Steve Farr

Employment Access Manager

Birmingham City Council

Buying Better Outcomes7 March 2013

Mainstreaming equality considerations in procurement – Birmingham case study

why we must succeed…

Index of Multiple Deprivation

over 250,000 living in priority / at-risk neighbourhoods

50% of people out of work have no qualification

twice as likely to get work if you have a low level qualification than if not at all

legacy of weak literacy and numeracy amongst adult population

Worklessness

why we must succeed…

highest of the core cities!

in some parts of the city, 1 in 3 people are out of work

235 priority super output areas within key neighbourhoods

impacts on economic growth, community cohesion, health etc

the strategy…

The Big City Plan is driving forward the next 20 years of development - £17 billion investment with the aim of creating 43,000 jobs:

- Inward Investment

- Integrated Employment and Skills

- Tackling Worklessness – priority SOAs (targeting areas of highest unemployment), priority customer groups, e.g. NEETs

a co-ordinated approach…Integrated Employment and Skills model

Improved client engagement

Individual Assessment

Commissioned / tailored programmes matching skills need to job content / skill requirement, addressing barriers to employment and

including post employment support for individuals

J O B S

Active involvement of employers in programme design

Detailed scoping of job content / skill requirement

Improved employer engagement

using the Council’s influence…• Procurement Policy Framework for Jobs and Skills BCC Cabinet

adopted July 2010 – harnessing the local authority’s buying power, all new framework contracts and service & construction contracts with annual value over £1m

• Business Charter for Social Responsibility – broadening the business ‘ask’, e.g. help us with work in schools

• Planning Agreements – individual ‘Section 106’ examples agreed, moving towards a Supplementary Planning Document

• …lead to Targeted Recruitment & Training (Jobs & Skills) Agreements with developers / employers

• www.finditinbirmingham.com – engage businesses through FIIB platform, to enable local businesses to win more contracts…

• Building Jobs in Birmingham – a co-ordinated multi-agency approach to the construction sector

new Library of Birmingham…• £193 million –

internationally acclaimed architects Mecanoo

• “as a Midlands-based contractor, we want to create local jobs for local people…”

Simon Dingle, Operations Director, Carillion

• Centenary Square, between the REP and Baskerville House

• Completes in 2013

LOB - embedding the process…

• Commitment from Carillion Senior Management Team

• Targets agreed at the outset (250 local jobs, inc. 25 Apprenticeships)

• Funded Training Cabin

• Early wins – Enabling Works on site

• Training & Employment Charter – signed

LOB - embedding the process…

• Agreed EAT employment process adopted

• Commitment of partners – BCC, Jobcentre Plus, 1st tier sub-contractors, LSC (SFA)

• Targeted Recruitment & Training Project Steering Group (chaired by City Council) – meets every month to oversee…

LOB - embedding the process…

• Targets embedded in Carillion’s Procurement Strategy – contractual requirement, KPI assessment regime, gains Supply Chain commitment

• EAT/Carillion meetings with each sub-contractor – timelines and strategy

• NSAfC status (workforce development – qualifications, basic skills, school visits, talks, work experience – all adds to project) and WMCCE demonstration project

Achievements to date…

• 81 apprentices – over 3 times original target!

• 225 local labour ‘pledges’, 235 achieved

• …total to date – 316 achieved against target of 250!

• 25+ sub-contractors ‘bought-in’ to methods, contract conditions + winning ‘hearts & minds’

• PR opportunities – Case Studies, politician visits, 100th person etc

‘MAKING JOBS A REALITY’ (CARILLION)

Introduction

This document is designed to highlight thestrategic, managed approach Carillion haveadopted on the Library of Birmingham withBirmingham City Council’s EmploymentAccess Team. Shared culture, collaborationand commitment with all members of theproject partnership have allowed the Libraryof Birmingham to ‘Make Jobs a Reality’.

Foreword

Shilpi Akbar, Assistant Director, Regeneration, BCC

“Carillion's commitment to employment and traininghas had a tremendous impact on the lives andaspirations of Birmingham residents. Through thepartnership with the Employment AccessTeam fantastic employment opportunities have beenmade available to previously unemployed peoplesetting the benchmark for other projects that willcontinue beyond project completion.”

Simon Dingle, Operations Director, Carillion UKC

“The client’s aspirations for raising the bar onEmployment and Training on this project weresignificant. Working with Birmingham City Counciland the Employment Access Team we have had theopportunity to provide a special legacy for theLibrary of Birmingham long after the project iscomplete.”

Achievements to date…

• “Well Done” Awards – positive impact, recognising outstanding commitment & achievements

• NSAfC – Construction Skills recognise LOB as leading project

• Legacy planning – presentation to CWM contractors, booklet, DVD, trialling BJB practices

other opportunities…

public / private sector investment

• Birmingham Gateway New Street Station

• John Lewis & Grand Central Birmingham

• Supermarkets, e.g. Longbridge & Barnes Hill

• New Midland Metropolitan Hospital

• Highways Maintenance PFI – biggest contract of type in Europe

• Expansion of International Airport

• Midland Metro Extension & HS2

over 40,000 new jobs being created

partnership is key…Cascading opportunities - forming

partnerships with client engagement providers (DWP Work Programme providers, FE Colleges etc)

Employer Engagement (job capture) vital

Employer co-operation, examples – Carillion, Amey, EMCOR, Tesco…

Commitment from strategic partners – JCP, SFA, Colleges & training providers, developers & community organisations

Creating ‘pathways’ to the jobs, using Pre-Employment Training + GIs

Demonstrating BCC ‘means business’

exceeding expectations…