stoke-work-skills-plan

NSRP/Stoke-on-Trent

Interim Work & Skills Plan

2010/11

1

Interim Work & Skills Plan for

Stoke-on-Trent (2010/11)

Project Author(s) Jonathan Phipps

Project Code Executive Tom McCartney

Project Stage Development Manager Alison Knight

Date Created 20.01.2010 Address Stoke-On-Trent City Council

Civic Centre

Glebe Street

Stoke on Trent ST4 1RJ

Version 0.1

Status Draft

Version Notes

Location

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Jonathan Phipps – Employment & Skills Strategy Manager, Employment & Skills Team, North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership

1 Table of Contents

2. Executive Summary

3. Introduction

The Rationale for the Plan

Area Covered

4. Governance

5. Understanding the problem

Identify causes & reasons

Barriers & opportunities

Demand-side Issues

6. Existing Provision

Summary of existing provision

Gaps in Provision

What Works/What does not

7. Our Vision, Objectives and Key Priorities

8. Resource Planning

9. Performance Management

Annex: The Action Plan for 2010/11

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2 Executive Summary

This document is the Interim Work & Skills Plan for Stoke-on-Trent, covering the year 2010/11. As an Interim Plan, following Government guidance this document has two functions:

To demonstrate how the NSRP will effectively manage the Future Jobs Fund programme, and also establish an effective legacy plan for the programme;

To set out proposals for the development of a Full Plan for April 2011, including proposals to influence the devolution of worklessness funding.

As a result, the Plan sets out a number of key actions to be undertaken over the course of the year, summarised as follows:

Action One: We propose to demonstrate to Government and other strategic stakeholders that the partnership, vision, will and ability exist within North Staffordshire to confidently allow funding for worklessness to be devolved to the sub-region to enable us to deliver against some challenging targets and aspirations.

Action Two: Notwithstanding the area covered by the Interim Plan, for the Full Plan we will seek to develop a genuinely sub-regional approach so that employment and skills issues across Stoke and Staffordshire are covered within the same Work & Skills Plan.

Action Three: We will build on the successful Governance structures already in place in North Staffordshire (particularly the demand-led approach fostered through the Employer Board) and ensure that the good practice developed is rolled out when a joint Stoke & Staffordshire Work & Skills Plan is prepared.

Action Four: As part of the development of the Final Work & Skills Plan, we will update the evidence base prepared as part of the LAA Delivery Plan; develop a detailed assessment at a neighbourhood level to ensure or interventions are targeted; and roll out the good practice across Staffordshire.

Action Five: We will use the Worklessness Assessment, Local Economic assessment and primary evidence through sources such as the NSRP Employer Board to develop an effective picture of demand-side issues (including future demand) to inform the Work & Skills Plan.

Action Six: We will support a range of activities to ensure that identified gaps in worklessness provision are effectively filled, and principally:

The continuing development and expansion of the JET (Jobs Enterprise Training) Service;

Support for demand-side opportunities including an effective inward investment programme, help for self-employment and social enterprises; and continuing participation in the Future Jobs Fund programme;

Transitional employment solutions, including intermediate labour markets and volunteering;

An early intervention programme to prevent people who are on sick leave becoming ESA/IB claimants.

Action Seven: We will ensure that Skills For Life provision is delivered effectively and is underpinned by quality and inclusion. We will also ensure that it is embedded in a range of other training interventions, and that it includes ESOL and ICT provision. Action Eight: We will work to increase skill levels in the sub-region through:

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Promoting Apprenticeships, Train To Gain and other programmes (with the City Council and other large employers leading by example);

Ensuring that training is built into a range of other employment interventions, e.g. volunteering;

Promoting a range of activities to increase higher-level skills in the City, including Foundation Degrees and graduate retention projects.

Action Nine: We will deliver the aims and objectives of the Stoke-on-Trent Employment & Skills Business Plan, and seek to incorporate our vision and objectives in a wider Staffordshire Work & Skills Plan. Specifically:

To deliver the aims and objectives of the NSRP Business Plan, the Employment & Skills Delivery Plan, and the Stoke-on-Trent Local Area Agreement Targets.

To ensure that the JET (Jobs Enterprise Training) Service is effective and sustainable, and is responsive to customers and employers alike.

To raise the profile of employment and better skills as a means of addressing social exclusion

To create more demand-side opportunities, both permanent and temporary, as a means of addressing worklessness during a time of recession.

To work towards ensuring that Adult & Community Learning becomes an excellent service

To increase skill levels across the City, including vocational and higher-level skills

To work towards the principles of Total Place by working with a range of partners to maximise resources and develop a “no wrong door” approach to person-centred support

To ensure that in everything we do, there is quality and a high-regard for our customers.

Action Ten: Subject to consultation with the City Council’s Cabinet and NSRP Employment & Skills Group, we will continue the good practice developed in our Future Jobs Fund programmes into 2010/11 and 2011/12, and ensure that as many of the programme outcomes as possible are sustainable. Specifically:-

Reviewing employers (prospective and existing) and their commitment to the FJF programme in supporting the individuals;

Continuing to assess the types of jobs to ensure training, both work based and accredited, undertaken through the job is real, transferable and marketable to give the best possible chance for the young person to take place in the labour market;

Making the most effective use of ABG (granted to employers by the FJF Steering Group) to enhance and add value to the FJF programme to the benefit of the individual.

Action Eleven: We will continue to use best practice principles to undertake effective and robust performance management procedures.

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3 Introduction

3.1 The Rationale for the Plan

“The overarching objective of the Work and Skills Plans is to set out how local authorities, together with their partners, will develop and agree their response to the local employment and skills needs identified through their Local Economic Assessment and Worklessness Assessment.”

- Work and Skills Plans: Next Steps (DWP and CLG Policy Statement, 2010)

This document is the Interim Work & Skills Plan for Stoke-on-Trent, covering the year 2010/11. The City Council will be required to produce a full Work & Skills Plan to sit alongside the Local Economic Assessment (which every top-tier Authority will need by April 2011), but in the shorter term, as the Council is currently managing a Future Jobs Fund programme it is required to produce an interim Plan. The Plan has been prepared on behalf of the City by the Employment & Skills Team North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership, but following consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.

