Stoke-on-Trent Local Strategic Partnership

Local Area Agreement

Integrated Worklessness and Skills Delivery Plan

National Indicators 152, 161, 162, 163

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1.0 THE DELIVERY PLAN CONTEXT

1.1 Introduction This Plan sets out how partners within Stoke-on-Trent will deliver the following Local Area Agreement (LAA) targets:

� NI 152 Working age people on out of work benefits � NI 161 Number of level 1 qualifications in Literacy � NI 162 Number of Entry Level 3 qualifications in Numeracy � NI 163 Working age population qualified to at least Level 2 or higher

The rationale for combining these targets within one plan is two-fold. Firstly, employment and skills issues are integral to each other: improving employment rates cannot be achieved without increasing skills; and providing skills is a poor use of resources unless there is an employment-linked outcome. Secondly, the West Midlands Region is currently piloting an Integrated Employment & Skills approach to delivery (following the recommendations of the Leitch Review1) and a combined Delivery Plan is consistent with that approach. 1.2 Who is Responsible for Delivery? The key organisation responsible for overseeing the delivery of the LAA targets is the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership’s (NSRP) Employment & Skills Group. The Group incorporates a wide range of key stakeholders including: the three local authorities (Stoke, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire Moorlands); the LSC; Jobcentre Plus; Advantage West Midlands; Connexions Staffordshire; NHS Stoke-on-Trent; the Chamber of Commerce; representatives from the Further Education and voluntary sectors and Higher Education institutions; and community representatives from the Community Empowerment Network and the Black and Minority Ethnic Forum. The work of the Employment & Skills Group supports the activity of the Employer Board for Skills. This comprises seventeen different employers from all the relevant business sectors within Stoke. Strategic direction, bids for funding and some actual delivery is undertaken by the NSRP’s Employment & Skills Team, led by the Director of Employment & Skills. The Director is the strategic “Owner” for all four LAA targets within this Plan. The Team currently comprises thirteen members of staff: the Core Team (5 plus a secondment from the Resources Division); the JETBusiness team (currently 2); the Blurton JET2 Manager; and the STACE3 team (4). The Team works closely alongside staff from JCP and the LSC as part of an extended partnership, which meets fortnightly. Finally, the City Council has built a wide-ranging and effective delivery partnership comprising: Stoke-on-Trent College; Newcastle College; Connexions Staffordshire; YMCA North Staffordshire; Groundwork Stoke; EPIC Housing; Fresherwise Ltd; Newcastle Borough Council; Aspire Housing; and the Coalfield Regeneration Trust.

1 “Skills in the UK” (Sandy Leitch, December 2005, HM Treasury)

2 Jobs Enterprise & Training

3 Skills Training And Community Employment

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1.3 Consultation We have arrived at the recommendations in the Plan as a result of extensive consultation with a range of stakeholders. Principally, we have discussed the document in some depth with:

� The NSRP Employment & Skills Group and its constituent members; � All other stakeholders whose supported is required to deliver the Plan. This

included key public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders. The consultation process, undertake in October-November 2008, resulted in substantial feedback which has shaped the content and provisions of this Plan. 1.4 Strategic Context We have ensured that this Plan has a close strategic alignment with National, Regional and Local strategies and policies; indeed in some cases the Plan contributes directly to the delivery of some of these strategies. The relevant strategic linkages: Policy Initiative Strategic Fit

National Policy developments At a national level, the Government’s approach to addressing worklessness and achieving its 80% employment rate target has evolved considerably over the past year. The recently published Green Paper (No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility, DWP, July 2008) set out its proposals for welfare reform while ‘In work, better off: next steps to full employment’ and ‘World Class Skills: Implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England’ both published in July 2007 described how employment and skills policy will be better integrated. These policy proposals are reflected in the choice of LAA targets, with an emphasis on worklessness and adult skills.

West Midlands Economic Strategy

The proposals set out in this Plan meet six separate policy proposals contained within the WMES. We have aligned our provision alongside the review of the WMES, ensuring that employment is not an end in itself but the first step on the road to wider workforce development, improved productivity and a growth in sub-regional GVA.

West Midlands Skills Action Plan The WM Skills Action Plan, prepared jointly by AWM and the LSC, sets out a number of policy changes to delivery within the Region. One of the key action points is the need for “stronger integration between employment and skills with resources targeted on disadvantaged communities and individuals”. This aspiration has now become reality with the launch of the Integrated Employment & Skills system within the West Midlands, as a national pilot. This Plan is an important means of delivering this policy initiative within Stoke..

NSRP Business Plan/Zone Implementation Plan

Sub-regionally, the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership (NSRP) set up an Employment & Skills Group (comprising all relevant public agencies together with voluntary and private partners) and a parallel Employer Board for Skills (covering all major employment sectors) to steer relevant activity within North Staffordshire. A crucial role for these groups is to commission effective activity to bring about changes to low skill levels and high worklessness, as part of delivering the NSRP Business Plan.

NSRP Employment & Skills Business Plan

The Employment & Skills Business Plan sets out the strategic requirements for the service, and identifies needs, opportunities and trends. This Delivery Plan is the principal means of implementing the Business Plan.

Worklessness Floor Target Action Plan

The Delivery Plan should effectively be regarded as a refresh of the FTAP. It brings many of the proposals within the FTAP up to date (i.e. takes account of the LEP and the Skills Pledge) but also integrates employment and skills more effectively than the FTAP.

The table above is simply a summation of the key policy areas. As this is a Delivery Plan first and foremost, the range of policies and strategies relevant to this agenda do not bear repetition here; the reader is referred to the relevant documents to seek the fuller picture. Needless to say, the Delivery Plan is the tool which will bring about the delivery at the City-level of all the National, Regional and Sub-regional policies. 1.5 Links with Other Plans This Delivery Plan will ensure that activity is fully integrated with at least three other relevant LAA Delivery Plans:

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The relationship with the NEETs Plan is particularly important, and we will ensure that, where appropriate, many of the interventions we propose for the 19-plus age group will also be available for the 16-18 group. We will help deliver the NEETs Plan by focussing particularly on the 18-19 age group in terms of employment interventions (as much of the NEETs Plan focuses on the 16/17 age group).

In terms of Child Poverty, we will work closely with colleagues in other services to develop a family/generational approach to worklessness, e.g. through offering employment and skills support to families involved in the Family Intervention Project.

2.0 WHERE ARE WE NOW?

2.1 Worklessness

There were over 28,000 ‘workless’[1] residents in Stoke on average throughout 2007 – an estimated rate of 18.8% as compared with rates of 15% in North Staffordshire and 13.1% in the West Midlands as a whole (see Table 1.1). This very high rate however masks even more severe concentrations in particular localities. In Stoke’s 10% most deprived Lower Level Super Output Area (LSOA) level [2] there was an average rate of over 37% with a number of areas in excess of 40%. The challenge for this Plan is therefore not just to reduce rates overall but also to address these severe spatial inequalities. Indeed if worklessness in these areas is not reduced substantially, overall targets will not be achieved. Narrowing the ‘gap’ between these areas and the rest must be a key priority for future interventions in order both to address persistent social exclusion and to reduce a key inhibitor on the economic competitiveness of the area. The diagram below illustrates the uneven distribution of worklessness across North Staffordshire as a whole and the particular concentration of high worklessness areas in Stoke.

Table 1.1: Worklessness in Stoke compared with Neighbouring Authorities and the Regional Average (2007)

Area / District Worst 10% LSOAs

Number Rate (%) Number Rate (%)

RatioWorst LSOAs: District

West Midlands 428,965 13.1

North Staffordshire 42,646 15.0

Stoke 28,710 19.2 5,250 37.2 1.98

Newcastle 8,904 11.5 1,755 24.6 2.13

Staffordshire Moorlands

5,591 9.7 1,100 20.5 2.11

[1]

Defined as benefit claimants in receipt of JSA, IB, Lone Parents Income Support or other income-related workless benefits. [2]

Average population size 1,500.

NI 116 Child Poverty– reduction in the proportion of children in poverty by 3.8%. This target is clearly linked to the numbers of adults claiming benefit.

NI 117 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) to reduce to 9.9% by 2010/11

NI 171 New business registration rate (targets to be agreed)

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2.2 Skills Low skills and lack of qualifications are a major barrier to individuals securing employment. As Table 1.2 below shows, skills levels vary across the North Staffordshire area but are generally – and particularly in Stoke– well below regional levels. As well as serving to drive worklessness, the lack of a high skills base is a key constraint in development of a high value added local economy. Skills gaps are a significant issue for local employers and the most common reported cause of recruitment difficulties. They inhibit the area’s ability to attract new inward investment – and jobs - particularly in key sectors such as knowledge-based industries.

