The coronavirus pandemic has triggered a rise in unemployment, with some of the starkest increases in London. Restart is the Government’s flagship programme to help long-term unemployed people to find work..

Drawing on lessons from previous employment programmes, this event will explore how Restart can have maximum impact. We will assess the latest labour market figures and what they mean for its design, and discuss what we need to do to ensure it supports both access to better quality work and progression.

Speakers include:

• Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute
• Gareth Parry, Programme director, Remploy and Maximus People Services
• Mark Hilton, Executive Director, People at London First
• Kim Chaplain, Associate Director for Work at Centre for Ageing Better

Some of the key questions we’ll be tackling:

• How can Restart help people into good and sustainable work?
• How should Restart work with other programmes and support for those out of work?
• How will Restart support those groups that previous programmes worked less well for?
• Is Restart the right programme and what else must we do?