Government guidance sees two roles for the interim Plan:

To demonstrate how the NSRP will effectively manage the Future Jobs Fund programme, and also establish an effective legacy plan for the programme;

To set out proposals for the development of a Full Plan for April 2011, including proposals to influence the devolution of worklessness funding.

Action One: We propose to demonstrate to Government and other strategic stakeholders that the partnership, vision, will and ability exist within North Staffordshire to confidently allow funding for worklessness to be devolved to the sub-region to enable us to deliver against some challenging targets and aspirations.

3.2 Area Covered by the Interim Plan

The geographic area covered by this interim Plan is the City of Stoke-on-Trent. The principal reason for this is that it builds on the successful Integrated Local Area Agreement Delivery Plan for Stoke-on-Trent. This is also reflected in the use of resources, e.g. much of the focus of the Plan is on the Council‟s Area Based Grant, for example.

However, the Plan will implicitly and explicitly have an impact on the wider area of North Staffordshire (i.e. Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire Moorlands). This is due to two factors:

Policy factors. Parts of Newcastle and Moorlands are included within the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone and priority areas identified for employment and skills interventions. Flagship programmes such as the JET Service also operate in the wider sub-region;

Economic factors. North Staffordshire forms a coherent and logical travel-to-work area, with Stoke‟s City centre at its core. The City‟s boundaries are porous, and employees from all three authorities cross each other‟s boundaries to their workplace.

Many activities set out as priorities within this Plan, particularly those not funded through Area Based Grant, are also delivered in neighbouring authorities, and the extent of consultation went

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beyond Stoke-on-Trent. This consultation included Staffordshire County Council, in whose Work & Skills Plan Newcastle and Moorlands ostensibly lie, and City and County have worked together to ensure strategic clarity across the sub-region.

Bearing in mind the need to give clarity and a straightforward strategic approach, it is a goal for the full Work & Skills Plan that Stoke and Staffordshire be integrated within a single document. Notwithstanding the policy and economic factors outlined above, this would make strategic sense for a number of reasons:

Administrative. Although Newcastle and Moorlands sit within the Stoke travel-to-work area, administratively they form part of the wider County of Staffordshire. Given that preparing two Plans for Staffordshire (North and South) is neither practical nor desirable, incorporating both authorities in a single plan is the sensible alternative;

Critical mass. The combined sub-region of Stoke and Staffordshire has a population of over one million. This is a sufficient critical mass of people to warrant a separate Multi Area Agreement, over and above that of the Birmingham City Region;

Funding. The Department of Work & Pensions and the Skills Funding Agency rarely contract below the level of sub-region. To both (a) influence future commissioning and (b) attract devolved funding, Stoke and Staffordshire would need to combine their planning into a single Work & Skills Plan.

Action Two: Notwithstanding the area covered by the Interim Plan, for the Full Plan we will seek to develop a genuinely sub-regional approach so that employment and skills issues across Stoke and Staffordshire are covered within the same Work & Skills Plan.

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4 Leadership & Governance

4.1 Stakeholders

The key organisation responsible for overseeing the delivery of employment and skills 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. 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 much of the 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. 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.

4.2 Management arrangements

The management and executive responsibilities are summarised below:

EMPLOYMENT & SKILLS PILLAR OF THE N.S.R.P.

Director of Employment &

Skills (Alison Knight)

The JET Service (Manager:

Nigel Barrett)

Employer Board for Skills

(Chair Sinead Butters)

Employment & Skills Executive (includes LSC, JCP and AWM)

Adult & Community Learning (Beth Allen)

Employment & Skills Strategy (Jonathan Phipps)

Employment & Skills Group

(Chair Bryan Carnes)

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Key to managing the Plan is the NSRP‟s Employment & Skills Team. Managed by the Director of Employment & Skills, the team is responsible for defining strategy; procuring the funding; and in many cases directly delivering the Plan.

4.3 Engagement plan

Who Method of engagement Frequency Requirements Outcome

Members (Formal) Scrutiny Committee Monthly N/a; Committee meeting Progress monitoring of LAA targets and proxies.

Members (Informal) 1-to-1 meetings; briefings of individual political groups etc

As required No specific requirements Members will have confidence in the effectiveness of employment and skills activity

Agencies ESG meetings; Executive meetings; informal meetings/groupings

ESG quarterly; Executive monthly

Secretariat support Buy-in; joined-up delivery; funding

Community Organisations

Workshops/conferences; via representative groups

As required Varies; premises a minimum

Good intelligence from grass roots communities; good providers from voluntary and community sector.

Customers Via JETs (1-to-1 and groups); via engagement providers; via ESF community grant providers;

Daily Community-facing premises

Customers supported into employment and better skills

Employers Via JET Business Daily None Interview guarantees; commitments to Train To Gain, Apprenticeships etc

4.4 Future Governance

Given the need to expand the Plan in April 2011 to cover the entire sub-region, the Governance of worklessness activity within Stoke and Staffordshire will have to be re-evaluated over the next twelve months. The principal challenge will be to ensure Stoke and Staffordshire-wide governance, while ensuring that the excellent work undertaken by the NSRP Employment & Skills Group and Employer Board for Skills is not disrupted.

Action Three: We will build on the successful Governance structures already in place in North Staffordshire (particularly the demand-led approach fostered through the Employer Board) and ensure that the good practice developed is rolled out when a joint Stoke & Staffordshire Work & Skills Plan is prepared.