Table 1.2 Skill levels in Stoke-on-Trent and Benchmarks 2007

% of working age with the following skill levels:

Stoke on Trent 2007

North Staffs 2007

West Midlands 2007

NVQ4+ 16.2 24.6 28.6

NVQ3+ 33.2 42.0 46.4

NVQ2+ 54.0 61.1 64.5

NVQ1+ 70.3 75.4 78.1

No qualifications 23.1 17.0 13.1

Source: Annual Population Survey (year) NOMIS

There also appear to be significant issues around Skills For Life levels. These are extremely difficult to quantify as adults need to be assessed individually (rather than picked up through a survey). Nevertheless, anecdotal evidence from practitioners, partners and employers alike suggest that levels of literacy and numeracy amongst the City’s workforce is poor indeed. 2.3 Benchmarking The most comparable localities to Stoke on Trent were selected using the “Nearest Neighbour Selection Model” developed by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The model uses 22 different socio economic criteria, and eight other local authorities selected. Worklessness compares as follows: Table 1: Rate of working age benefit claimants (source NOMIS)

0.00% 5.00% 10.00% 15.00% 20.00%

Derby

Ashfield

Wakefield

Wigan

Bolton

Walsall

Mansfield

Barnsley

Stoke-on-Trent

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Clearly, Stoke is performing poorly in the context of its comparators. Adults with Level 2 or better qualifications, on the other hand, compares as follows: Table 2: % of working aged population qualified to level 2 or better

40.00% 45.00% 50.00% 55.00% 60.00% 65.00% 70.00%

Walsall

Mansfield

Stoke-on-Trent

Wakefield

Barnsley

Derby

Wigan

Ashfield

Bolton

The City performs poorly here too, although relatively speaking not as poorly as it does in terms of worklessness. This raises the question of whether Stoke’s citizens are actually qualified in the “right” areas, in terms of modern growth sectors as opposed to traditional industries.

2.4 Quality of the Data

The quality of the data varies from indicator to indicator. The most frequently reported data relates to Benefit Claimants (NI 152). The quality of information currently available both from Nomisweb and directly from Jobcentre Plus has improved considerably in recent years, and detailed information is now available down to Super Output Areas (SOA). The only problem with the Claimant data is the fact that it is a lag indicator, with information arriving six to twelve months late. This can be misleading in terms of performance. Data relating to Skills For Life (NI 161 and 162) is particularly poor. As the data has to be collected through assessment rather than survey, public data is scarce. Progress against the LAA target will therefore be measured by course completion/qualification rates. While this gives a very accurate picture of the effect of our interventions, it does not let us know the sheer numbers of citizens with literacy/numeracy issues. The proportion of the population qualified to level 2 or better (NI 163) is based on the Annual Population Survey (APS). This data, while acceptable to Government Office as part of an LAA return, is neither accurate enough (i.e. correct to within 5%) nor does it give us a clear indication of the impact of our interventions. It is proposed that the following proxy measures be used to effectively measure progress against these indicators:

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Indicator Proposed Proxy Measure

NI 152 (Benefit Claimants) The quality of information now available from DWP (including via the Nomis website) is now of such a good quality that proxy indicators are not required; this includes information down to SOA level. However, the issue still remains that this information is a lag indicator, at least six months and more. Therefore we propose to use output performance from ESF and WNF programmes to measure the effectiveness of our interventions.

NI 161 (Literacy)

NI 162 (Numeracy)

For both these indicators, we will use the data supplied to us by the LSC to allow us to measure progress against targets, based on achievements via Individual Learner Records. However, to re-inforce the links between skills and employment, we will have particular regard to the progress of the Employability Skills Programme and the ESF Skills For Life programme.

NI 163 (Level 2+ qualified) Given that the APS is a crude measure, we will use achievements at level 2 as an indicator of performance against targets. Again this will be based on LSC data via ILRs, and will record progress in the FE sector, the Skills Pledge, Train to Gain and Adult Apprenticeships.

3.0 EVIDENCE OF PRIORITIES AND NEEDS

The headline indicators for employment and skills demonstrate the extent of the problem facing the City. Behind these statistics, however, lie some real and fundamental barriers to meeting these targets. These barriers need to be tackled as part of any employment and skills delivery.

3.1 Specific barriers within Stoke-on-Trent

They can be summarised as follows: � Incapacity Benefit claimants. The majority (65%) of Stoke’s working age

benefit claimants are on IB. Even with the introduction of the Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and the success of the Pathways programme, most IB claimants are not mandatory Jobcentre Plus clients. Some 57% have been on IB for five years or more, so they are at quite some distance from the labour market.

� Low average wages. The average household income in the City is only 81%

of the national average, and 87% of the West Midlands average. Given the low wage economy, there is less incentive to work and more of a danger of clients falling into the benefits trap.

� Economic growth is stifled by the low levels of enterprise. The VAT

registration rate is only 27 businesses per 10,000 (compared with the national rate of 38) and only 6.6% of the working age population is self-employed compared with 9.3% nationally.

� There is a regular “refresh” of adult worklessness as younger people enter the

labour market. Stoke has one of the highest level of young people who are NEET (not in education, employment or training) in England, a lot of whom go on to become adult JSAs or IBs. This is exacerbated by the fact that only 61% of young people secure 5 A-C GCSEs compared with 65% nationally.

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� Stoke has a lower number of jobs per capita than it should have. In the period 1999-2006 when the number of jobs nationally increased by 10%, the number of jobs in North Staffordshire actually fell by 2%.

3.2 Issues affecting Different Groups

Furthermore, within the workless population as whole, particular groups are subject to significant other problems above and beyond their immediate employment and skills needs:

� Minority Ethnic communities: Members of the City’s Black and Minority Ethnic communities are twice as likely to be a Job Seeker than the host population. Literacy issues are also likely to be higher amongst those communities who do not have English as a first language. However, these communities are less likely to be an IB claimant and are more likely to be self-employed. Commissioning intentions need to reflect these factors.

� Lone parents: The City has almost 4000 lone parents in receipt of benefits.

This is one in seven of the total number of benefit claimants. This suggests a need for an effective childcare strategy to ensure that this group can participate in employment and skills activity, and access to affordable childcare once they have found sustainable employment.

� The 45+ Age Group. Over 2/3rds of IB claimants fall into this age group. This

is the generation that relied largely on traditional industries for employment, and will therefore need to be the group which undergoes the most substantial retraining.

� Offenders and Ex-offenders. Every year some 300 adults return to Stoke-on-

Trent from prison. At any one time the Probation Service will be supervising some 1200 adults at any one time in the City. These numbers are not insignificant, and addressing the issues of offenders will have wider benefits beyond simply economic.

� Geographic concentration. Although Stoke as a whole has higher

worklessness and lower skills than the West Midlands and national averages as a whole, it is concentrated in certain areas. For example, Bentilee, Blurton and Burslem South are home to 15% of the City’s population but contain 22% of its benefit claimants. Similarly, while the proportion of people in Stoke with no qualifications is 50% (compared with the national rate of 38.5%), for Bentilee, Blurton and Burslem South it is 62%, 57% and 54% respectively.

� Residents of peripheral housing estates. One of the main barriers to

employment within the City is that a disproportionate number of claimants live in peripheral estates on the eastern edge of the City (Meir, Bentilee, Abbey, Ball Green, Chell) whereas most of the new opportunities are emerging on the western fringe of the City (Chatterley Valley, Etruria Valley, City Centre, Trentham Lakes/Sideway). There is a real need for an effective system of transportation, and one that suits the needs of clients and their shift patterns.

� People with health issues. A significant number of IB claimants have

longstanding health problems. The most common health problems are mental health issues and musculoskeletal conditions.

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3.3 Demographic Issues

Although most of the issues affecting employment and skills are economic and social in nature, there are also demographic factors that need to be taken into account. The most important are:

� A disproportionate number of Stoke’s workforce was previously employed in low skill industries. The need for unskilled and semi-skilled labour is shrinking, so there is a real need to upskill the workforce.

� The City’s working age population as a whole is shrinking. Part of the

reduction in population has been filled in large part by inward migration by non-UK citizens, but this has not entirely eradicated the issue.

� There is a perception that the City is a poor area in which to live. The lack of a

substantial executive housing offer, and a perception of poor schools and high crime (despite massive improvements in both these areas) means that many people with successful careers move beyond the City boundaries. This needs to be factored into any assessment of LAA performance: a significant reduction in the number of benefit claimants does not necessarily mean that there will be a corresponding reduction in the proportion of claimants.

4.0 CURRENT SERVICES AND A GAP ANALYSIS

4.1 Current Services: Benefit Claimants

As a result of changes to worklessness policies within the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), substantial numbers of workless adults are now eligible for mainstream interventions by its agent Jobcentre Plus. These interventions can be summarised as follows:

4.1.1 Jobcentre Plus Advisers

The mainstream Jobcentre Plus service available to Jobseekers is the cornerstone of their service and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Indeed, as a result of the Employment and Support Allowance (see 4.1.3, below) and Lone Parent conditionality, the number of clients accessing these services should grow exponentially.

However, the service is likely to be affected by recent closures of Jobcentre premises (for reasons of estate management). Closures in Burslem (in a DWP Deprived Area Ward) and Leek (the last remaining office in the Moorlands) is likely to impact on service delivery. These closures, in conjunction with a move towards an appointment system, suggest the need for a community-based approach to delivering Jobcentre Plus mainstream services.

4.1.2 The New Deal

The New Deal has, since 1997, been particularly effective in eradicating long term unemployment. New Deal combined mandatory jobsearch activity and support with training and work experience. The various New Deal programmes are to be largely replaced by Flexible New Deal, which commences in October 2009. The FND programme has ambitious job outcome targets (55% job outcomes, 50% sustainable job outcomes), and will benefit from being aligned with other activity.

4.1.3 Tackling IB: Pathways and Employment & Support Allowance

Pathways to Work, which was introduced as a Jobcentre Plus pilot in 2006, involves a series of 6 mandatory interviews for all new claimants to IB and ESA. Within

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Staffordshire, the core activity is the Condition Management Programme (CMP) which assists clients begin their road back to recovery and employment.

The key gap in provision lies at the stage prior to claiming IB. Clients will initially benefit from primary care services and their GP signs them off on sick leave. Some 90% of cases resolve themselves and the client will return to work. However, for the remaining cases, there is a real danger that the client could slip into IB once he/she has been on sick leave more than 8 weeks.

