The decision not to base “prequalified delivery partners” for a new Government return to work programme in the North, has been blasted by Derry MLA Pat Ramsey.
Pat Ramsey MLA
The SDLP representative said he was “furious” Department of Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry had ignored repeated calls to safeguard successful local agents to deliver the new programme,.
Mr Ramsey claimed as a result of the decision, have companies from “across the water” would be the key delivery agents for Steps2Success.
Mr Ramsey added: “We made it perfectly clear to the Minister the impact of squeezing local partners out of the bidding process would have in terms of services delivered on the ground by small community groups, voluntary groups, and employment companies.
“Our own mix of issues, high unemployment, mental health and physical disabilities are best understood by those who have been working in the community for many years, now we will have a corporate machine running this crucial employment programme.”
Mr Ramsey said in lobbying for the Minister to make changes to the supply chain demands and to the regional breakdown for the contracts, the SDLP had sent a “strong message” that the party wanted local delivery partners who had been successful in running other programmes and who had intricate knowledge of employers and the wider issues in their local community to run the new Steps2Success programme.
He added: “By ignoring this, the Minister will be putting more people out of work across the North, that is totally unacceptable.”
Mr Ramsey said the subcontracting of the programme must be targeted as widely as possible to try and limit any impact on any potential job losses in organisations that may have hoped to deliver part of Steps2Success.
The SDLP MLA revealed he has submitted urgent questions to the Minister as to why he did not ensure local firms would benefit from the bidding process.
Mr Ramsey concluded: “Building a new employment programme by putting those who sought to deliver it locally out of jobs is a bizarre way of building confidence and the SDLP will fight this illogical process and decision until we can ensure a local perspective is brought to bear by our local Minister.”
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