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5 Understanding the problem

5.1 Understanding reasons and causes

This chapter gives a flavour of some of the key headline issues within the City as far as employment and skills are concerned. The Full Work & Skills Plan will include a much more detailed analysis, drawing from the Worklessness Assessment and the Local Economic Assessment. 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 improving on this baseline. These barriers need to be tackled as part of any employment and skills delivery. The headline indicators for the City are as follows: Indicator Stoke-on-Trent West Midlands Great Britain

Working Age Benefit Claimants: 21.2% (31,570) 15.4% 13.5%

Of which:

Jobseekers (all)

Jobseekers (18-24 year olds)

IB/ESA Claimants

Lone Parents IS Claimants

6.0% (8,995)

34.0% (3,035) 12.1% (18,090)

2.6% (3,930)

5.6%

31.2% 7.3% 2.2%

4.3%

29.7% 7.1% 1.9%

Job Density (per working age person) 0.76 0.81 0.83

Gross Weekly Pay (by Residence) (£) 402.40 457.40 491.00

Gross Weekly Pay (by Workplace) (£) 442.30 456.40 490.20

JSA Claimants per unfilled vacancy 6.1 8.2 7.0

% Population Level 2 and above 53.8% 61.6% 65.2%

% Population Level 4 and above 14.4% 24.5% 29.0%

% Population Self-employed 7.0% 8.0% 9.1%

Business Registration Rate (per 10,000 people) 9.7 9.4 10.2

Source: NOMIS March 2010

As can be expected from a Working neighbourhood Fund authority, the economic indicators are generally worse than the Regional and National averages. The following are particularly worrying indicators:

The % working age benefit claimants is still much worse than the Regional and National benchmarks. This is due almost entirely to the exceptionally high number of IB/ESA claimants within the City, which exacerbates the total numbers;

A very large proportion of Jobseekers within the City are young (18-24 year old). These need to be supported into employment swiftly, or risk a life of casual work or long-term worklessness;

The job density within the City is low. Thus the total number of opportunities available to local people are limited. The job density in neighbouring Newcastle and Moorlands is lower still, increasing competition for available jobs;

Weekly pay by residence is only some 81% of the English average, further stymieing economic growth;

Skill levels are particularly low, especially at graduate level and above. There are areas where stakeholders can take some comfort:

The % number of Jobseekers within the City is less than most of our peers;

The difference between the Weekly Pay by Residence and Weekly Pay by Workplace suggests that there are well-paid jobs within the City. The real issue is supporting Stoke residents to access those jobs, and when they do, persuading them to remain in the City;

Vacancy Rates: Compared with Regional and National benchmarks, Stoke has comparatively low numbers of Jobseekers chasing every vacancy;

Self-employment: Stoke has improved significantly in recent years, and its business registration rate now exceeds the Regional rate.

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5.2 Impact breakdown

The impact of worklessness and low skills has specific effects on different communities and different neighbourhoods.

5.1.1 Specific barriers within Stoke-on-Trent

They can be summarised as follows: Incapacity Benefit claimants. The majority (60%) 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.

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%.

5.1.2 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.

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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.

5.1.3 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.

5.1.4 Impact on Neighbourhoods Although worklessness and low skills are issues which are City-wide, certain Wards and neighbourhoods suffer disproportionately more than the City average. The map overleaf illustrates the distribution of worklessness across the City. The darker the shade, the higher the numbers of working age benefit claimants. Overlaid on this map are those customers with whom the JET Service has worked. It is pleasing to observe that there is correlation between the volumes of potential customers and the concentration of the NSRP‟s efforts. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the NSRP‟s community-based activity.

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5.1.5 Demand-side Issues: Where will the jobs come from?

Finally, the key issue in terms of addressing worklessness is the availability of jobs. Even prior to the recession, certain traditional industries were reducing in terms of the numbers of people they employed. Since the recession, even previously buoyant sectors such as Construction and the wider service sector shed jobs. An issue the Local Economic assessment will have to address is where the replacement jobs will come from. This will form crucial intelligence in allowing the NSRP and its partners (particularly the Skills Funding Agency) to align demand and supply-side activities, linking training to job opportunities.

Action Four: As part of the development of the Final Work & Skills Plan, we will update the evidence base prepared as part of the LAA Delivery Plan; develop a detailed assessment at a neighbourhood level to ensure or interventions are targeted; and roll out the good practice across Staffordshire.

Action Five: We will use the Worklessness Assessment, Local Economic assessment and primary evidence through sources such as the NSRP Employer Board to develop an effective picture of demand-side issues (including future demand) to inform the Work & Skills Plan.

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6 Provision of Work and Skills Activity

6.1 Current Provision

6.1 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:

6.1.1 Jobseekers Regime Flexible New Deal

All new claims to JSA will progress through a series of stages (3) during the first 12 months of a claim marked by a series of interventions, some of which will be weekly, to enable JCP advisers to assess and address issues relating to a return to work. Throughout these stages access to a wealth of training and employment support is open to JCP customers depending on the barrier faced. They include support for pre and post redundancy which includes advice and training; Day 1 Offers to unemployed executives and graduates; Basic Skills and support for customers with particular barriers such as offending and drug and alcohol abuse. Specific employer related training is also available where it is identified the individual needs a particular skill or certificate prior to commencing work.

JCP has a range of more tailored interventions for key groups like Lone Parents via its Support Contract and people with health problems currently receiving Employment Support Allowance via Pathways to Work and Access to Work. It is worth noting that JCP continue to undertake outreach in various locations to meet the varying needs of its customers which includes Lone Parent Advisers based within Children‟s Centres and a Jobs Bus operated with Staffordshire Council. More recently JCP has responded to the need of customers based within the north of the City by re-opening a temporary office in Burslem staffed with 15 advisers and support staff. The Community Based Outreach initiative, based in Bentilee, one of the most deprived wards, will commence in June 2010 and will see JCP advisers working in the community in conjunction with the local social landlord and council to address worklessness issues.

6.1.2 Flexible 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 commenced in October 2009.

The FND programme has ambitious job outcome targets (55% job outcomes, 50% sustainable job outcomes), and will be delivered locally by two providers, Serco and Pertemps. The target audience for FND is Jobseekers who have been out of work 12-24 months.

6.1.3 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 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

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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.

This has resulted in the Fit For Work programme, which has arisen through the work of Dame Carol Black. North Staffordshire has been successful in securing Pilot status to deliver the first tranche of FFW activities. This Pilot will be contract-managed by NHS Stoke-on-Trent and delivered by NHS North Staffordshire and other providers.

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, but is effectively replacing IB.