Another means of addressing IB is through the Employment & Support Allowance. This is based on a series of interventions including personalised support; detailed medical assessments; and work focussed interviews. Again, at present it is available to new claimants only.

4.1.4 Non-mainstream delivery

There is also substantial non-mainstream delivery within Stoke-on-Trent:

� DWP Flexible Routeways Programme. Funded through the European Social Fund (ESF), this is a three-year (potentially five-year) programme designed to assist those furthest from the labour market. It has a particular focus on: employment training; pre-vocational ESOL training; intensive job-focussed support; and support for those with learning disabilities, alcohol/drug dependency and offenders. The contract holder is Stoke-on-Trent College. Eligibility for clients is day one unemployment;

� Skills For Jobs Programmes: There are currently two programmes. Firstly, a mainstream programme managed by the College, due to end in March 2009. Secondly, the ESF programme, managed by the City Council, due to end in March 2010. The components of both these projects is largely similar: engagement; an initial assessment; employability support (including through the recruitment process) and training customised to specific vacancies. At present, the City Council holds ESF contracts SO1 (Client Engagement) and SO2 (Client Intervention). A third contract, SO3 (Employer Engagement) is currently being re-tendered.

� National Voluntary Training Pilot: Under this initiative, Jobcentre Plus Advisers can refer their clients to FE Colleges for training with a strong employment focus. Uniquely, this training involves a relaxation of the 16-hour rule.

� Working Neighbourhoods Fund: The Local Strategic Partnership has extended the contract of some of the more successful NRF projects into 2008/09. These projects are: Intermediate Labour Market project, managed by Groundwork Stoke (which gives clients real work experience for a six-month period while being assisted with jobsearch and other pre-employment support); Start Up, managed by YMCA North Staffs (which supports workless clients, particularly parents with young children, into training and employment); and Success in the City, managed by Connexions Staffordshire (which provides a wider range of IAG than is currently available through nextstep).

� Redundancy support. The LSC and Advantage West Midlands support the North Staffs Workforce Development programme, managed by the trade union Unity. This programme has been effective in managing redundancy and ensuring that the numbers of Jobseekers within the City has been kept low (despite substantial job losses amongst traditional employers).

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4.2 Current Provision: Skills For Life

4.2.1 Mainstream Further Education delivery

The principal means of delivering literacy and numeracy support is the FE Colleges. The Colleges certainly have the capacity and expertise to support the delivery of the LAA targets. However, at present (October 2008) there appears to be a relatively low completion rate compared with the participation numbers, both for literacy and numeracy. This issue is being investigated; it is unclear whether the low success rate is a statistical issue; is indicative of actual failures; or indicates a high drop-out rate.

4.2.2 Adult & Community Learning

Adult & Community Learning (ACL) offers a range of learning provision designed to attract people back into learning. Although courses are not full Skills For Life, there is a strong emphasis on embedding Literacy and Numeracy skills in all courses and there are many opportunities to flag new skills needs and seek the most appropriate help and advice. Family Learning provision offers learners the opportunity to gain a national qualification, up to level 2, at the end of courses as well as to progress through into wider adult provision. The ACL team act as a contact point for information, advice and guidance for skills for life enquiries.

4.2.3 Train To Gain

Train To Gain is generally regarded as a means of delivering level 2 qualifications. However, the potential is much wider than that and it does include provision for Skills For Life within its offer.

4.2.4 Non-mainstream activity

There are key areas that address literacy and numeracy.

The first is the Employability Skills Programme. Although provision is wider than Skills For Life, developing literacy and numeracy skills are key components of the offer. One of the Staffordshire providers, Biscom, is committed to working alongside the City Council to deliver its objectives, and to ensure progression routes into other ESF activity. The programme is also delivered by JHP and Stoke College.

The second is the ESF provision through SO4 contract (Skills For Jobs). There are two contractors within Staffordshire, Biscom and Juniper Training, and the former is committed to working alongside other interventions to maximise effectiveness.

Finally, ESF Community Grants are due to be tendered. The contract holder will be persuaded to give a degree of emphasis in its grant giving to those organisations which support literacy and numeracy interventions.

4.3 Current Provision: Level 2 qualifications

4.3.1 Mainstream FE provision

The principal provider of level 2 qualifications within the City is the FE sector, and specifically Stoke-on-Trent College. The overwhelming majority of participants in mainstream FE provision at any given time are aged 16-18. However, the performance of FE at this stage is important because current participants will enter the labour market within the lifetime of the LAA. This Plan will therefore support the College in its attempts to increase both participation and qualification rates.

4.3.2 Train To Gain

In terms of volumes, Train To Gain (T2G) is one of the most important initiatives delivered by the LSC, and is the principal means of delivering level 2 qualifications for the 19+ age group. Substantial resources have been invested in this programme,

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and most provision can be met. The real issue is the extent to which employers, and particularly SMEs, are taking up the T2G offer and developing their workforce.

The City is fortunate in that T2G providers within the City are partners and are largely sympathetic to the need to support joined-up activity. In particular, the Staffordshire Providers Association, led by Stoke-on-Trent College, has been effective in this regard.

As well as level 2 qualifications, T2G can also support Skills For Life and has trialled some level 3 activity also.

4.3.3 Adult Apprenticeships

The LSC also fund Adult Apprenticeships. This programme, like Train To Gain, is ideally suited to those adults already in employment. However, they tend to be in specific trades, generally offered by FE Colleges. However, unlike Apprenticeships for younger people, they are a key tool in developing employees into supervisory or even management roles.

4.3.4 Non-mainstream activity

Non-mainstream activity within North Staffordshire has principally been funded through ESF. In particular, ESF has been used to: train clients to a second level 2 qualification; train clients to level 3; and train-the-trainer activity.

There is also discreet sectoral activity underway in North Staffordshire. The first is Build Up North Staffordshire. Funded through ERDF and NRF, this project has been particularly effective in encouraging construction firms (hitherto regarded as a “difficult to reach” sector) to benefit from Business Link organisational needs analysis and hence participate in Train To Gain. Secondly, the Care Match initiative, combined with the activities of the University Hospital North Staffs, have developed an expertise in terms of training for the care and health sectors.

4.4 Other related services

4.4.1 nextstep and the Adult Advancement & Careers Service

Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) is a crucial tool in joining up employment and workforce development. At present most IAG is delivered through the nextstep programme, the contract for which is currently held by Connexions Staffordshire. There are gaps in what the nextstep programme will cover, some of which have been addressed through the Success in the City project, funded through NRF.

Two new developments will have an impact on nextstep. The first is the Integrated Employment & Skills trials, being piloted in the West Midlands. Here, a nextstep provider will assess a JCP client via a skills health check and a skills action plan. Where a nextstep provider has made a recommendation for training, this will be sources by a JCP adviser.

The second development is the effective replacement of nextstep by the Adult Advancement & Careers Service (AACS). This will have a number of elements including the aforementioned skills health check. One important element will be the development of Networks of housing, health and other service providers to link in effectively with IAG provision. The City Council has been successful in securing funding to manage a national pilot in Network Prototype development, and this will help inform future delivery, and involve health providers and social landlords more closely in employment and skills activity.

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4.4.2 Support for self-employment

There are two main areas of mainstream intervention for potential entrepreneurs amongst workless and low skilled clients. The first is via the Business Link West Midlands service. Following the business support simplification model, BLWM acts as a gateway and brokerage for all business start-up related queries.

However, there is specific support available for Jobseekers through the New Deal Self-employment option. This allows clients to test-trade a business idea while remaining on benefits. This has been extended, via an AWM-funded project (Early Entry to Enterprise) to all workless customers.

Because of the enterprise deficit in the City, several other initiatives are being funded. One if the Business Brokers programme, managed by the Chamber, which signposts and supports existing businesses and potential entrepreneurs alike. The second is the BizFizz pilot project, hosted by Touchstone Housing in Middleport and Burslem. This offers a person-centric approach to business coaching, so is particularly helpful to vulnerable clients.

4.4.3 Inward Investment

Inward investment is a key area of employment growth. In Staffordshire, much investment is attracted as a result of the work of InStaffs, an agency established by local authorities. A service specific to the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone is currently being prepared to form part of the new European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) package, which will give a real focus to promotional activity within the sub-region.

4.4.4 Younger people

There are significant developments taking place in the 14-19 curriculum offer to support the development of skills and employability amongst young people including:

� Further Education provision, both campus-based and Apprenticeships, and the development of newer more vocational Diplomas and the Foundation Learning Tier;

� Introduction of Functional Skills, Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills and Wider Key Skills;

� A partnered approach to Information, Advice and Guidance with closer links to the range of personal advice and support for young people;

� Entry To Employment programmes, the largest of which is managed by Stoke-on-Trent College and Proman Training;

� Sports Apprenticeships, an area where the City Council has developed an area of excellence and could be expanded to other areas;

� Work to prevent and support NEETs, delivered by a Connexions-led consortium, and including ESF provision;

� Activity delivered within schools, such as the Enterprise work undertaken at Mitchell High School;

� Initiatives managed by third sector partners, including the Hollybush Centre in Blurton, and the Aspire/Project Management HomeWorks programme.

