Understanding advancement

The concept of ‘advancement’ has been central to the debate in relation to the most effective ways of achieving the twin policy goals of high employment alongside high productivity. It is based on how the system looks from the perspective of the individual who often faces multiple barriers in accessing both learning and work. In this way it is linked to the wider agenda of the personalisation of public services. What is different from other approaches is that advancement is also about how support for (and challenge to) the individual is delivered holistically. This involves bringing together what are currently discrete and disparate advice services for: housing, employment, learning, health and benefits/personal finances.This paper explores how the vision of advancement has advanced since first mooted in this context in John Denham’s Fabian Society speech in 2004. It looks at the reform agenda from three perspectives: • The individual; • The workplace; and • The advancement agencies which support them. It concludes by looking at ways of achieving advancement and government’s role in the process through strategic commitments to – segmentation; stimulation; regulation; and capacity building.

The concept of ‘advancement’ has been central to the debate in relation to the most effective ways of achieving the twin policy goals of high employment alongside high productivity. It is based on how the
system looks from the perspective of the individual
who often faces multiple barriers in accessing both
learning and work. In this way it is linked to the
wider agenda of the personalisation of public
services. What is different from other approaches is
that advancement is also about how support for
(and challenge to) the individual is delivered
holistically. This involves bringing together what are
currently discrete and disparate advice services for:
housing, employment, learning, health and
benefits/personal finances.This paper explores how the vision of advancement
has advanced since first mooted in this context in
John Denham’s Fabian Society speech in 2004. It
looks at the reform agenda from three perspectives:
• The individual;
• The workplace; and
• The advancement agencies which support
them.
It concludes by looking at ways of achieving
advancement and government’s role in the process
through strategic commitments to – segmentation;
stimulation; regulation; and capacity building.