PM today reports the government’s plans to pay employers a ‘golden hello’ of up to £2,500 for every unemployed person they recruit and train, as one of the measures announced at the Jobs Summit.

Linking this news with CIPD research last week that showed the high and long-term value of professional status, maybe the government would consider extending this initiative to help people to train for professional qualifications? £2,500 would do the job for many professions, particularly if someone could live off their redundancy payment for a bit, and/or get some practical experience in a deal with a willing employer.