4.4.5 Higher Level Skills

Employment and skills activities needs to be mindful of interventions within the City supporting the higher level skills agenda. Although not specifically part of this LAA Delivery Plan, this is the area which will create a disproportionate amount of the City’s wealth in future years. Specific interventions include:

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� Higher Education establishments. Staffordshire University now forms part of the Employment & Skills Group, and together with Keele University, has a crucial role to play in enhancing the skills of the local workforce;

� Level 3 and 4 support. Staffordshire University and Stoke-on-Trent College have jointly secured over £3 million from HEFCE4 to deliver a bTrain To Gain-type service amongst local employers, for level 3 and above qualifications;

� Graduate Recruitment Service. This is an AWM-funded programme with a specific North Staffordshire element. This will work with employers to persuade them of the merits of employing graduates;

� Graduate Works. This is a Regional pilot being tested in North Staffordshire by FINEST (the professional services body). The pilot is currently being evaluated and if successful will be rolled out Regionally.

4.5 Non-Employment & Skills Activities

The level of public expenditure in Stoke-on-Trent every year on service delivery is substantial. Added to the activities of the private, voluntary and social housing sectors there is a significant opportunity to deliver sustainable improvements to people’s lives in the City. Many non-employment agencies are already involved in working to improve the economic lot of their clients, and read synergy can be developed by aligning activities. Some of the key partners include:

� Other Council services. The City Council manages a host of services, most of which serve some of the most disadvantaged workless groups within the City. The more relevant ones include: Housing (some 35% of the City’s population is a Council tenant, and a high proportion of those are workless); Neighbourhood Management (which can align employment and skills with a range of other services); Adult Social Care (including the Workstep programme, which offers employment for adults with learning difficulties); the Family Intervention Project and the Community Support Team (which in partnership with health and other services support some of the City’s most deprived families); the Children & Young People Directorate (which has responsibility for education; NEETs; and Early Years); and the Youth Offending Team. A successful Enhanced Housing Options programme would strengthen the Council’s offer in terms of employment and skills.

� Health Providers. NHS Stoke is committed to participating in the delivery of employment and skills activity, and proposes to commission activity to that end. Health providers, both in terms of GP surgeries and voluntary providers have a key role to play in engaging with workless families, preventing worklessness, and guiding patients back to recovery and employment.

� Social landlords. A disproportionate number of RSL tenants are workless, so this sector has a crucial role to play in employment and skills. In terms of engagement, procurement and as an employer, there is a wealth of activity which RSLs can undertake. The North Area Social Housing Federation (NASHF) has already made worklessness one of its key objectives, and this activity needs to be integrated with wider delivery models.

� The voluntary and community sectors. A number of voluntary organisations are already well involved in employment and skills activities. However, there are other groups which work with some of the most disadvantaged clients who should also be involved. These include organisations who work with minority ethnic groups, and those who deal with drug/alcohol users, offenders

4 The Higher Education Funding Council for England

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and homeless clients. For example, specialist providers are procured by Supporting People to give a wrap-around service for homeless clients, and recruit them initially as volunteers then as full employees.

4.6 Gap Analysis

A detailed and comprehensive gap analysis has been undertaken to inform this Plan. This has taken the form of both primary research, amongst key stakeholders (including employed and unemployed clients) and secondary, desk-based research5. From this analysis it is clear that there are the following gaps and areas needing intervention:

GENERIC GAPS:

1. The appointment of a dedicated and full-time Employment & Skills Core Team, forming part of the NSRP structure;

2. Integration of the City Council’s Adult & Community Learning Team within the Employment & Skills Core Team, and align the activity areas and targets of both;

3. The City Council and other large public employers need to lead by example by signing up to both the Local Employment Partnership and the Skills Pledge;

4. An effective Employer Board for Skills, to engage with local employers and provide a credibility check for activity delivered by the Core Team and its partners;

5. An Executive Group comprising staff from the three local authorities, Jobcentre Plus and the Learning & Skills Council needs to be established to undertake performance management and commissioning activity.

6. Employment and skills needs to be embedded in the work of a range of other service providers, including health, housing, family/community support and advice providers.

7. The importance of employment and skills to individuals, families and communities needs to be raised.

8. Local communities need to be involved in developing careers and skills strategies.

9. There is often a dislocation between client-side activity and the needs of employers (especially in terms of demand-led training);

10. Ongoing work needs to be the subject of continuous evaluation to inform and reflect.

GAPS IN PROVISION FOR WORKING AGE BENEFIT CLAIMANTS (NI 152)

11. A community-facing infrastructure, focussed in areas where worklessness is most concentrated, needs to be established, based on JETs (Jobs Enterprise & Training centres) and other community outreach venues. At present there are limited facilities to deliver employment and skills activities in the most isolated communities;

12. There needs to be a clear client routeway, so that clients (both workless and employed) have a clear understanding of the services available, and so providers can make the most informed choices regarding referrals;

5 E.g. “Skills For Jobs” by Hawthorne Research (2007) and “An Evaluation of Job Brokerage Activity in

North Staffs” by PCN Regeneration (2008).

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13. A business-facing JET needs to be developed to engage with those SMEs not currently using Jobcentre Plus or other formal recruitment routes. In particular this service needs to take advantage of funding opportunities such as ESF Skills For Jobs (SO3 Employer Engagement);

14. In partnership with Jobcentre Plus, the Local Employment Partnership needs to be promoted and local employers signed up;

15. Section 106 agreements with developers and procurement of construction and other services both need to reflect effective local labour clauses;

16. Effective engagement strategies need to be implemented to ensure that those clients furthest from the labour market participate in employment and skills activity, including minority ethnic groups;

17. A single mentor/champion for every client, to guide them into employment and beyond (into training and development);

18. Investment to overcome barriers to employment (childcare, transportation, personal finance etc) as part of the employment and skills programme;

19. More transitional employment opportunities including intermediate labour markets; volunteering; work trials; and work tasters;

20. Public sector solutions, including apprenticeships and Intermediate Labour Markets should be developed, as these are the largest single employers in North Staffordshire;

21. Insufficient support for those employees on sick leave but have not yet become IB claimants;

22. Specific activity to tackle redundancy needs to be supported, over and above the Regional offer;

23. Self-employment support amongst workless adults needs to be more of a coaching approach, to give flexible and ongoing support;

24. Sector-specific issues should be developed, in potential growth areas. The two immediate priorities are construction and health/social care;

25. The capacity of the social landlord sector should be captured, as engagement agents, employers, buyers of goods/services and enterprising organisations.

GAPS IN PROVISION IN SKILLS FOR LIFE (NI 161 and NI 162)

26. A lack of understanding of the apparently low achievement rates in terms of Skills For Life qualifications;

27. Lack of a coherent strategy for delivering Skills For Life;

28. The need to closely align non-mainstream Skills For Life activity (especially ESF and the Employability Skills Programme) with other delivery;

29. Assessments (including Skills Health Checks) need to incorporate basic skills assessments;

30. The work of Adult & Community Learning needs to include a strong Skills For Life focus and support for Leitch targets;

31. The importance of Skills For Life needs to be publicised and promoted;

32. Key service providers (e.g. NHS Stoke) are concerned that poor literacy and numeracy is impacting on their services;

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GAPS IN PROVISION OF LEVEL 2 AND ABOVE QUALIFICATIONS (NI 163)

33. Limited support available for those clients who were unemployed unless their employers are prepared to participate in Train To Gain (or Bite-Sized Learning). Smaller employers/SMEs, need to be engaged more effectively in Train To Gain, perhaps based on the Build Up North Staffs model;

34. Once mentors have successfully supported clients into work, their involvement should not cease. Those mentors should also support clients into further workforce development via Train To Gain or Adult Apprenticeships;

35. Larger public bodies, and especially the City Council, need to lead by example in terms of employment and skills through signing up to, and delivering on, the Skills Pledge;

36. The number of people trained to level 2 needs to be disaggregated from level 2-plus, to measure the real impact of initiatives such as Train To Gain and Adult Apprenticeships.

5.0 ACHIEVING THE TARGETS

The targets within the four LAA National Indicators are as follows: Indicator Baseline 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

152 Out of work benefits

19.2% (28,710) -0.9% (27,365) -1.7% (26,168) -2.4% (25,122)

161 Learners achieving Level 1 Literacy

826 1000 2000 3000

162 Learners achieving Entry Level 3 Numeracy

46 200 400 600

163 Population educated to Level 2 or better

58.5% +3.3% +6.0% +9.0%

(NB The baseline for target 162 bears some scrutiny. It is based on Individual Learner Records submitted by providers to the LSC; however, there were problems accurately recording the number of ILRs when the baseline was calculated. Hence, the baseline should be treated with caution. Suffice to say every effort will be made to not only reach the target but significantly exceed it).

5.1 NI 152 Working Age People on Out of Work Benefits

5.1.1 Delivering the targets

The LAA requires a reduction in the number of benefit claimants of 3,500, which is a substantial target given that, at time of writing, the UK was heading into a recession. However, there is activity that the Employment & Skills Group can undertake to ensure those targets are met. At present, delivery from all sources is as follows:

Likely Job Outcomes without additional interventions 2008-2011 Source 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 TOTAL

Jobcentre Plus mainstream 7,600 7,600 7,600 22,800

ESF Skills For Jobs 100 600 - 700

Mainstream Skills For Jobs 180 - - 180

ESF Flexible Routeways 200 300 350 850 Flexible New Deal - 100 550 650

NRF Continuation projects 100 - - 100

TOTAL 25,280

The numbers are certainly substantial and suggest that the targets are likely to be hit with ease. However, what the figures do not take into account is the “churn” in terms of local economic activity. The only means of effectively measuring the likely impact

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of the churn is to extrapolate performance over the past ten years. This performance suggests that mainstream delivery has had zero-sum impact, in other words it has prevented worklessness from increasing but equally has not reduced benefit claimant totals substantially.

