The ‘Intermediate Labour Market’ Programme(ILM) in UK as an Employment Support――The ILM’s Characteristics and Its Issues in the New Deal――

Abstract

The ‘Intermediate Labour Market’ programme (ILM) in the UK creates new jobs to solve unmet local needs and simultaneously improves the employability of participants. A similar scheme can be introduced in Japan as an employment training programme in the ‘Services and Supports for Needy Persons Act’; and as an employment support programme in the ‘Public Assistance Act’. To implement the ILM in Japan,it is necessary to understand the ILM’s characteristics and discuss its issues in the New Deal. Jobs in the ILM must be real. Its additionality must be fulfilled in principle. These are the primary reasons why the ILM faces a dilemma. The ILM presents both supplyside (improving employability) and demand-side (creating new jobs) interventions in the labour market. Participation in the ILM means participants leave public assistance; hence, the ILM stands against workfare policy. The ILM is for persons who are far from the labour market; therefore,in Japan, it is suitable for adaption as an employment support programme in both the ‘Services and Supports for Needy Persons Act’ and the ‘Public Assistance Act’.