JSA claimants.  However if the claimant has not attended the 
WEP, the employer may withdraw the offer of a GJI.  If that is the case a GJI with another 
employer should be found if possible.  If this is not possible then the claimant should be 
released from the requirement to participate.  
73. If the employer is still willing to offer the GJI then this remains mandatory for the JSA 
claimant.  
74. If  the  job vacancy is for self employment, then attendance at the GJI is voluntary.   
Monitoring and collection of Management Information 
75. Jobcentre Plus will collect and report the following Management Information by benefit 
type via LMS opportunities: 
  Total number of Pre-employment training referrals/starts. 
  Total number of Work Experience Placement referrals/starts. 
  Total number of sbwa Guaranteed Job Interviews attended.   
76. Job outcomes will not be recorded or reported by Jobcentre Plus Districts. 
77. A sbwa activity monitoring tool is available to assist Districts with capturing and 
reporting sbwa activities and is recommended as best practice.  
78. Districts are also required to report quarterly on sbwa progress as part of the Get 
Britain Working requirements.  The information sought includes number of sbwa, sector 
coverage and extent of employer involvement.   
Senior Employer Relationship Manager (SERM)/National Employer 
Service Team (NEST) role in supporting Districts  
79. NEST will help districts to deliver sbwa by : 
  Negotiating with national employers to secure their commitment and providing 
Districts with the employer offers, by email where these are business critical; 

  Where non business critical offers are negotiated, these will be entered on the 
National Employers Get Britain Working site with the agreed national approach to 
inform local delivery (using the SERM National Employer GBW contact template). 
80. Where districts identify that support from a specific national employer is required or you 
need help to develop a local relationship with that employer, then you should contact the 
NEST Senior Employer Relationship Manager for that employer directly.  
81. Where, as a District, you identify that support or a local relationship is required more 
widely from a NEST account, ie for a specific sector or for GBW measures, then you 
should email this request to a single point of contact within NEST: 
xxxxxxxx.xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx (s
hown in GAL as JCP Employer Advice).  
82. The National Employers Get Britain Working pages show a list of national employers 
and the level of commitment they have to Get Britain Working measures including 
sbwa.   
83. If an employer who is not account managed by NEST wishes to run an sbwa locally 
then this can be organised without the involvement of NEST.  It may be useful to use ERM 
to record an employers interest/agreement in running sbwa.  This can be done by using 
the initiatives marker where there is a sbwa indicator.  
Work Experience Placement Agreement 
84.  When the design of the sbwa has been agreed, employers delivering the Work 
Experience Placement must sign a Work Experience Placement Agreement. The Work 
Experience Placement Agreement contains the legal and policy requirements above the 
signature and date. 
85. Districts/NEST are able to tailor the second page of the Agreement to outline the 
specific terms, roles and responsibilities agreed with the Employer or leave as a generic 
template where overarching principles are appropriate.  Where appropriate, you may also 
wish to add a section regarding the role of the training provider.   
86. This part of the Agreement should be treated as a “live” document and can be 
evaluated, agreed and amended without the need for a further signature.  
87.  Where an employer has already signed a Work Experience Placement Agreement for 
the GBW Work Experience measure they are not required to sign a further one for sbwa 
work experience placements, but Districts can choose to review if needed.  
88. Districts should discuss and complete the Work Experience Placement Agreement with 
the employer, with both the employer and Jobcentre Plus retaining a copy.  Districts 
should update the employer record on ERM / LMS as appropriate. 
89. Some national employers may have signed Work Experience Placement Agreements 
which cover all of their outlets - the National Employers and Get Britain Working pages 
provides this information for national accounts. 
90. Where the employer is providing PET, the agreement should be amended to include 
reference to this. This negates the need for an SLA where the employer is the training 
provider. 
CRB Checks  
91. Jobcentre Plus cannot fund CRB checks on behalf of employers.  Where an employer 
identifies a need for a CRB check during the sbwa discussion,  it is the employer’s 
responsibility to obtain and fund the check. 
92. Some participants, by exception, may have the cost of the enhanced CRB check 
reimbursed to the employer as agreed in the CRB Framework. As this will not be known 
until the participant has agreed to start the sbwa,the employer’s expectations must be 
managed. 