The mainstream figures should arguably be removed from these totals and other areas of provision regarded as “stretch” activity. Although Jobcentre Plus from 2008 will have larger numbers of mandatory clients, the impact of this will be outweighed by an economic downturn, reducing the number of net vacancies available.

The net number of additional job outcomes is some 2480. This seems reasonably close to the target of 3500 over the same period. However, the figures do not take into account clients who fall out of employment once secured, nor does is allow for the possibility of double counting of the same clients. Given a potential drop out/redundancy rate of 20% (even beyond the 6 months regarded as a “sustainable” job outcome) and a double counting margin of error of an additional 10%, it is proposed that capacity is needed to deliver 5000 sustainable job outcomes to ensure that the target of a net reduction in benefit claimants of 3500 is achieved. This will be achieved as follows:

Revised Net Job Outcomes 2008-2011 Source 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 TOTAL

ESF Skills For Jobs 100 600 (600) 1300

Mainstream Skills For Jobs 180 (180) (180) 540 ESF Flexible Routeways 200 300 350 850

Flexible New Deal - 100 550 650

NRF Continuation projects 100 - - 100

WNF: Commissioned activity - 586 961 1547

TOTAL 4987

(Parentheses assumes future tendering rounds)

This gives the following trajectory for job outcomes/reduction in benefit claimants:

In conclusion, the following need to be in place to ensure that the City can meet the target within this indicator:

� That sufficient Working Neighbourhoods Fund is allocated to ensure that providers have sufficient capacity to deliver 1547 net job outcomes;

� That the City and its partners (ideally a consortium including the Colleges, Connexions Staffordshire, and the appropriate private/voluntary providers)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

2009 2010 2011

Red

ucti

on

in

ben

efi

t cla

iman

ts

Current likely net job

outcomes

Job outcomes (LAA

targets)

Job outcomes

(proposed

programme)

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can bid effectively for future ESF and mainstream LSC funds, and Flexible New Deal;

� Most importantly, that mainstream Jobcentre Plus activity will at least manage the economic churn, and that their successful job outcomes due to an increase in their customer base can effectively manage any downturn in the UK economy.

5.1.2 Proposed Client Routeway

Any programme to address this Indicator will also have to make sure that all of the following elements listed below are in place (this is based on extensive work we have undertaken with Jobcentre Plus to properly map out a client journey):

1. Recovery

This includes individual support to enable recovery from health and social exclusion factors preventing people from starting or staying in employment such as mental health conditions, or being granted leave to stay in the case of refugees.

2. Engagement (Want to work)

This is crucial in beginning the journey to employment on non-mandatory JCP customers. As well as physical engagement and referrals from partner organisations it also includes an assessment of skills and employability.

3. Employability (Getting ready for work)

This includes confidence building, life skills, literacy and numeracy skills together with ESOL. For those clients who have not worked for some time, or are at some distance from the labour market it will also include the completion of job tasters, work experience placements, voluntary work, test-trading in self-employment and Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) activity. It will also include overcoming the barriers to employment including support for childcare, transport and the provision of tools and equipment.

4. Employment (Seeking to work)

This includes job search activity, CV preparation, assistance with job applications and interview preparation. It will also include the specific training for vacancies based on effective employer engagement and service level agreements with Jobcentre Plus.

5. Staying in Work and Workforce Development

This will include both pastoral care (i.e. ensuring that a new employee is comfortable in his/her new role) and advocacy. However, it also needs to include effective and ongoing employer engagement to ensure participation in Train To Gain and further workforce development.

Linking this entire client journey together is the need for ongoing mentoring and support. Ideally, the client needs a single point of contact, based within a single, community-facing centre, from the initial assessment through to pre- and post-employment support, to ensure that the client is accessing the best possible support.

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5.1.3 Capacity to deliver

A concern raised during the preparation of the Worklessness Floor Target Action Plan was the capacity of local delivery agencies to provide employment and skills activity. However, capacity is felt to be much less of an issue now, for the following reasons:

� There is a more recent tendency, particularly amongst strategic buyers such as the LSC and DWP, to buy provision from a range of national (or even international) providers, principally in the private sector. We are confident that additional capacity can be bought to supplement local delivery;

� The range of local voluntary sector providers could be potentially enhanced, as a result of the availability of ESF Community Grants and NLDC grants, all of which can develop the capacity of smaller, community-facing organisations.

5.1.4 Where will the jobs come from?

Although the purpose of this Plan is to respond to market/employer need, not to make the market, it is important to consider where the jobs will come from. Broadly speaking, they will come from three major sources:

• The economic “churn”. Every year, there are an estimated 30,000 vacancies in Staffordshire, a figure which should easily allow for this Plan to hit its targets. However, the vast majority of those vacancies go to people already in employment. A key theme of this Plan is to ensure that our clients are more employable and able to compete for jobs which appear, when they appear;

• New development (including inward investment). The NSRP has an ambitious programme for regenerating North Staffordshire, including flagship developments in the City Centre and at Chatterley Valley. NSRP developments total an estimated 12,000 new jobs over the next seven years; a large proportion of these will be for higher level skills, so it is important that we invest in training now;

• Through nurturing and supporting new enterprise. Although this is correctly the role of the NSRP Enterprise & Innovation Group, there is real scope for the Employment & Skills Group to support enterprise amongst workless clients.

5.2 NI 161 (Literacy) and NI 162 (Numeracy)

The principal issue here is not one of capacity, but rather of achievement rates. The FE sector in particular has more than enough capacity to deliver the targets, and should also be able to increase engagement with an additional resource through Adult & Community Learning. Furthermore, unlike NI 152, the stretch target is rather more modest, and not requiring the step change required for worklessness.

The NSRP will, in conjunction with providers, to ensure that achievement rates are fully understood and undertake corrective action to ensure that rates are enhanced and LAA targets hit.

The issue around achievement rates can best be illustrated in the performance indicators for 2007/08: Indicator Target

Achievements Participants 2007/08

Actual Achievements

% achievement rate

161 Literacy 1000 4808 984 20.46%

162 Numeracy 200 4208 972 23.9%

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As already noted, the capacity to hit targets is more than adequate. What needs to be done is enhance achievement rates, ideally through removing barriers/incentivising participants to stay on course.

As well as the need to improve achievement rates, an important part of an integrated strategy is to ensure that Skills For Life are embedded within a wider employment and skills delivery framework. There are two LSC programmes designed to enhance basic skills as part of an overall employability package:

Likely Literacy and Numeracy Outcomes

6

Programme 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

ESF SO4 (Skills For Life)7 55 220 -

Employability Skills Programme8 340 80 -

The contribution of these programmes to the overall target (as well as, indirectly, to NI 152) should not be under-estimated.

In conclusion, to ensure that these targets are met, and to make a contribution to NI 152, partners will:

� Enhance existing achievement rates through removing barriers to completion/incentivising completion;

� Deploy the Adult & Community Learning Service, including NLDC grants, to place greater emphasis on Skills For Life;

� Embed basic skills provision within employability support.

5.3 NI 163 Adult Population Educated to Level 2 or Greater

Again, the problem here is not one of capacity but rather one of commitment, engagement, participation and achievement. The LSC is committed to meeting employer demand for training through Train To Gain (and Adult Apprenticeships) and there is of course substantial investment in the FE sector (which is principally geared towards level 3 qualifications, and will obviously contribute to level 2-plus).

However, the improvement in performance needed is substantial. The first year LAA target requires the equivalent of an additional 3425 adults educated to Level 2 or greater. Currently some 5000 adults per annum enrol on Level 2 courses, so the achievement rate required is 70%. Initial returns suggest that the current achievement rates are only some 26%, but this could reflect the duration of level 2 courses and the period in which the data was measured.

Due to the scale of investment in the FE sector and Train To Gain, it is not recommended that any further investment be made. However, to ensure that participation and achievement rates are maximised, the following actions be undertaken:

� The larger public employers will become exemplars, and sign up to (and implement) the Skills Pledge;

� A public sector apprenticeship programme will be developed;

� Employer engagement, as delivered by JET Business, will focus not only on job brokerage activity, but also in signing participating employers up to Train To Gain, via an Organisational Needs Assessment and subsequent investment in training;

6 Contracts are issued on a sub-regional basis. These figures assume that 50% of achievements are in

Stoke, to reflect LSC tendering intentions. 7 Delivered by Biscom Ltd and Juniper Training

8 Delivered by Biscom Ltd

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� Engagement activity will increase/improve, so that SMEs who do not normally participate in initiatives such as Train To Gain are encouraged to do so;

� Other activities will be used to act as a catalyst to level 2 training, e.g. Sports apprenticeships.

Ultimately, demographics may be the most important factors on the outcome of this target. Young people currently sitting GCSE examinations will enter the workforce within the lifetime of this LAA Delivery Plan. Some of the more effective activities which can be undertaken to ensure that the three-year target is hit revolve around the support the Employment & Skills Group can give to colleagues in Children & Young People Departments, and include:

� One-to-one support to achieve retention in learning;

� The provision of positive role models from industry and training;

� Structured taster days in Colleges and Employer work places;

� Participation in work to prevent young people becoming NEET;

� Support for enterprise development in schools.

