Peter Hain today set out how the Government will take forward his crusade for full employment and an end to poverty.  He announced that six leading training and employment companies from the private and voluntary sector have been awarded contracts to deliver the next stage of the Governmen's flagship Pathways to Work programme.

The successful contractors will deliver the Pathways to Work programme in 15 Jobcentre Plus districts throughout Great Britain from this December. A second phase of contracts will be announced later this year ensuring that anyone on Incapacity Benefits will have access to a local Pathways service by April next year.

Speaking at the IPPR Conference, Peter Hain told delegates that he was striving for a 'whole customer approach', where people will receive the individual help and support they need in order to get into work, strengthening the role of Jobcentre Plus, particularly early on in a benefit claim, and enhancing the role of the private and voluntary sector.

Peter Hain said:

"It is a fact that Government does not have all the answers to meet every challenge. And so the private - and voluntary - sector must and in my plans will have an enhanced role to give individualised attention and support and to lever in new finance. I met with David Freud last week and from that discussion it was clear we are in the same place. The old sterile battle for territory between public and private sectors is redundant. I am interested in one thing and one thing only: What Works."

"We will work with large providers.  They can bring scale and integration. Smaller providers already have great records in delivering very specialised, innovative and targeted help that is essential to overcome deep seated problems. And we will continue to work with the voluntary sector which has produced extraordinary results with some of the hardest to reach people.

The Pathways contracts will help prepare a key group of people for the work available through the new initiative of Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs) where leading employers will work with government to provide opportunities specifically for those individuals who have had difficulties in getting into work.

Peter Hain said that with 64 employers already committed to this partnership and a further 150 in discussion with government, LEPs will create 250,000 job opportunities for people in the UK.

The companies who have been awarded contracts and their comments are attached below.