CRB Checks in the Adult Social Care Sector 
93. The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator for the care sector, has reviewed 
and issued specific guidance for providers and managers of adult social care services who 
are accepting people on Work Experience Placements (WEP) from DWP employment 
programmes.  The changes mean that for Work Experience Placement, courses lasting a 
maximum of 2 weeks,  the requirement for participants to have an enhanced Criminal 
Record Bureau (CRB) check is removed. 
94. For the new guidance to apply the care provider (employer) must ensure the following:- 
  that the participant in the sbwa will be appropriately supervised at all times by a 
permanent member of staff who has had a satisfactory CRB check to minimise any 
risk to people who use services; 
  they must not be left alone with people who use services. In Domiciliary Care, this 
means that they should not visit people alone. Or be alone in the house of someone 
who uses the service; 
  they must only be given tasks suitable to their level of knowledge, skills and 
experience  
  the provider will take due account of their responsibility to respect and involve 
people who use services – especially to promote and respect their privacy and 
dignity and take into account their needs, wishes and preferences. This will include 
informing people who use services that the person is on a placement and seeking 
their consent to the person’s involvement; 
  the provider must carry out a risk-assessment to ensure that the above criteria are 
met and any other risks are identified and managed. This will include a written 
declaration by the individual that they do not have any prior convictions or cautions, 
and that they are not barred from undertaking a regulated activity on the ISA list. In 
asking for this declaration, providers should be aware of the provisions of the 
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, as amended, which 
allows for questions to be asked that include “spent” convictions relating to certain 
exempted occupations; 
95. Claimants being referred to a sbwa in the care sector MUST be informed that it is a 
requirement for staff working in this sector to have an enhanced CRB check before they 
can be employed by registered care providers.  
96. CQC guidance for information. 
LMS Opportunities 
97.  Districts will need to set up three sbwa opportunities on LMS for Pre-Employment 
Training, Work Experience Placement and Guaranteed Job Interview  for Adviser referrals 
and starts for MI purposes.  
98. The LMS Opportunities as defined in the Adviser guidance are: 
  Ref’d to sbwa Pre-empl Training, 
  Ref’d to sbwa Work Experience Placem’t, and  
  Ref’d to sbwa G’teed Job Interview 
99. District flexibilities can apply when inputting sbwa opportunities to LMS.  However, the 
following information must be captured from Opportunities for MI purposes – referrals and 
starts to each of the three elements of sbwa.  Please note that if using an employer record 
to do this, the record must be set up as a provider otherwise the information will be 
incorrectly displayed as a vacancy.  
100.  Claimant groups other than JSA and ESA (WRAG) are not eligible for sbwa and 
should not be referred to these opportunities.  (Other claimant groups can access sbwa 
but must not be counted as participants) 

101.  The District Provision Tool will need to be updated with full details of the sbwa. DPT 
publishers will already have received guidance.   
Key Messages to promote sbwa to employers  
102.  How we promote and sell sbwa to our employers is key to their success. The 
positive messages you deliver to employers could include : 
  This is a flexible programme that can be tailored to meet your recruitment needs 
and improve attrition rates. 
  The eligibility criteria is simplified to provide access to a large pool of potential 
candidates, enabling churn vacancies to be filled more easily. 
  It provides you with the opportunity to recruit staff with the right training and skills 
from the outset developed through fully funded Pre-Employment Training. 
  We will work with you to understand what skills you need your recruits to have and 
by doing so will ensure the Pre-Employment Training is fit for purpose. 
  The programme provides an opportunity for you to be in control of your own 
recruitment and try out potential employees to make sure you have the right person 
for the job after their training is completed.  
  Jobcentre Plus will support you through the sbwa experience, providing a single 
point of contact to ensure the smooth running of the programme.   
  By offering Work Experience Placements within your company, your existing 
employees could benefit by being offered a developmental opportunity to share their 
insight ‘for example’ by developing their mentoring, supervisory and coaching skills. 
  By supporting this programme you will gain positive publicity to show you are part of 
a business which is working together with Government to meet its social 
responsibilities. 
  Pass on your expertise! Work with colleges and training organisations to share 
ideas and good practices and contribute to the development of a package of support 
that meets the needs of your local business community. 
  sbwa participants will achieve accredited units that will ensure that they have the 
skills required to enter your business, and they can be used to build towards full 
qualifications or as a stepping stone to an apprenticeship. 
  Recruiting the right skilled people will give you the potential to increase productivity. 
  Participants on a sbwa remain on benefits and will receive help with their travel, 
child care costs and where appropriate reasonable adjustment. 
  This programme will give you the chance to raise your company profile by 
networking with your peers. 
  Be as involved as you like. Invest as much of your time as you are able to the sbwa. 
You can be involved in the full design and selection or limit your involvement and let 
Jobcentre Plus support your needs.   
sbwa Delivery Options  
Examples of delivery options 
103.  Below are examples of how a sbwa could be designed and delivered. Jobcentre 
Plus must provide a management and support role throughou the sbwa – we are 
responsible for the customer journey. 
Example 1 
104.  Where the sbwa is for one employer/new opening. 
  Pre-Employment Training  – through Skills Funding Agency 

 
3 weeks Pre-Employment Training  
  Work Experience Placement – by one employer 
 
2 weeks Work Experience Placement  
  Guranteed Job Interview – by the Work Experience Placement employer 
Example 2 
105.  A sbwa may be run using an consortium approach, where more than one employer 
in the same sector work together to run a sbwa. An example of this could be in the fast 
food sector where a large number of employers in a shopping centre agree to support a 
sbwa. 
  Pre-Employment Training – through Skills Funding Agency 
 
2 weeks part time (16hrs) Pre-Employment Training 
  Work Experience Placement – by a consortium of employers in the same 
sector 
 
1 week Work Experience Placement 
  Guaranteed Job interview – obtained by Jobcentre Plus matching and 
screening participants to active vacancies from employers recruiting in the 
sector 

Example 3 
106.  A sbwa can be employer-led and/or take a blended approach 
  Work Experience Placement – one day introduction work experience day 
  Pre-Employment Training – employer led ( training provided by employer ) 
 
2 weeks full time 
  Work Experience Placement  – 4 days work experience under supervision 
  Guaranteed Job Interview 
Good Practice from the Test Districts  
  Make best use of Open Days: 
 
to provide the opportunity to get everyone involved in the programme together at 
      the same time and gives the participants the chance to discuss the sbwa with 
      everyone involved in its delivery. 
 
where the provider/employer has asked to be involved in selecting participants. 
 