5.4 Delivering the Targets

Attached are two appendices which set out how the targets will be attained. The first Annex sets out the work programme of activities to be undertaken over the lifetime of the LAA. It assigns specific partners to specific areas of delivery. The second Annex sets out the programme required in terms of funding. This is funding under the immediate control of the NSRP and does not include funding which partners can bring to bear to aid delivery (including mainstream funds).

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ANNEX A: WORK PROGRAMME

ABBREVIATIONS: ESG (Employment & Skills Group); EBS (Employer Board For Skills); NSRP CT (North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership Core Team); LSC (Learning & Skills Council); JCP (Jobcentre Plus); SOTCC (Stoke-on-Trent City Council; NM Neighbourhood Management; HR Human Resources); NULBC (Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council); SMDC (Staffordshire Moorlands District Council); EPIC (EPIC Housing); CRT (Coalfields Regeneration Trust); NHSS (NHS Stoke-on-Trent (Stoke Primary Care Trust)); AWM (Advantage West Midlands); ACL (Adult & Community Learning); SOT College (Stoke-on-Trent College); UHNS (University Hospital North Staffordshire)

1. Integrated Actions GAP

9 ACTIVITY Lead agency

(Other partners) MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES Resources

1 NSRP Core Team to be finalised. NSRP CT (LSC, JCP)

Structure complete Nov 08 Vacancies advertised Jan 09 Complement complete Apr 09

SOTCC (mainstream and WNF); AWM. Total cost 2009 to 2012 £1.8m.

2 The Adult & Community Learning Team to form part of the NSRP Core Team.

NSRP CT (LSC, SOTCC ACL)

Joint planning workshop Nov 08 ACL part of the structure Dec 08

N/a. Re-alignment of existing resources.

3 All partners to sign up to both the Local Employment Partnership and the Skills Pledge.

ESG (All partners, especially JCP and LSC)

Approval by Employer Board Jan 09 All partners to sign up to both the Local Employment Partnership and the Skills Pledge Mar 09 Signing event with Ian Austin MP Mar 09

No additional resources needed.

4 Employer Board For Skills to act as a vehicle to ensure that sector needs are articulated and provider networks are responsive.

EBS (All partners)

First meeting of new year Jan 09 Skills audit carried out Mar 09 All members signed up to the Skills Pledge and LEP Apr 09 Joint competencies developed Jun 09

No additional resources required.

5 Executive Group to be established to performance manage and implement the priorities of the Employment & Skills Group.

ESG LSC, JCP, NULBC, SMDC, AWM

Executive established Nov 08 Performance Management systems established Dec 08 Outcome monitoring will be made clearer, and outcome of interventions disaggregated Mar 09

No additional resources required.

9 This refers to the gap analysis set out in section 4.6 of the Delivery Plan.

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6 Employment and skills to be embedded in the work of other service providers, including the public sector and Registered Social Landlords. Public sector solutions will be developed amongst the larger corporate employers, including public sector apprenticeships and public sector ILMs.

RSLs; NHSS; SOTCC NM; NSRP CT

Social landlord work � RSL Workshop held Oct 08 � Continuing attendance of NSRP

CT at NSSHF meetings (ongoing)

� Joint RSL project launched Apr 09

PCT Work � Joint procurement with NHSS

Apr 09 Adult Advancement & Careers Service

� AACS pilot (with health and housing partners) launched Nov 08

� AACS pilot closed and evaluated Mar 10

Neighbourhood Management � Development of joint protocols

with NM Feb 09 Amion Consulting’s report published Jan 09 Public Sector ILM model developed Apr 09 ILMs recruited as staff at JETs May 09 Public sector apprenticeships available Jun 09

RSL work: It is envisaged that any RSL activity will fall into a wider WNF commissioning framework to engage with difficult-to-reach groups worth £3.2 million over 3 years. PCT work: Joint commissioning of PCT and WNF funding worth £1.1 million over 3 years. AACS: LSC funding of £300,000. NM: No additional funding needed. Transitional employment solutions will form part of the WNF commissioning intentions and will be worth £4 million over three years. In terms of apprenticeships, funding is available through partnering with the FE sector and via the LSC.

7 To strategically raise the importance of employment and skills in local communities.

NSRP CT (LSC, JCP, Delivery Partners)

Communications protocols established Jan 09 Marketing Plan approved Mar 09 ESF learners celebration event Apr 09

Section of Core Team costs (see 1, above), allocated towards marketing and promotion.

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8 Local communities will be involved in developing careers and skills plans locally.

JET hosts (SOTCC, EPIC, Groundwork, CRT)

Neighbourhood Employment & Skills Groups, involving local stakeholders and Councillors, established Mar 09 Effective networking within local communities established Jun 09 Neighbourhood Employment & Skills Plans completed Jul 09

No additional funds needed.

9 Provision of employment and skills activity will be integrated into a single and seamless service, linked to the Integrated Employment & Skills programme.

NSRP CT (LSC, JCP, Providers)

Integrated LAA Delivery Plan approved Nov 08 North Staffs launch of West Midlands IES Nov 08

No additional funds needed.

10 Ongoing work will be subject to continuous evaluation, to ensure that the programme is fit for purpose.

NSRP CT (Evaluator)

Evaluator appointed Feb 09 Initial feedback to ESG, Ward Councillors and Neighbourhood Groups Jun 09

Section of Core Team costs (see 1, above), allocated towards evaluation.

2. NI 152 Working Age Benefit Claimants REF ACTIVITY Lead agency

(Other partners) MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES Resources

11 Community JETs (Jobs Enterprise and Training centres) will be developed in disadvantaged communities to provide a single point of contact for all employment, skills and self-employment support. This will include outreach facilities and mobile facilities. Effective engagement strategies will be implemented to ensure that clients furthest from the labour market participate in provision.

NSRP CT (LSC, JCP, Connexions, YMCA, NULBC, SMDC, EPIC, Groundwork, CRT)

Blurton JET open to public Jun 08 Bentilee, Burslem and Knutton JETs start delivery Sept 08 JET Managers recruited Jan 09 Outreach centres (particularly in Biddulph, Chesterton Tunstall and Meir) identified Feb 09 Feasibility of developing a Jobs Bus (or re-using an existing one) established Feb 09 ERDF grant approved by AWM Mar 09 Engagement and mentoring form part of commissioning intentions Mar 09 Providers undertake WNF-funded

A substantial package of funding, principally ERDF, but with WNF, AWM Single Pot, ESF and CRT filling gaps. Total value over three years £13.2 million (including JET Business, see 13 below).

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Employment support will be aligned with specialist support designed to overcome barriers to employment, including transportation, childcare/respite relief; and personal finance management.

activity Apr 09-Mar 10 ESF Skills For Jobs contracts signed Oct 08 ERDF Transportation programme approved by AWM Mar 09 Barriers Fund to form part of commissioning intentions Mar 09

ESF tender SO2 (worth £2.24 million across Staffordshire) can include costs for childcare etc. ERDF transport package worth £0.5 million. Proposed Barriers Fund will be worth £300,000.

12 A clear client routeway to employment and skills is to be made available to providers. Assessments of client abilities will be minimised, ideally once only.

NSRP CT (JCP, LSC, Connexions, SOT College)

Providers have a clear understanding and make the appropriate referrals Dec 08 Single assessment process, whether via Skills Health Check or JASAP approach, agreed by all partners Jan 09

No additional funding needed.

13 JET Business will be established to engage with local employers and negotiate interview guarantees.

JET Business (JCP, LSC, Providers)

JET Business secures first interview guarantees Aug 08 JET Business opens in the City Centre Nov 08 JET Business to recruit new brokers Feb 09

Part of the £13.2 million JET Service package indicated in 11, above.

14 The Local Employment Partnership will be promoted and local employers encouraged to sign up.

JET Business (JCP, EBS)

Considered by EBS Jan 09 First local event to promote the LEP Mar 09

Section of Core Team costs (see 1, above), allocated towards marketing and promotion.

15 Section 106 agreements with developers, and procurement of construction and other services, both need to reflect effective local labour clauses.

NSRP CT (LSC, JET Business, NSRP Planning, RENEW)

First section 106 agreement (East West precinct) involving local labour and employment clauses signed Dec 08 RENEW local labour clauses rolled out to other areas of procurement Mar 09

No additional funding necessary. However, the feasibility and need for a resource to enforce these clauses will be evaluated.

16 A single mentor/champion will be provided for every client, to guide them into employment and workforce development.

NSRP CT (Providers, JET hosts)

STACE team re-designated as JET Liaison Team Nov 08 Restructuring of ESF Skills For Jobs programme to place more emphasis on

Re-structuring of existing ESF programme. It is envisaged that mentoring will fall into a wider WNF

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continuous mentoring Nov 08 Mentoring within WNF commissioning intentions Mar 09

commissioning framework to engage with difficult-to-reach groups worth £3.2 million over 3 years.

17 We will make available more transitional employment opportunities including intermediate labour markets; social enterprises; volunteering; work trials; and work tasters.

NSRP CT (Providers)

Groundwork’s ILM extended until end of financial year Aug 08 Transitional employment workshop held Nov 08 Amion Consulting’s report published Jan 09 Transitional employment to form part of commissioning intentions Mar 09 Delivery commence Apr 09

Transitional employment solutions will form part of the WNF commissioning intentions and will be worth £4 million over three years. Other funding, through ERDF and other sources, will also be investigated, including an ERDF Volunteering package.

18 We will develop support packages with NHSS for those employees on sick leave but have not yet become IB claimants.

NHSS (NSRP CT; JET hosts; health providers)

AACS pilot, which includes an element of this work, launched Nov 08 IB Reduction packages to form part of commissioning intentions Mar 09 Delivery commence Apr 09

A Working Well programme will form part of the joint NHSS/WNF commissioning process. The estimated value over 3 years is £1.1 million.

