The Strategic Community Plan outlines the commitment from Falkirk Council and partners to “increasing jobs, income and enterprise for all our citizens.” The Community Regeneration Strategy focuses on increasing skills and employability as a way of tackling worklessness and low income. Despite the positive achievements there are still significant numbers of workless households within some areas and amongst some groups within Falkirk. The lack of appropriate childcare is often highlighted as a key barrier for unemployed parents seeking to return to work.
The Scottish Executive, in helping to tackle disadvantage and unemployment amongst parents, launched the “Working for Families Fund,” which will provide additional resources to help tackle poverty and worklessness and ensure that childcare is not a barrier to parents entering education, training or employment.
Falkirk Council has been awarded £900,000 over the next two years (2006/08) to take forward the development and provision of services to support parents in workless households.
Falkirk Council working with Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley, Jobcentre Plus, Careers Scotland and the Childcare Partnership will develop and deliver a number of support measures to help workless parents move into sustainable employment.