6.1.4 Young Persons Guarantee

To address the issues of unemployment relating particularly to 18 to 24 year olds, the Young Persons Guarantee has been introduced for all young people who reach 6 months of unemployment. The „Guarantee‟ offers sector specific training via Routes in to Work or longer Work Focused Training. The Future Jobs Fund offers a 6 month paid placement with an employer to undertake work in the community or related to the environment to enable them to improve their work skills. There is also an additional mandatory element for youngsters who have not taken up an offer via the Community Task Force.

6.1.5 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: This is based on the ESF programme, managed by the City Council, due to end in March 2010. The components of this project are: 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) became the Public Sector and Health Care Hub, delivered by JET Business and CareMatch in Stoke.

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). There is also a separate but linked Response To Redundancy programme, managed and delivered by Stoke-on-Trent College.

The Employability Skills Programme is a mainstream initiative funded by the LSC for JCP customers who have been assessed and identified as having literacy and numeracy problems relating to the labour market.

6.2 Current Provision: Skills For Life

6.2.1 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 time of writing (March 2010) there is a detailed and independent study underway into the provision of Skills For Life in North Staffordshire, to determine how effective that provision is.

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6.2.2 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.

6.2.3 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.

6.2.4 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, PeopleServe, 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, PeopleServe and Juniper Training, and the former is committed to working alongside other interventions to maximise effectiveness.

Finally, the contract holder ESF Community Grants is the City Council, which tries to persuade beneficiary organisations to support literacy and numeracy interventions.

6.3 Current Provision: Level 2 qualifications

6.3.1 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.

JCP Provision - All customers reaching the 6 month stage of unemployment and where it is identified their return to work requires training at NVQ 2 level can commence this training via the Work Focused Training initiative prior to starting work with a chosen employer.

6.3.2 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, 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.

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6.3.3 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.

6.3.4 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 CareMatch initiative, combined with the activities of the University Hospital North Staffs, has developed an expertise in terms of training for the care and health sectors.

6.4 Other related services

6.4.1 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, delivered 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 absorption of nextstep into 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.

6.4.2 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.

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.

Due to the success of this pilot, the coaching approach was rolled out to Longton and Stoke, and BES (Business Enterprise Services) is delivering this service on behalf of the NSRP.

JCP work with Business Link to provide business advice to unemployed customers wishing to consider Self Employment. Candidates can progress to be awarded a credit of £50 a week for the first 6 months trading if they can show their business idea meets certain criteria.

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6.4.3 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, and will replace InStaffs.

6.4.4 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. This programme, and similar programmes, will be replaced in 2010 by the Foundation Learning Tier (FLT).

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.

6.4.5 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:

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 HEFCE1 to deliver a Train 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 was a Regional pilot tested in North Staffordshire by FINEST (the professional services body). The pilot is currently being evaluated and if successful will be rolled out Regionally.

1 The Higher Education Funding Council for England

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Unemployed graduates can be referred by their JCP adviser to the Graduate Talent Pool which enables them to link their skills to particular employers registered with the site.

6.5 Gap Analysis

A detailed and comprehensive gap analysis has been undertaken to inform the LAA Delivery Plan. This has taken the form of both primary research, amongst key stakeholders (including employed and unemployed clients) and secondary, desk-based research2.

From this analysis it was clear that there were substantial gaps and areas needing intervention, and 36 individual interventions were identified. Most of these gaps were addressed in 2009/10 as part of the work of the NSRP Employment & Skills Group. Many were overtaken by developments and have since become mainstreamed.

As part of the Refresh exercise which informed the preparation of this Plan, sub-regional stakeholders identified a range of other priorities which needed to be addressed in 2010/11. These can be summarised as:

Worklessness:

The need to develop more demand-side opportunities (i.e. job creation). This will include: jointly commissioning (with Enterprise & Innovation Group) an inward investment programme; support for self-employment; development of social enterprises; and participation in the Future Jobs Fund programme;

More transitional employment opportunities. Longer-term workless customers are finding it more difficult to access work, as they compete with recently redundant workers. The Transitional Employment Programme and volunteering solutions are two ways of ensuring that customers can help populate their CVs;

To develop joint commissioning with Children & Young People for a transitional employment solution for young people;

To develop a joint programme with NHS Stoke-on-Trent to prevent people becoming ESA/IB claimants;

The way in which Engagement & mentoring providers work with customers needs to be re-addressed. There is still customer confusion, and activity needs to be more overtly branded as part of the JET Service.

Skills For Life

To include ESOL3 and basic ICT4 in any discussion of Skills For Life

To implement the recommendations of the forthcoming Skills For Life study, currently being prepared by PCN Regeneration (including ensuring that Skills For Life is targeted at those neighbourhoods and communities of interest who need it most).

Vocational Qualifications and Higher-level Skills

To support Apprenticeships within North Staffordshire (including within the City Council), and to ensure that the Compact is fully implemented;

To develop effective proxy measures to reflect the fact that there is now more emphasis on training which is sub-Level 2 (e.g. Bite-sized Programmes). This could include the development of a Skills Passport for Customer Care in North Staffordshire, which will not be a full Level 2 but will be recognised by local employers.

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

PCN Regeneration (2008).

3 English for Speakers of Other Languages

4 Information and Communication Technology

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Ensure employer engagement activity promotes a wide range of services: jobs brokerage (particularly the JET Service); Train To Gain; the Future Jobs Fund; Graduate solutions; and Leadership & Management.

To develop activity to increase the % of the City‟s workforce qualified to level 4, including promoting Foundation Degrees.

Parallel with this Refresh activity, an independent evaluation of the JET Service was undertaken. The evaluation was generally very supportive of the programme, subject to the following key strategic recommendations:

Agree and enforce a common definition of what constitutes a JET client – we suggest a period of 12 months from engagement to employment as a maximum “distance”. Then pass this to all JET/WNF agencies – especially engagement

Increase the frontline casework support capacity of Community JET and reduce back office administration

Codify and quantify the client journey, link this to performance management and reporting.