19 We will closely monitor redundancy support to determine if any is needed over and above the Regional offer.

NSRP CT (Providers; LSC; JCP)

Support local providers to participate in ESF Redundancy tendering rounds Dec 08

Additional funding for Redundancy support will be available through ESF windfall. The Regional and sub-regional allocations are not known at present.

20 Self-employment amongst workless adults will be supported through a coaching approach, to give flexible and ongoing support.

NSRP Enterprise Team (JET hosts; AWM; Business Link)

Appoint delivery partner Nov 08 Submission to AWM for funding Dec 08 Delivery commences in JETs Apr 09

We will seek £540,000 of ERDF and AWM funding towards the cost of this project over 3 years.

21 Sector-specific programmes will be developed, in potential growth areas, particularly construction, logistics and health/social care.

NSRP CT (LSC; Groundwork; UHNS; AWM)

ERDF bid submitted for funding for North Staffs Construction Employment Centre, Federation Road logistics site and Care Match Nov 08 AWM approve funding package Mar 09 Delivery commences Apr 09

The bid for sector-specific initiatives will form part of a joint ERDF/WNF package worth £572,000 over 3 years.

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22 The capacity of the social landlord sector to engage with the employment and skills agenda will be increased.

RSLs (EBS; NSRP CT)

RSL Workshop held Oct 08 AACS pilot, which includes social landlords, launched Nov 08 Joint RSL project, including elements of social enterprise and intermediate labour markets, launched Apr 09

It is envisaged that any RSL activity will fall into a wider WNF commissioning framework to engage with difficult-to-reach groups worth £3.2 million over 3 years. AACS (LSC) over 18 months: £300,000

3. NI 161 (Literacy) and NI 162 (Numeracy) REF ACTIVITY Lead agency

(Other partners) MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES Resources

23 The apparently low achievement rates in terms of Skills For Life qualifications will be understood and challenged.

LSC (NSRP CT)

Data on Skills For Life achievement rates complete Jan 09 Actions proposed to address targets Feb 09 Establish ability to measure by post codes completed Feb 09

No new resources needed.

24 A coherent Skills For Life strategy will be developed to co-ordinate and enhance provision. The importance of Skills For Life will be publicised in partnership with the LSC.

LSC/Colleges/NSRP CT

Skills For Life strategy complete Mar 09 Skills For Life peer mentors (from local communities) recruited Jun 09 Basic Skills achievements publicised via an awards evening May 09 Other milestones difficult to establish at present, as it is preferable to “piggy-back” on LSC initiatives (e.g. the Gremlins advertisements)

Estimated cost of peer mentors £50,000 per annum. ACL budgets (and particularly NLDC grants) will be sought.

25 We will align the Employment Skills Programme and the ESF Skills For Life contract more closely with our other interventions.

NSRP CT (JET hosts; JCP; Biscom; Juniper)

Biscom (ESP and part ESF provider) work from JETs Oct 08 Juniper (ESF provider) work from JETs Jan 09

No additional funding required.

26 We will ensure that employment and skills assessments (e.g. through the Skills Health

NSRP CT (Connexions and

Clarity of content of Skills Health Check Dec 08

No additional funding needed.

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Check) include basic skills assessments. other providers) Evaluation of effectiveness of JASAP Jan 09 Evaluation of assessment services via AACS pilot Apr 09

27 Delivery of the Adult & Community Learning programme will be geared towards contributing to Skills For Life targets.

NSRP ACL (Colleges, LSC)

Appraisal of existing delivery Feb 09 Annual Plan prepared Mar 09 Existing contracts re-tendered Apr 09

No additional funding needed.

28 We will work with NHS Stoke and other key service providers to develop literacy and numeracy skills amongst health clients and other service users.

NHSS (NSRP CT; other service providers)

Assessment of need undertaken Feb 09 Proposals developed linked to ACL delivery (see 30 and 31, above)

No additional funding needed.

4. NI 163 Adult Population Qualified to level 2 or Greater REF ACTIVITY Lead agency

(Other partners) MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES Resources

29 Our employer engagement interventions will ensure that they offer employers not only job brokerage solutions but also referrals through to the Train To Gain brokerage.

JET Business (SOTCC College; LSC; JCP; Business Link West Midlands)

Protocols between JET Business and Train To Gain providers agreed Jan 09 JET Business Brokers delivering multi-solution approach Feb 09 Recruiting of smaller SMEs to participate in T2G will form part of commissioning intentions Mar 09

JET Business part-funded through ERDF package (see 11, above). ESF will also be sought as part of tender SO3 (Employer Engagement)

30 Employment mentors will support clients at the post-employment stage including developing further skills through Train To Gain.

JET Business (JET hosts; LSC)

STACE team re-designated as JET mentors Nov 08 Restructuring of ESF Skills For Jobs programme to place more emphasis on continuous mentoring Nov 08 Mentoring within WNF commissioning intentions Mar 09

ESF Skills For Jobs tenders. SO1 (Client Engagement) and SO2 (Client Intervention) already approved, and together with WNF provision (see 17, above) will guide clients through the process.

31 The large public sector employers within North Staffordshire will sign up to the Skills Pledge and to train their staff to level 2 or better.

LSC (SOTCC; other public employers)

Signing event (by the local authorities, NHSS, UHNS and FE/HE partners) with Ian Austin MP Mar 09

No additional resources needed.

32 The statistics for those people with level 2 qualifications will be disaggregated from those with

LSC Establish feasibility of providing more detailed data Mar 09

No additional resources needed.

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level 2-plus, to more accurately measure the impact of programmes such as Train To Gain.

33 Achievement rates to be reviewed with the LSC and an action plan developed to improve rates across the City.

LSC (ESG; NSRP CT)

Review of achievement rates across the City by provider and resident population Jan 09 Preparation of action plan to address the issues identified Mar 09

No additional resources needed.

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ANNEX TWO: The Programme

Most of the emphasis within this document involves changing and influencing mainstream delivery as a means of meeting targets. However, there is also a strong case (see Section 5.0, above) for developing an additional programme over and above mainstream delivery to ensure that the very stretching LAA targets are met. This Annex sets out the proposed content of that programme, how it is to be funded, and the contribution it can make to meeting the targets.

A. Core Team

Key to delivering the programme is the establishment of a dedicated Core Team, based within the City Council as part of the NSRP. The proposed team will comprise 10 members of staff to include the Director, Strategy and Funding Manager, Programme Manager and development/programme support posts. A Delivery Manager to lead on the JET infrastructure is also proposed and will be covered below.

Also, it is proposed that the Council’s Adult & Community Learning (ACL) team forms part of the Employment & Skills Division. The ACL team is externally funded via the LSC, and also has operational budgets to deliver training in a community setting. Bringing ACL into the team will enable these activities to be more closely aligned with the delivery of LAA targets.

B. The JET Service

The JET (Jobs Enterprise & Training) Infrastructure has been developed in response to work with partners relating to gaps and has been adapted from other models of good practice operating in areas of the country with similar problems to Stoke on Trent. The JETs are there to provide an easy access point for people to gain information about jobs and other support in their area. It is focused on providing a dedicated employment and skills service through a Hub and Spoke approach, linking much needed employment opportunities to local communities. The service will engage with those individuals outside the mainstream and who are not required to use the facilities provided by JCP for various reasons such as long-term Incapacity Benefit customers and Lone Parents. This project is additional and has been developed in association with, and the support of, a range of partner organisations including JCP and LSC The JETs are as follows:

JET Business: This is the employer-facing element of the JET service, and is likely to be based in the City Centre. It will undertake the following activities: employer engagement; identify skills and recruitment needs amongst local employers and communicate them to the client-facing services (see below); negotiate interview guarantees on behalf of JET clients; provide a bespoke recruitment service for smaller SMEs; and continue to develop staff through initiatives such as Train to Gain. At the time of writing, the team in place (at present only 2 people) have managed to engage with 41 local employers, have attended a range of employment fairs and engaged with a huge number of potential clients.

Community JETs: There are four Community JETs within North Staffordshire, three of which are in Stoke (Bentilee, Blurton and Burslem). The Community JETs will undertake: client engagement in community-friendly locations; assessment and initial advice and guidance; employability support; bespoke training based on employer-led demand; self-employment coaching; and post-employment support. The three Stoke JETs will require WNF funding to match the ERDF element. The present STACE

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team which is funded via ABG will be incorporated into this structure as JET Mentors and will work closely with the community to engage people (see below in section 5 for further detail on engagement and mentoring)

The JET Structure will be managed as one delivery mechanism with the aim of looking to separate it as a social enterprise that is self sustaining at some point in the future.

C. Strategic Commissioning of External Delivery

To ensure we are able to tackle the deep-rooted issues in the city, we will need to commission specific activity with partners in the FE, private, voluntary and community sectors. We already work with a number of providers who are excellent at engaging and working with the hardest to reach groups. In line with the thinking behind the WNF we need to engage with more groups and develop more innovative ways of helping people back into work. The proposed interventions are as follows:

C1: Engagement and Mentoring – this will be intensive activity working closely with JCP to target specific areas using skilled people who have experience of working with this client group. JCP identify that they do not have the resource to carry out this intensive work and very much rely on self-referral. Once people are engaged, they will be allocated a mentor who will work closely with them to ensure they receive tailored support to help them regain confidence and start to understand the world of work and then support to help them when they do finally get work.

