Support to progress in work should have four objectives:

• to improve individuals’ capability to progress;
• to address their barriers to progression;
• to support individuals to then take up opportunities;
• and to address the barriers for employers in offering progression.

Beneath this, support should be outcome-based, personalised and ambitious – aiming for sustainable, productive employment that reduces poverty, with progression beyond ‘conditionality plus a pound’ The In Work Progression pilots make a good start in testing different models of work coach support and exploring what works – these will likely be the largest ever trial of in-work support and the first time that mandatory interventions have been tested anywhere in the world.

However they are relatively limited in scope, unlikely to join up with wider support, do not test different ways of delivering services and do not address the factors that may make it harder for employers to offer better paid and more rewarding work.

There is a range of evidence on what may work and many wider initiatives that these pilots could plug into – there would be value in going further in testing new services to support those in low pay, in particular through the forthcoming local Growth Deals Support to progress in work should have four objectives: to improve individuals’ capability to progress; to address their barriers to progression; to support individuals to then take up opportunities; and to address the barriers for employers in offering progression.