In terms of a service delivery model we [the evaluators] would prefer not to see a concentration on the “three Bs” as a solution but spread delivery far wider. The three centres are now no more than staging posts for local activity with much of the work being done on an outreach basis across the wider community. We would see this developed further with a City centre location for co-location of Community and Business JET and maximal use of Neighbourhood Management and partner premises for the delivery of JET services.

Action Six: We will support a range of activities to ensure that identified gaps in worklessness provision are effectively filled, and principally:

The continuing development and expansion of the JET (Jobs Enterprise Training) Service;

Support for demand-side opportunities including an effective inward investment programme, help for self-employment and social enterprises; and continuing participation in the Future Jobs Fund programme;

Transitional employment solutions, including intermediate labour markets and volunteering;

An early intervention programme to prevent people who are on sick leave becoming ESA/IB claimants.

Action Seven: We will ensure that Skills For Life provision is delivered effectively and is underpinned by quality and inclusion. We will also ensure that it is embedded in a range of other training interventions, and that it includes ESOL and ICT provision. Action Eight: We will work to increase skill levels in the sub-region through:

Promoting Apprenticeships, Train To Gain and other programmes (with the City Council and other large employers leading by example);

Ensuring that training is built into a range of other employment interventions, e.g. volunteering;

Promoting a range of activities to increase higher-level skills in the City, including Foundation Degrees and graduate retention projects.

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7 Our Vision, High-level Objectives and Key Priorities

7.1 Vision and Objectives The Vision for employment and skills in North Staffordshire is for 'A locally skilled and well educated community contributing positively to the economy'

Its purpose is to 'Provide high quality opportunities to engage people to enrich their lives and improve their skills, knowledge, qualifications and job prospects'

The Business Plan for the NSRP‟s Employment & Skills Division has six high-level Objectives, under which are a number of priorities for 2010/11:







And two cross-cutting themes:



The Work & Skills Plan will be used to implement those high-level objectives, and we will also work to incorporate equivalent objectives across Staffordshire, as a means of delivering a coherent sub-regional vision.

7.2 The Stoke and Staffordshire Future Jobs Fund programmes In August 2009, the City Council was successful in a FJF bid covering the City and Staffordshire. The bid proposed to create some 978 jobs, with a value of some £6 million. In addition, a second bid was successful in November 2009, equivalent to 340 jobs and £2.2 million.

In common with most FJF programmes, the Stoke/Staffordshire bid was initially subject to a number of problems, not the least of which was the length of time taken to place a customer into employment. However, by February 2010, the performance of the programme had been transformed, and is now set to achieve its targets.

The reason for the transformation in the fortunes of the programme is due to a number of key factors, and these need to be continued into 2010/11 and 2011/12:

A large partnership comprising nearly 30 employers. Although some partners dropped out and were unable to fulfil the original commitment, the breadth of the partnership allowed other employers to take up the shortfall;

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Using JET Business to undertake a filtering role and a jobs brokerage role. The service provided by the JETs was essential in ensuring that the right customers started in the right jobs, and was essential in keeping down the number of people dropping out of the programme (at time of writing, 9 drop-outs from nearly 300 starts);

Honing procedures to ensure that young Jobseekers could be recruited as swiftly and smoothly as possible as well as maintain employer engagement with the programme. This included: moving to group inductions of applicants rather than one-to-one interviews; JET Business providing references for applicants; a simplified application form etc.

The excellent working relationship between the City Council and Jobcentre Plus. This resulted in good working, to the extent that a JCP Adviser was actually based in JET Business for a period of time to help streamline recruitment timescales for the FJF programme.

The ultimate test of the effectiveness of the FJF programme will be the sustainability of its outcomes. The NSRP and its partners have put the following actions in place to ensure the sustainability of the posts and their employees:

The employability of the customers. As well as brokering the jobs themselves, JET Business also undertake wrap-around pastoral support for customers, ensuring that they have no problems in participating in work;

The relationship between JET and individual. As a result of the pastoral support at 2 13 and 22 weeks the JETs have a better understanding of the skills the individual has gained and thereby enabling placement by JET into permanent jobs;

The nature of the employers. The type of employers which form our consortium are ethically committed to recruiting young workless people into their organisations. As a result, they have a greater likelihood of finding full-time employment beyond the lifetime of the FJF programme. Examples of good practice include the apprenticeship programmes in Staffordshire University;

Developing social enterprises. Finally, the NSRP has aligned the new AWM-funded Connections To Opportunities (C2O) programme to support the Future Jobs Fund. The C2O programme will help develop social enterprise, so that FJF posts can become sustainable through trading income.

Action Nine: We will deliver the aims and objectives of the Stoke-on-Trent Employment & Skills Business Plan, and seek to incorporate our vision and objectives in a wider Staffordshire Work & Skills Plan. Specifically:







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Action Ten: Subject to consultation with the City Council’s Cabinet and NSRP Employment & Skills Group, we will continue the good practice developed in our Future Jobs Fund programmes into 2010/11 and 2011/12, and ensure that as many of the programme outcomes as possible are sustainable. Specifically:-

Reviewing employers (prospective and existing) and their commitment to the FJF programme in supporting the individuals;

Continuing to assess the types of jobs to ensure training, both work based and accredited, undertaken through the job is real, transferable and marketable to give the best possible chance for the young person to take place in the labour market;

Making the most effective use of ABG (granted to employers by the FJF Steering Group) to enhance and add value to the FJF programme to the benefit of the individual.