C2: “Working Well” – Reducing Incapacity Benefit – this will involve working very closely with our colleagues in the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to jointly commission activity. We will implement a project involving a number of GPs in targeted areas to work with patients to help them regain confidence and skills to re-enter the employment market possibly via transitional employment or volunteering. The PCT has identified that this is a gap in provision and they are willing to add in resources to this programme. We will also be seeking to reduce the net flow onto Incapacity Benefits, again through working with our colleagues in the PCT.

C3: Transitional Employment – JCP is very clear that this is an area that should be extended in Stoke. Transitional Employment includes supported employment placements, social enterprise initiatives, intermediate labour market (ILM) activity (helping support a wage to encourage an employer to take on someone for a short space of time) and volunteering. Many of the people we will be working with will not be able to enter work immediately, particularly those who have been out of work for a number of years, with health issues. Providing transitional employment opportunities is a way of introducing people to work.

C4: Specific Sectoral Support – we are receiving evidence that there are job shortages in specific sectors (eg Health and Social Care). This part of the commissioning framework would work with specific sectors to match people to opportunities. It would work closely with the JET brokerage and would build on other good practice across the city.

C5: Self Employment Support – this area would align closely with Business Link activity. There is an identified gap in specific support for people wishing to set up in business and this activity would very much focus on the business coaching and mentoring within the JET infrastructure.

C6: Barriers Fund – Colleagues working within the JETs (from a range of partners) identify this as a gap. JCP do have an Intervention Fund to help some clients but not

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all clients are eligible or the help isn’t timely enough. This intervention fund provides JET staff with a means of helping clients with things such as help with travel passes to get to interviews, clothing for interviews or specific training not covered by other funding streams.

D. PROGRAMME COSTS AND OUTPUTS

Through the NSRP Employment & Skills Business Plan a programme has been developed in partnership with key stakeholders to address the LAA targets, with a particular focus on the very stretching target NI 152. The programme is set out in the tables overleaf.

Costs: The proposed programme costs are set out in Table One, overleaf. The programme builds on known costs (identified through the need to fund the Core Team, JET Service and External Delivery, set out above), and also known potential funding streams. These funding streams are:

City Council mainstream (SOTCC), European Social Fund (ESF), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Advantage West Midlands Single Pot (AWM), Coalfield Regeneration Trust (CRT) and other funding. The latter includes mainstream LSC and DWP money plus initiatives such as Flexible New Deal.

Given the known funding sources, a gap of some £11 million has been identified over three years, and it is proposed that this gap be filled through the Council’s Working Neighbourhood Fund allocation.

Outcomes: The starting point is the known additional programmes over and above mainstream delivery, as set out in Section 5.1 of the Plan, above:

Source 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 TOTAL ESF Skills For Jobs 100 600 (600) 1300

Mainstream Skills For Jobs 180 (180) (180) 540

ESF Flexible Routeways 200 300 350 850 Flexible New Deal - 100 550 650

NRF Continuation projects 100 - - 100 TOTAL 3440

(Parentheses assumes future tendering rounds)

This gives a shortfall of over 1500 job outcomes needed to achieve a total outcome of 5000 outcomes, the minimum necessary to ensure a net increase of 3500 (the LAA target). Table Two sets out the activity it is proposed be commissioned through Working Neighbourhood Fund to deliver those additional job outcomes. The table identifies the outputs per activity area (as set out in C, above) and allocates costs for each area.

In conclusion, the programme is robust, is fully costed and we are confident that there are sufficient providers available to deliver it.

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Table One: Programme Summary 2009-2012

2009/2010 Financial Summary SOT CC WNF ESF ERDF AWM CRT Other TOTAL

Employment and Skills Core Team 497,318 - - 46,591 - - 543,909

JET Employment Brokerage 117,452 197,176 71,613 202,755 69,942 32,000 5,229,405 5,920,343

Worklessness Service Delivery - 2,925,580 - - - - - 2,925,580

TOTAL 614,770 3,122,756 71,613 202,755 116,534 32,000 5,229,405 9,389,831

2010/2011 Financial Summary SOT CC WNF ESF ERDF AWM CRT Other TOTAL

Employment and Skills Core Team 514,019 - - - 47,948 - - 561,967

JET Employment Brokerage 120,874 277,611 - 210,331 72,658 32,800 6,434,405 7,148,678

Worklessness Service Delivery - 3,461,465 - - - - - 3,461,465

TOTAL 634,892 3,739,076 - 210,331 120,607 32,800 6,434,405 11,172,110

2011/2012 Financial Summary SOT CC WNF ESF ERDF AWM CRT Other TOTAL

Employment and Skills Core Team 632,385 - - - 60,894 - - 693,279

JET Employment Brokerage 153,509 341,593 - 248,641 84,769 33,620 5,321,905 6,184,037

Worklessness Service Delivery - 3,571,792 - - - - - 3,571,792

TOTAL 785,894 3,913,385 - 248,641 145,663 33,620 5,321,905 10,449,108

3 Year Financial Summary SOT CC WNF ESF ERDF AWM CRT Other TOTAL

Employment and Skills Core Team 1,643,721 - - - 155,434 - - 1,799,155

JET Employment Brokerage 391,835 816,379 71,613 661,726 227,370 98,420 16,985,715 19,253,058

Worklessness Service Delivery - 9,958,837 - - - - - 9,958,837

TOTAL 2,035,556 10,775,216 71,613 661,726 382,803 98,420 16,985,715 31,011,050

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TABLE Two: SERVICE DELIVERY OVERVIEW

Revenue Summary 2009/2010 to 2011/2012

Indicative Activity to be Commissioned Indicative Outcomes Total

2009/10 Total

2010/2011

Total 2011/12

Total 3 Year Revenue

Engagement and Mentoring Refer to NSRP Employment and Skills Financial Plan 2008/09 to 2011/12, Section 5.7.1

2009/10: 1,600 clients engaged, 200 clients supported into employment 2010/11: 2,080 clients engaged, 440 clients supported into employment 2011/12: 2,114 clients engaged, 551 clients supported into employment (Additional 220 clients supported into employment in 2012/13)

930,000 1,143,050 1,177,000 3,250,050

Working Well - Reducing Incapacity Benefit (IB) Refer to NSRP Employment and Skills Financial Plan 2008/09 to 2011/12, Section 5.7.2

2009/10: 45 clients supported into employment, 100 clients prevented from starting on IB 2010/11: 100 clients supported into employment, 100 clients prevented from starting on IB 2011/12: 110 clients supported into employment, 100

360,000 370,800 381,924 1,112,724

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clients prevented from starting on IB (Additional 50 clients supported into employment in 2012/13)

Transitional Employment Refer to NSRP Employment and Skills Financial Plan 2008/09 to 2011/12, Section 5.7.3

2009/10: 403 clients engaged, 180 clients supported into employment 2010/11: 513 clients, 260 clients supported into employment 2011/12: 513 clients, 260 clients supported into employment

1,145,000 1,440,000 1,483,200 4,068,200

Self Employment Support Refer to NSRP Employment and Skills Financial Plan 2008/09 to 2011/12, Section 5.7.5

2009/10: 52 clients supported, 36 new jobs created 2010/11: 52 clients supported, 36 new jobs created 2011/12: 52 clients supported, 36 new jobs created

205,000 218,000 233,000 656,000

Specific Sectoral Support Refer to NSRP Employment and Skills Financial Plan 2008/09 to 2011/12, Section 5.7.4

2009/10: 300 clients trained, 125 job outcomes 2010/11: 300 clients trained, 125 job outcomes 2011/12: 300 clients trained, 125 jobs

185,580 189,615 196,668 571,863

Total External Service Delivery Budget 2,825,580 3,361,465 3,471,792 9,658,837

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Total Indicative Activity

Indicative Outcomes 2009/10

Total 2010/2011

Total 2011/12 Total 3 Year Revenue

Barriers Fund No direct outcomes. 100,000 100,000 100,000 300,000

Total Retained Service Delivery Budget 100,000 100,000 100,000 300,000

TABLE Three: SUMMARY

Total WNF Service Delivery Total Total Total

2009/10 2010/11 2011/12

Total 3 Year

Revenue Budget

Revenue Budget 2009/10 to 2011/2012 2,925,580 3,461,465 3,571,792 9,958,837

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TABLE Four: LEVERAGE

Employment and Skills

Revenue Summary 2009/2010 to 2011/2012

Indicative Leverage

Indicative Leverage Source 2008/09 2009/10 2010/2011 2011/12 2012 Onwards Total

ESF Skills for Jobs 300,000 2,600,000 2,500,000 2,500,000 0 7,900,000

ERDF/AWM Capital Contribution 0 200,000 0 0 0 200,000

ERDF/AWM Complementary Activities 0 547,905 547,905 547,905 1,643,715

AACS Pilot 50,000 150,000 0 0 0 200,000

Flexible New Deal 0 0 700,000 700,000 700,000 2,100,000

DWP ESF 400,000 1,112,500 1,112,500 0 0 2,625,000

Job Centre Plus / LSC (In-kind) 36,000 144,000 144,000 144,000 0 468,000

Connexions Next Step (In-kind) 0 90,000 90,000 90,000 0 270,000

BisCom S04 Provision 45,000 45,000 0 0 0 90,000

PCT Alligned Delivery 0 340,000 340,000 340,000 1,020,000

Future ESF Funding 0 0 1,000,000 1,000,000 0 2,000,000

Total 831,000 5,229,405 6,434,405 5,321,905 700,000 18,516,715