About Us​

The employment related services sector helps improve the opportunities to find better work for the nation’s jobseekers and low earners. Often known as providers, sector organisations include businesses, charities, small specialist organisations, local authorities, housing associations and health institutions. 

 

What we do
Providers deliver services targeted at helping people to overcome their barriers to employment including:

n careers advice and guidance
n CV and job search support
n sourcing job vacancies with employers
n advice and support for job interviews
n work experience and placements
n training and skills support
n housing, benefits and wellbeing advice
n business start-up advice
n in-work support

Many providers specialise in specific groups of jobseekers such as young people leaving school or not in employment, education or training, those with disabilities, health conditions or other barriers to gaining and maintaining decent work, those who are homeless or who have experience of the criminal justice system.

Networking

About Us​

Where the funding comes from
The sector is historically funded by central, devolved and local government, European Funding, the Big Lottery Fund, trusts, foundations and providers’ own resources. One of the biggest purchasers of employment services is the Department for Work and Pensions which funds schemes such as the Work and Health Programme, the recently ended, Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) and the Restart Scheme, which went live in 2021. Currently ERSA is supporting members through the transition to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda replacing the previous European Social Fund.