Funding for Quality Part-time Work Projects Announced

Quality part-time work has received a major boost with the award of half a million pounds to 13 innovative schemes.

The new initiatives tackle some of the key barriers to part-time work at a senior level.  Projects to increase the number of managerial posts open to part-time working include tailored coaching programmes, toolkits for managers and retention and return to work schemes.

Large employers, smaller companies, local authorities and voluntary organisations are amongst the successful organisations.  

The Royal Mail’s project focuses on two sites in London.  It aims to make 10 per cent of management positions on the sites part-time within 18 months, a model which they intend to roll out across the business in the longer term.   

Other initiatives to receive funding include Youth Action’s Blackburn-based project identifying senior part-time role models for minority ethnic women and Durham Constabulary’s drive to address the under-representation of women among senior investigators.  

All the organisations benefiting from the funding will share lessons learned and best practice examples with other employers.

The lack of quality part-time and flexible working opportunities were identified by the Women and Work Commission as major contributors to the gender pay gap.

The full list of beneficiaries are:

Kellogg Management Services (Europe) Limited

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Salisbury District Council

Swindon Borough Council

Royal Mail Letters

Wisework Ltd

Youth Action Ltd

Tesco Stores Ltd

Durham Constabulary

Medical Women’s Federation

Equals One Recruitment (in partnership with Working Families, UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology, and Yorkshire Forward).

Working Families

Workers’ Educational Association West Midlands