The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is commissioning a What Works Centre for Local Employment Support (WWCLES) to help inform evidence-based local employment and labour market support by regional and local government. Preliminary research, known as the Labour Market Evidence Programme (LMEP), was commissioned to inform the WWCLES's work.
This LMEP includes a user consultation, an initial set of evidence reviews, and a 'lessons learned' report. A Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) is the first of eight evidence reviews, which synthesises available evidence on the implementation and evaluation of health-focused local programmes and interventions aimed at improving labour market outcomes.
The findings from this report are intended to inform local government decision-making on areas such as the roll-out of WorkWell across England and succession planning for the Economic Inactivity Trailblazers. The DWP intends to use the LMEP's outputs to provide a handover to the WWCLES, aiming to speed up the centre's set-up period.