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8 Resource Planning

8.1 Resource requirements

Likely resource requirements will be: STAFFING

Director of Employment & Skills plus secretary (x2)

Core Strategic & Commissioning team (x4) plus Programme Management Team (x5)

Adult & Community Learning Team (x6), including Outreach Workers (x5), plus Work Based Learning Team (x6) and Wedgwood Memorial College staff (x11)

JET Service Team (x26) PREMISES Premises are established for the Division within Civic Centre, Hanley Town Hall, Stoke Recreation Centre, Wedgwood Memorial College and Goodson Building. Additional space will be required within the Goodson Building or another City Centre location to house the JET Service. Equally importantly, a series of prominent outreach venues will be required to deliver the community-facing side of the JET Service. FUNDING The following funding requirements have been identified for 2010/11:

Core Team £420,010

JET Service: £1,237,541

ESF Skills For Jobs: £335,000

ABG (External Commissioning): £3,611,262

Adult & Community Learning (including Work Based Learning) £621,0005 The above requirements will be funded through a variety of sources: principally ABG from this Plan, but also European Regional Development Fund; European Social Fund; Advantage West Midlands; and ABG from the NI 171 Plan (Build Up). The exception is ACL/WBL, which is wholly funded by the Learning & Skills Council/Skills Funding Agency. The breakdown of funding is set out on page 34. As a result of specific contracts, the Plan will also receive additional funding from other sources, namely: Programme (Source) Amount 2010/11 Notes

Jobcentre Plus Support Contract (DWP) £180,000 Via JHP Training

Future Jobs Fund (DWP) £3,080,000 Includes contribution to JET Business

Employers 4 Employment (ESF) £42,000 Transnational

West Midlands Hub (ESF) £75,000 Sub-contractor to Sandwell MBC

Connections To Opportunities (AWM) £190,000

Community Grants (ESF) £107,000

Community Task Force (DWP) £120,000 Sub-contractor to Sarina Russo

TOTAL £3,794,000

5 NB This is based on 2010/11 Academic Year, which commences August 2010. It includes the Community Learning Champions project,

but not £50,000 of Personal and Community Learning funding, allocated to the JETs.

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8.2 Cost breakdown

Key activities ABG ESF ERDF Other (Source)

Total

Core Team (including BUNS management)

367,893 30,000 22,117 (AWM)

420,010

The JET Service (incl. ESF Skills for Jobs)

638,041 335,000 214,500 50,000 PCDL 1,237,541

Engagement & Mentoring 650,000 650,000

Fit For Work 60,000 60,000

TEP/ILM 744,250 744,250

Work Guarantee Program 350,000 350,000

Volunteering 175,000 47,000 222,000

Sector Support 25,066 36,000 39,196 100,262

Employer Engagement 50,000 50,000

NEETs activity 100,000 50,000(CYP) 150,000

Self-employment 550,000 120,000 670,000

Higher Level Skills 50,000 50,000

Skills For Life/ESOL/WMC 130,750 130,750

Future Jobs Fund 50,000 DWP element: see below

50,000

Retail Academy 250,000 250,000

Build Up NS (Delivery costs) 164,000 164,000

TOTALS 4,355,000 371,000 411,500 161,313 5,298,813

In addition, there is the following additional contract-based expenditure:

Programme (Source) Amount 2010/11 Notes

Jobcentre Plus Support Contract (DWP)

£180,000 Via JHP Training

Future Jobs Fund (DWP) £3,080,000 Includes contribution to JET Business

Employers 4 Employment (ESF) £42,000 Transnational

West Midlands Hub (ESF) £75,000 Sub-contractor to Sandwell MBC

Connections To Opportunities (AWM) £190,000

Community Grants (ESF) £107,000

Community Task Force (DWP) £120,000 Sub-contractor to Sarina Russo

TOTAL £3,794,000

Finally, the Adult & Community Learning service makes a substantial contribution to delivering employment, literacy, numeracy and level 2 qualifications, directly or indirectly. The value of ACL expenditure between August 2010 and April 2011 is some £621,000 (not including the £50,000 of PCDL funding allocated to the JET Service, above).

Therefore, total investment delivering or aligned to these four key LAA targets is £9,683,813.

8.3 Value for money / cost per unit

Investing in supporting people into employment and improving their skills makes perfect sense from the point of view of value for money. The housing charity Crisis has estimated that a workless

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person costs the Exchequer £10,329 in direct costs per annum plus an additional £12,000 in lost economic outputs. In terms of skills, the relatively low skills within the West Midlands is 90% of the reason for the £10 Billion gap in productivity between the Region and the English average. 9.2.1 Cost comparisons In terms of cost comparisons for worklessness, the JET Service, the flagship project within the employment and skills programme, compares as follows: £ per Job Outcome New Deal for Young People £2750 Flexible New Deal £3400 The JET Service (Core) £3712 DWP ESF Flexible Routeways £3985 Glasgow: One Plus One £4200 Croydon: Sustianable Employment South London £5000 The JET Service (enhanced) £5348 Brent: Language2Work £5875 Definitions: Italics are Mandatory customers, i.e. there is no engagement costs involved

Core JET Service: The “standard” JET offer for all customers Enhanced JET Service: Includes the cost of engaging with mandatory customers, and also providing a Transitional Employment Programme.

Cost comparisons for adult skills are more difficult in that the chief funder, the Learning & Skills Council (soon to be replaced by the Skills Funding Agency) tends to fund qualifications using fixed unit costs. In other words providers are expected to deliver training and qualifications for a pre-determined Regional unit cost rather than doing direct cost comparisons across different local authority areas. Rather than look at unit costs, the NSRP has therefore tended to concentrate more on considering participation, completion and achievement rates. These are the areas where evaluation of effectiveness will be concentrated, rather than purely on value-for-money grounds. Action Eleven: We will maximise investment in employment and skills through:

Retaining the high profile of employment and skills amongst local people, businesses and decision-makers;

Bending mainstream investment to be as effective as possible, and give greater support to those communities in need;

Through bidding for external funding contracts, including Welfare To Work contracts.