Select potential participants on the day and be able to offer places straightaway  
  Consider personal participant records, ie 
 
to enable the participant to record their Pre-Employment Training/Work 
Experience Placement  before moving onto the next stage of sbwa. 
 
to ensure training isn’t duplicated and the provider/employer knows what has 
     happened previously  
 
to use as a record at the interview/on a CV. 
Sbwa activity monitoring tool  
107.  The sbwa activity monitoring tool has been developed in partnership with South 
Yorkshire and Merseyside Districts using their experience of testing the sbwa model and 
maintaining an overview of all sbwa activities and monitoring the progress of each sbwa 
programme through the pre-employment training and work experience placement stages 
to guaranteed job interviews and job offers.  It is based on a spreadsheet which also 
enabled co-ordinators in the two test Districts to meet both internal and external 
management reporting requirements.  

108.  The monitoring tool is focused on the management information that District 
Managers and Senior Management Teams are likely to require sbwa co-ordinators / co-
ordinator teams to collate and report on a regular basis.  The spreadsheet can also be 
adapted to meet a District’s specific information needs, e.g. an additional column could be 
added for recording the employers involved in each sbwa. 
109.  There is likely to be growing Ministerial interest in the level and extent of sbwa 
activity across the country, therefore the use of this tool (or an equivalent locally produced 
tool) is recommended as it will enable Districts to responding quickly and easily to ad hoc 
requests for information about sbwa. 
110.  OPD will produce monthly MI reports on sbwa referrals and starts captured on 
LMS.  However, occasional requests for information to supplement this data for inclusion 
in Ministerial and senior leader briefings are likely to be made, e.g. the number of sbwa run 
and in which sectors. 
Case studies 
111.  This section of the guidance will be updated when case studies information is 
available.   
Top Ten Tips 
The following tips were gathered following trials of sbwa. 
  Obtain a list of Skills Funding Agency contracted providers in your District and the 
skills training they deliver. These will be able to deliver Pre Employment Training 
(PET) for sbwa.  
  Examine Labour Market Information, Vacancy Information and Sought Occupation 
information and identify the sectors appropriate for consideration of establishing a 
sbwa locally.  
  Build on any existing employer relationships / identify any new employers in the 
relevant sectors and make contact to establish interest in developing a sbwa locally. 
  Once employer has confirmed an interest in being involved in the sbwa include 
provider(s) in any discussions as soon as possible and take into account the 
employer’s views when selecting the provider to deliver the Pre-Employment 
Training 
  Ensure Jobcentre Plus is represented at any discussions between the employer and 
the provider to ensure that sbwa procedures are adhered to. 
  Identify any pre-requisites for participation in sbwa, how the District will fund these 
and the process the adviser needs to follow as early as possible in the planning 
discussions. e.g In one of the Test Districts, a sbwa was delivered with McDonalds. 
The employer required participants to wear flat, black shoes during the Work 
Experience Placement (WEP). Ensure any pre-requisites are included on the LMS 
opportunity and the District Provision Tool (DPT).    
  Ensure effective procedures are in place for the payment of travel childcare, 
reasonable adjustment and replacement care expenses etc. Providers and 
employers would normally be expected by law, to arrange and fund any reasonable 
adjustments. However where these costs cannot be met from any other source 
Jobcentre Plus can consider meeting these costs. Feedback from one of the Test 
Districts showed that this worked best when one person was identified as 
responsible for all expenses payments to claimants. 
  Open days involving both the employer and the provider were identified as the best 
route for promoting the sbwa and selecting appropriate claimants. These provide 
the employer with the opportunity to talk to all applicants and give the claimant full 
details of the sbwa. It is good practice for advisers to book a follow-up interview with 
the claimant to issue mandating paperwork and expenses etc for claimants that are 

starting on the sbwa, explore non attendance at the open day if the claimant didn’t 
attend or provide feedback as to why they weren’t selected, if appropriate.    
  Co-ordinator role is key – they need to stay close to the claimants, the employer and 
the provider to ensure that the sbwa runs smoothly and the claimant is where they 
should be at all times.  
  When developing generic sbwa with consortium of employers it is really important to 
group together employers whose recruitment requirements are similar. E.g. during 
catering sbwa some customers were not suitable for one employer involved but 
were acceptable to others – this led to difficulties when organising Work Experience 
Placements and Guaranteed Job Interviews(GJI), resulting in some claimants 
dropping out of the sbwa. It is good practice to ensure “value for money” so Districts 
should evaluate the first sbwa for a particular sector/employer to ensure a good rate 
of job outcomes before arranging future ones. 
 

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