Harriett Baldwin has met with Beacon Employment, a charity which is one of the providers of the Work Programme in Worcester. The Work Programme is the pay-by-results support scheme which helps the long-term unemployed into work. The MP also met with local representatives from Serco, the prime provider, which manages the DWP contract for Worcestershire and the other counties surrounding Birmingham. The MP toured the offices of Beacon Employment, in Worcester and talked to staff and customers about the challenges of getting back into permanent work after a long period of unemployment. Harriett commented: “I was keen to talk to Serco and Beacon and hear of the challenges they come up against at the coal face helping the long-term unemployed back in to work. “In their current area, four out of ten of those referred have found work, and about two-thirds of those who find jobs stay in work over the next six months. “In today’s job market, over half of unemployed people find a new job within three months and 70 per cent will have found another job within a year.” Job-seekers are only referred to the Work Programme if they have had no luck finding a new job after twelve months. Work Programme providers are paid a small fee on referral, but make a much more substantial fee if they help the unemployed into work that lasts over six months. Harriett added: “I was also keen to ensure that the local providers are aware of all the new jobs being created both in Malvern and with BT rolling out the new broadband upgrade. "There are also plenty of seasonal agricultural jobs which are currently going to migrants. “Work Programme providers do an important job helping improve employability for those furthest from the labour market and we must do all we can to make sure that the barriers to stopping people returning to work are removed where possible.”