Government initiative reaches more people facing redundancy in Scotland

27 Jan 2015 11:31 AM

Access to employee contact details moving forward.

The Scottish Government’s initiative for responding to redundancy situations - Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) will now have access to contact details for anyone facing redundancy, Business Minister Fergus Ewing said ahead of today’s (Tuesday) Parliamentary debate.

Following the recent USC job losses and challenges faced by SG PACE and Scottish Enterprise representatives in making contact with the parent company Sports Direct International PLC to help those facing redundancy, administrators will now be able to release the data direct to PACE as it does not breach data protection legislation.

Since 2009 PACE has provided support to over 1,700 employers and 71,000 individuals and helped them to secure new employment.

Business Minister Fergus Ewing said:

“Despite the positive outlook for the economy, there will still be a need for PACE. PACE is most visible in large scale redundancy situations, however PACE is also available for every individual affected by redundancy.

“Having direct access to employee contact details represents a breakthrough and I would like to thank the insolvency practitioners for all the support they have given to our efforts.

“As demonstrated through the work of PACE, we can make a real difference to individuals facing redundancy, a real difference to their families and a real difference to their communities.

“We therefore need to continue to work together with our PACE Partners to maximise the benefit that comes from working together in partnership and to continue our efforts to enhance the operation of PACE through our continuous improvement programme.”

Notes To Editors

Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) is the Scottish Government’s initiative dedicated to helping individuals and employers with the advice and support they need when faced with redundancy.

The latest research shows that of those surveyed who received PACE support, 72% obtained employment.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) delivers PACE on behalf of the Scottish Government in conjunction with other key partners. In addition to the National PACE Team, there are 18 local PACE Teams across Scotland to ensure speedy and effective responses to redundancy situations.

PACE offers free and impartial advice and is available to all individuals affected by redundancy, no matter the size of the business or how many employees are involved. PACE also works with insolvency practitioners to provide support where a business has gone into administration or liquidation.

PACE support is tailored to meet individual needs and local circumstances and includes: one to one counselling; information on rights and entitlements, benefits entitlement and tax calculation; help with job search; CV writing, application forms and covering letters; preparation for interviews; identifying learning and training opportunities; starting up a business; making the most of your money; and coping with redundancy related stress.

A national helpline (0800 917 8000), revamped website www.redundancyscotland.co.uk, and improved information resources have been introduced to make PACE services more accessible to individuals and employers through increased marketing and promotion.