Get Britain Working: Why Businesses Must Be Partners, Not Participants

By Sian Booth, Head of Policy and Partnerships, Doncaster Chamber
sbooth@doncaster-chamber.co.uk

When the Government launched its Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024, it set out a powerful ambition: to tackle economic inactivity, raise employment rates, and drive inclusive growth across the country. These are aims that businesses support wholeheartedly. But as always, the success of a national strategy will rest on the detail of its delivery.

At Doncaster Chamber, representing hundreds of employers across our region, we’ve reviewed the direction of travel and what’s emerging in policy and practice. While the intentions are right, there’s growing concern that too much of the burden is falling on employers - without a clear or consistent system to support them in return.

Get Britain Working is a strong message. But without sharper planning, more modern thinking, and meaningful partnerships, we risk repeating past mistakes: fragmented delivery, over-complex systems, and an absence of real value for the employers we’re relying on to make it work.

The Case for Change Is Undeniable

Few would argue against the goal of helping more people into meaningful, sustainable work. The country faces rising economic inactivity, longstanding inequalities, and skills shortages across many sectors.

The Get Britain Working agenda highlights these problems well. But identifying issues is not enough. What’s needed now are solutions that are practical, measurable, and grounded in the day-to-day reality of employers - particularly small and medium-sized businesses.

What Employers Are Telling Us

From our regular conversations with businesses, a consistent message emerges: employers want to be part of the solution. But they need clarity, coordination, and fairness in return.

1. Simplify the System

The employment and skills landscape is cluttered. Too many schemes, too little alignment, and not enough visibility of what works. There’s a need to reduce duplication, consolidate effort, and create a universal, joined-up offer for both individuals and employers. Simplifying the system would save time, money, and energy - and allow us to reinvest in areas that add value, like business engagement and support.

2. Offer Something in Return

Employers are being asked to take on greater risk. In the current economic climate, relying on goodwill is not sustainable. We need to talk about incentives, flexibility, recognition, and a clear value exchange for businesses.

3. Treat Business as a Strategic Partner

Employers are too often treated as afterthoughts, or only consulted at the end of programme design. If we’re serious about inclusive employment, business needs to be involved from the outset - as co-designers, co-investors, and co-deliverers. This is particularly important for SMEs, who are underrepresented in policy development but overrepresented in job creation.

4. Embed Modern Thinking

Artificial intelligence, automation, and data-driven systems are transforming the labour market. These tools should be central to how we understand the labour market, plan for future jobs, and personalise employment support.

Break Down the Barriers to Work

To boost employment participation, we must also address the practical barriers stopping people from taking up opportunities:

• Transport: Many people are physically disconnected from job opportunities. Subsidised and innovative transport solutions should be part of any employment strategy (you can join our Transport and Infrastructure Board here).

• Childcare: Affordable, accessible childcare is still a major blocker, especially for women and carers. Investment in early years infrastructure is essential.

• Flexibility: Many sectors need targeted support to pilot flexible working arrangements, especially in construction, manufacturing, and logistics.

 

Let’s Focus on What Works

Employers are facing a blizzard of asks. All are worthwhile, but without coordination, this volume of activity risks overwhelming businesses and undermining outcomes.

We need to streamline the offer, focus on high-impact activity, and be honest about what isn’t delivering. It’s time to stop spreading resources thinly and start concentrating effort where it drives genuine impact - measured not just in participation, but in productivity, job quality, and wage growth.

Unlock the Full Ecosystem

Employment outcomes don’t rely on employers alone. We represent over 100 businesses working in the voluntary, social & health and education sectors which play a vital role - but are often underutilised or underfunded.

• Small charities, in particular, are overstretched and undervalued. As this Breaking Point report shows, many charity leaders are at breaking point. Their contribution can’t be assumed - it must be resourced.

• Colleges and specialist institutions such as Harrison College, Northern College, and DN Colleges have proven models of employer engagement, particularly with neurodiverse young people and adult learners. They must be at the heart of future employment strategies.

• The charity sector, particularly small and community-led organisations, plays a vital role in supporting people with complex barriers to employment. Yet many are facing severe financial and capacity pressures, with some at breaking point. Employment reform must be explicit about how it supports and sustains the voluntary sector’s ability to contribute. Placing expectations on charities without resourcing or integrating them into delivery undermines both the credibility and sustainability of any national strategy. Their involvement cannot be assumed—it must be planned for and properly funded.

Reframe the Employer Role

The current narrative often positions business as a problem to be managed, or worse, as a default cause of discrimination. In reality, most employers - especially SMEs - create inclusive, value-led cultures because they have to in order to survive and thrive. The public sector could learn a lot from their agility and people-first ethos.

We also need to address the disconnect between “employer-led” design and the realities of small business life. Too often, co-design is dominated by large firms with capacity to engage. True employer leadership means supporting and compensating SMEs to shape services that actually work for them.

Our Recommendations in Brief

To make Get Britain Working succeed, we believe national and regional policymakers must:

• Provide a clear and consistent offer to employers, including incentives, recognition, and co-investment

• Streamline the system by reducing duplication and focusing on high-impact, scalable activity

• Embed business as a delivery partner, not just a stakeholder

• Invest in transport, childcare, and flexible working to tackle structural barriers

• Embrace technology and data to inform design, delivery, and personalisation

• Reframe success in terms of outcomes - wage growth, job quality, and productivity - not just participation

Final Thoughts

There is strong goodwill among businesses to support inclusive employment. But goodwill alone won’t deliver a national strategy. The system must work with employers, not merely through them.

Get Britain Working has the potential to reset the relationship between business, public services, and people. But that will only happen if we move from a culture of asking, to one of offering; from fragmented delivery to collective design; from short-term activity to long-term change.

The Chamber network stands ready to play our part - as convenors, challengers, and trusted partners.

If you’d like to discuss how this agenda affects your business, or share your views, please get in touch.