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9 Performance Management

9.1 Performance Management

The principal targets to which the NSRP and its partners are working to achieve are the Local Area Agreement targets for Stoke-on-Trent. For 2010/11, these targets are:

Performance Indicators 2010/11 Target

NI 152 - Working age people on out of work benefits Gap of 7.1%

NI 161 - Learners achieving a Level 1 qualification in literacy 1000

NI 162 - Learners achieving an Entry Level 3 qualification in numeracy 200

NI 163 - Proportion of population aged 19-64 for males and 19-59 for females qualified to at least Level 2 or higher

67.5%

However, in order to effectively measure the impact of our actions, a range of proxy indicators have been developed:

Performance Indicators 2010/11 Target

NSRP ES 01(a) Participants in FLLN (Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy) Programme (NI 161)

800

NSRP ES 01(b) FLLN (Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy) participants taking the National Exam (NI 161)

800

NSRP ES 02(a) Participants in FLLN (Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy) Programme (NI 162)

400

NSRP ES 02(b) FLLN (Family Literacy, Language and Numeracy) participants taking the National Exam (NI 162)

400

NSRP ES 03 Adult Achievements at Level 2 (NI 163) 4495

NSRP ES 04 Customers engaged via the JET Service 2000

NSRP ES 05 Customers into employment 500

NSRP ES 06 Future Jobs Fund customers into employment 175

NSRP ES 07 Transitional Employment Programme Participants 133

NSRP ES 08 Volunteer Participants 282

In terms of performance management, these indicators are reported to a number of groups, including:

The City Council‟s LAA performance management structures, including: Special Performance & Investment Group; Economic Development & Enterprise Scrutiny Committee;

The Employment & Skills Group, and more specifically its Executive Group;

Internal NSRP reporting structures including the Surety Group. Action Eleven: We will continue to use best practice principles to undertake effective and robust performance management procedures.

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9.2 Risk Management

Risk will be managed by the NSRP Delivery Plan process (Employment & Skills chapter). This Planning process tracks the performance, risks and issues of all projects and programmes contributing to our actions and the LAA targets.

Risk Probability Impact Total score Mitigating actions Owner

Continuing recession impacting on number of vacancies.

4 4 16 Through addressing demand-side issues, through programmes such as the TEP, Future Jobs, Self-employment etc.

Director of Employment & Skills.

Funding cuts (e.g. use of WNF for other purposes within the Authority).

3 4 12 Through attempting to bend mainstream delivery (e.g. deployment of JCP advisers) or external funding (e.g. ESF).

Employment & Skills Strategy Manager.

Cutbacks in funding for Skills For Life activity.

3 4 12 Through including literacy and numeracy provision within vocational training; a re-focus of ACL activity; and use of WNF.

Director of Employment & Skills; Learning & Skills Council/Skills Funding Agency.

A loss of skilled people as they move elsewhere to live (demographic changes).

2 3 6 NSRP-wide mitigating actions including providing a better housing offer; LSP-wide actions, e.g. tackling crime, low educational achievements etc.

All partners.

Cutbacks in funding for level 2 qualifications.

3 4 12 Encourage the employers themselves to invest in training, with WNF subsidies.

Learning & Skills Council/Skills Funding Agency.

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Annex: Action Plan

9.2.1 To deliver the aims and objectives of the NSRP Business Plan, the Employment & Skills Delivery Plan, and the Stoke-on-Trent Local Area Agreement Targets.

Action Lead Agency

Milestones & Outcomes Resources

A refresh of the role and activity of the Employer Board to ensure that its work adds real value to the employment and skills agenda in North Staffordshire

NSRP (All partners)

Review of activity facilitated by LIA (December 2009)

No additional funds needed.

Development of an effective Steering Group, to ensure good governance of the Adult & Community Learning Service.

SOTCC, SFA

Steering Group established (Aug 2010) No additional funds needed.

To provide continuing support for the NSRP Employment & Skills Group

NSRP Ongoing meetings throughout 2010/11 at quarterly intervals

No additional funds needed.

9.2.2 To ensure that the JET (Jobs Enterprise Training) Service is effective and sustainable, and is responsive to customers and employers alike.

Action Lead Agency


To develop the JET Service further across North Staffs as a result of the evaluation to ensure:

It is a recognisable brand;

It has a specific customer base, with a specific customer offer;

It moves away from specific physical bases to a more peripatetic outreach offer.

NSRP JET partners

To complete the evaluation of the Service (Dec 2009) To change the delivery model so that it is more of an outreach approach (Sept 2010) To develop a specific and quantifiable offer for JET customers (Jun 2010)

The JET Service will be a substantial programme costing some £1.1M. This will be a mixture of WNF, ESF and ERDF.

Ensure employer engagement activity promotes a wide range of services: jobs brokerage (particularly the JET Service); Train To Gain; the Future Jobs Fund; Graduate solutions; and Leadership & Management.

NSRP; JCP; LSC/SFA; NSCCI

Appointment of employer engagement providers (April 2010)

Employer engagement element from WNF £50K.

To continue to bid to become a provider of employment and skills services to generate income and become sustainable.

NSRP; all funding bodies

Effective delivery of JCP Support Contract (April 2010) Bid for new funds as they appear (ongoing)

No additional funding necessary on the whole. However, certain funds (e.g. ERDF) may require match.

The delivery of a range of excellent customer offers, based on a clear and manageable customer journey

JET Service Interim arrangements in place to deliver the customer offer (April 2010) Final customer offer in place (September 2010)

No additional funding needed, other than that already identified to manage and deliver the JET Service.

9.2.3 To raise the profile of employment and better skills as a means of addressing social exclusion

Action Lead Agency


The importance of employment and NSRP Delivery of Community Learning CLC funding £30K from

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skills to be raised in local communities.

Community partners

Champions programme (Feb 2010) Local Membership of Microsoft Academy established (April 2010)

BIS.

The way in which Engagement & mentoring providers work with customers needs to be re-addressed. There is still customer confusion, and activity needs to be more overtly branded as part of the JET Service.

NSRP E&M Providers

To commission a revised engagement and mentoring programme (March 2010)

£500K (all WNF)

Barriers Fund: This will need to be expanded significantly to take account of the end of ESF. However, it appears that there is no longer an identified requirement for support to Benefits Services.

NSRP (JET Service)

To make available a flexible fund to support training, childcare, transportation and equipment costs (April 2010)

£450K (mixture of ESF SO2 and WNF)

That a Skills For Life strategy be developed and implemented.

NSRP SFA Stoke College and other partners

Skills For Life strategy published (March 2010) Skills For Life action plan implemented (April 2010)

Use of existing funds (e.g. FE, ACL, ESF etc) available from LSC/SFA

To promote informal adult learning as a means of disadvantaged people, families and communities improving their life chances

NSRP (ACL Team)

Outcomes embedded in new Employment & Skills Delivery Plan (April 2010) Commence new academic year (August 2010)

ACL funding (some £631,000 between August 2010-March 2011)

That a Digital Inclusion Champion be appointed to support ICT in disadvantaged communities.

