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Government funds pilots to help women find quality part time jobs

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Timewise Accreditation scheme will allow 10 Local Authorities to launch pilots to find jobs for people who need to balance work and family.

Timewise will receive a further £75,000 for its Women Returners Scheme, a pilot scheme aimed at encouraging private sector companies to look at how jobs are designed, particularly senior roles, for part time working, job sharing or flexible working. The scheme will initially work with five corporate partners and includes the development of a national register of women returners. Women are far more likely than men to work part-time and on a flexible basis, and much of the part-time work currently available is low skilled and low paid. Evidence suggests many women working in these jobs are “working below their potential”, and are not using their skills as effectively as they could. A history of women working part time is also a significant cause of the gender pay gap.

Minister for Women and Equalities Jo Swinson said:

“I am delighted that this scheme is proving successful; I hope that the new schemes offer even more women the opportunity to balance work with their family.

“It is vital that we remove the barriers for women to return to work. That is why we have extended the right to request flexible working to all employees, introduced shared parental leave and expanded free childcare.”

The current pilot in Camden has already more than doubled the volume of quality part time jobs offered to successful applicants, and has helped more than 500 women to access advice on building careers to fit with family life. This has had a significant impact on the perception of flexible working within the council, with 71% of all staff feeling that they are able to work flexibly without a negative impact.

Timewise has also helped the Council to analyse their current flexible working options, and to put in place a plan to increase the number still further. Camden council now advertise every job vacancy as ‘open to flexibility’, and are training managers to improve how they work with flexible staff. They have also launched a website, ‘Women like Us Camden’, to provide advice and support with returning to work. This site currently has over 1000 members.

Sarah Hayward, Leader of Camden Council said:

“We are already seeing value back from the work we undertook to become a Timewise Council. Not only does being more ‘Timewise’ help us recruit and retain key talent as an employer, it helps us deliver services more effectively and tackle key social challenges faced in the borough.”

Further information on Timewise Councils, visit www.timewise.co.uk.

Timewise launched its accreditation programme in Camden in 2014 and has been working successfully with Stoke on Trent, Enfield and Waltham Forest Councils, Leicestershire County Council, North Dorset District Council and Carlisle City Council since the beginning of 2015.

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