How to help areas facing major job losses
What the evidence says about supporting communities affected by major job losses, such as around the steel plant in Port Talbot.
What the evidence says about supporting communities affected by major job losses, such as around the steel plant in Port Talbot.
The ongoing troubles of the steel plant in Port Talbot have once again posed a number of difficult questions to politicians about what to do when a large employer in a place runs into problems. So the What Works Centre’s latest toolkit on responding to major job losses makes for interesting reading.
As usual, the Centre have reviewed all the literature available that attempts to evaluate past interventions when a large employer has run aground. And it makes three main findings:
This suggests that, should a large employer close in the future, policy support should be shaped around retraining those affected and broader support for the local economy. But the cost effectiveness and design of any training schemes will need to be given considerable thought. And of course, any intervention should be properly evaluated too.
You can read the toolkit briefing here.
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