NSRP Digital Inclusion Champion commissioned to host organisation (April 2010)

Use of existing funds (e.g. ESF community grants). Additional WNF of £30K

That ESOL forms part of a SfL approach.

NSRP Stoke College Other ESOL providers

ESOL activity incorporated as part of wider SfL delivery (April 2010)

Use of existing funds (including ACL) where appropriate.

To develop effective proxy measures to reflect the fact that there is now more emphasis on training which is sub-Level 2 (e.g. Bite-sized Programmes). This could include the development of a Skills Passport for Customer Care in North Staffordshire, which will not be a full Level 2 but will be recognised by local employers.

LSC/SFA, NSRP Stoke College

Develop proxy indicators for the LAA (Nov 2009)

No additional resources needed.

9.2.4 To create more demand-side opportunities, both permanent and temporary, as a means of addressing worklessness during a time of recession.

Action Lead Agency


The need to develop more demand-side opportunities (i.e. job creation). This will include:

jointly commissioning (with Enterprise & Innovation Group) an inward investment programme;

support for self-employment;

NSRP (FJF partners; DWP/JCP; Self employment providers; AWM)

To be determined

To extend, renew or replace Business Coaching contract (March 2010)

Joint AMW/ERDF/WNF programme (value tbd) Business Coaching and Grants programme (£350K WNF)

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development of social enterprises;

and participation in the Future Jobs Fund programme.

To commence delivery of C2O programme (April 2010)

Commence delivery of FJF (Nov 2009)

Funding from AWM (£690) FJF programme worth £6M. £50K WNF support

More transitional employment opportunities. Longer-term workless customers are finding it more difficult to access work, as they compete with recently redundant workers. The Transitional Employment Programme and volunteering solutions are two ways of ensuring that customers can help populate their CVs.

NSRP TEP and Volunteering Providers

To commission a new TEP programme (March 2010) To develop a new Local Job Guarantee Programme.

A substantial programme: TEP £650K (all WNF) LJGP £540K (all WNF)

To provide volunteering opportunities for those who wish to start on the road back to employment

Volunteering Providers

New delivery commences (May 2010) Volunteering £187K (37K ERDF, £150K WNF)

To develop the Build Up programme as the contact point of choice for all sub-regional infrastructure projects, and for the programme to be extended to other economic sectors.

Build Up; JET Service

Mainstreamed and fully funded through WNF (April 2010) ERDF bid approved (September 2010)

WNF £194K (Possible additional ERDF)

9.1.5 To work towards ensuring that Adult & Community Learning becomes an excellent service

Action Lead Agency


To work to becoming a Lead Accountable Body to influence and control delivery of adult safeguarded learning in the City.

SOTCC Commence work on becoming a LAB (November 2010) First academic year as LAB commences (August 2011)

No additional resources

To work towards an initial rating of “Good” for ACL from Ofsted

SOTCC Awarded a “Satisfactory” for Work based Learning at re-inspection (April 2010) New Ofsted inspection (January 2012)

No additional resources

To provide a wide a range of adult provision as possible, with excellent providers and partners

SOTCC, SFA, Stoke College, other providers

New commissioning of delivery partners undertaken (July 2010)

No additional resources (ACL budget used)

To undertake a comprehensive review of Wedgwood Memorial College and put a service development plan in place to ensure effective management of the College in future.

SOTCC Draft business plan published (May 2010)

Imponderable at this stage. Will depend on outcome of business plan and feasibility study.

9.1.6 To increase skill levels across the City, including vocational and higher-level skills

Action Lead Agency


To implement the Compact to ensure that public and voluntary sector partners implement their commitments to recruit apprentices, train staff and sign the Skills Pledge

NSRP (all partners)

Review of Compact (March 2010) Appointment of Apprenticeship Workplace Co-ordinator (April 2010)

Apprenticeship Workplace Co-ordinator £30K (WNF)

To develop joint commissioning with Children & Young People for a transitional employment solution for young people, and support for

NSRP SOTCC (CYP Dept) Connexions

To commission a TEP programme for young people (March 2010)

16-18 year old TEP: £120K (£70K WNF, £50K CYP)

NSRP/Stoke-on-Trent


(2010/11)


Apprentices within the City Council.

To support Apprenticeships within North Staffordshire (including within the City Council), and to ensure that the Compact is fully implemented. This will include extending the good practice developed through the Council‟s own Sports Apprenticeship programme.

NSRP (all partners)

Review of Compact (March 2010) Appointment of Apprenticeship Workplace Co-ordinator (April 2010)

Apprenticeship Workplace Co-ordinator £30K (WNF) Existing Council Sports Apprenticeship role.

To develop activity to increase the % of the City‟s workforce qualified to level 4, including promoting Foundation Degrees.

LLN, NSRP, HE/FE Concordat, Universities, AWM

Development of effective Foundation Degree programme with LLN and other partners, the basis of which will act as a Level 4 proxy indicator (April 2010)

Substantial investment from HEFCE and AWM (the latter in L&M). Possible additional WNF of £50K.

9.1.7 To work towards the principles of Total Place by working with a range of partners to maximise resources and develop a “no wrong door” approach to person-centred support

Action Lead Agency


Employment & Skills activity embedded within the work of Health partners.

NHS Stoke (NSRP; JCP; NHS North Staffs)

Development of Fit For Work Pilot (Nov 2009) Delivery of FFW Pilot commences (Mar 2010) Appointment of employer-facing provider (April 2010)

Funding from Dept of Health £1.3M (secured) WNF contribution to employer-facing activity £60K.

Employment & Skills activity embedded within the work of Social Landlords

RSLs (NSRP; HCA)

Continuing support for NASHF Worklessness agenda (ongoing) Development of ERDF bid for retro-fitting of social housing (April 2010)

No additional funding needed. Scale of ERDF bid tbd.

stoke-work-skills-plan

Documents

interim plan

staffordshire work skills

action plan

final work skills plan

trent interim work skills

plan area

skills issues

employment skills team