Getting London Working

Prepared by David Pack, Partnerships

Manager14 September 2011

The City of London Corporation’s support for its neighbouring boroughs

Overview

Background to the City of London Corporation

Supporting local young people into work: why do we do it,

what do we do and how?

How do we do work with City businesses? What’s in it for

them?

What’s the impact?

Some lessons

The City of London Corporation Provides local government services for the financial and

commercial heart of Britain, the 'Square Mile'.

Promotes and enhances the status of the City as the world's leading international financial and business centre.

Provides additional facilities for the benefit of the nation – open spaces, Barbican Centre, Museum of London, wholesale markets, Thames bridges, Port Health Authority..

Committed to an extensive programme of activities designed to bring about economic regeneration in our neighbouring boroughs and to assist our neighbours to benefit from the wealth the 'Square Mile' generates.

Why support young residents of our neighbouring boroughs? • Political motivation – one of our

three strategic aims

• Support for City businesses’ own corporate responsibility priorities

• Our locus between surrounding communities and (City) business.

• Moral obligation?

Deprivation in London

Our economic regeneration programme – what do we do? Commissioned projects across three core themes:

• Skills, training and employment• Work with schools – raising aspirations• Support for enterprise

• 30+ ‘projects’ underway

Close working with neighbouring boroughs, cross borough

regeneration partnerships and other agencies and third

sector bodies

Active engagement of City businesses in all our work.

What do we do? More detail…• City of London Business Traineeship scheme

• Support for NEETs; support for graduates

• Aspiration-raising activities

• Engaging City employers in local recruitment

• Apprenticeships

• Careers advice/guidance – myth-busting!

• Employment Charter for Construction / Cheapside Employment

Charter

The audiences

• High achieving school leavers (‘non-traditional backgrounds’)

• NEETs

• Graduates

• Schoolchildren

• Local unemployed

How do we work with City businesses? What’s in it for them?• Work with and through expert third parties,

internal teams

• Understand and complement City businesses’

(corporate responsibility) priorities and

initiatives… and shape them

• Capitalise on City Corporation links

• Positive profile, longer term corporate

responsibility and recruitment links.

What’s the impact?

• Hundreds of ‘alumni’ either employed at host companies or returning

during university holidays.

• Positive feedback from aspiration-raising visits to businesses: 70%

knew ‘little’ or ‘nothing’ about working in the City before visit; 75%

learnt ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ about working in the City

• Improved understanding/insight among teachers – most of whom

have not worked outside education - of business world.

• Increasingly, City businesses interested in diversity approaching us to

help recruit to entry level roles

Bloomberg was amazing, the building is beautiful and it was good to see where people work!

Bank of England was cool, cool block of gold, cool museum!

Amazing day well spent! I learnt so much, it is nice to know about the different

companies and what they do.I enjoyed everything today and it has inspired me to work in an office and to work as a lawyer in the future. I also learnt a lot about banking and much

more.

I liked learning about all the

different jobs you can have when

working in a bank.

What’s the impact?

• Inspired young people!

Lessons

• Respond to businesses’ needs! They can say no; develop all programmes with them in mind.

• Understand businesses’ challenges – be realistic.

• Deliver through experts – vet your partners!

THE END!

Any questions?