National Delivery Group Youth Employability Meeting. Area Based Feedback. September 2011

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1 National Delivery Group Youth Employability Meeting Area Based Feedback September 2011 We asked areas to consider and feedback on: specific local challenges/constraints (and any ideas around solutions for these) what is happening in your own local area which is particularly effective in improving youth employment i.e. what is being done, its effectiveness and why this is working well. CLACKMANNANSHIRE COUNCIL As part of the wider MCMC strategy and within that 16+LC and Activity Agreements, we now have an obligation to ensure that we are offering all young people opportunities on leaving education and to monitor their progress. We were very aware that although Clackmannanshire is small, there were still cases where Young people who need employability advice and guidance were being supported by multiple agencies and often multiple key workers who could give varying levels of advice. To this end we recognised there was an opportunity to create a common referral process for all young people who need further intensive support, to avoid the duplication of resources. We have created a 16+RAP group that will take referrals from schools and other agencies who feel that their clients,aged between 16 and 24, need further support. The young people can be then referred on to key worker support from one agency who will act as their individual point of contact and who will lead them through an individualised programme of support. To ultimately ensure that they are more employable. This could be as part of an Activity Agreement or through an employability service. We can then use our MIS to track and review the young people, their activities and review resources we have available and broker further support as necessary. We are in the early stages of implementation and all interventions will be carefully monitored through the MCMC/16+ Strategy Group and our Local Employability Partnership. DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY COUNCIL Locally, we are considering the following aspects: How to better relate the curriculum / skills / training to labour market need Development of MAs in partnership with the NHS this includes potential sharing of resources e.g. joint assessors and mentors across both agencies. National support for more volunteer development opportunities / work placement opportunities we especially need this central support in a rural area where employers are small / micro and the third sector has limited skills / capacity to take people on. Presently these are the areas which are current for us, however there is much more that is similar to others developments.

2 ANGUS COUNCIL For 2010 the percentage of school leavers entering a positive destination in Angus is 88.3%, a rise of 1% on last year and means the authority has the 12th highest level of positive destinations in Scotland. Angus has a total claimant count of 2,416 of this 335 were aged between 16 and 19. This was an increase of 70 people from the last month. (Aug 2011) The unemployment rate for year olds has increased by 1.5% on this time last year (ONS Aug 2011) 64% of year olds unemployed are on the register for less than 13 weeks, 20% are on the register for weeks, 13% for weeks and 1.5% for 52 weeks or more. Specific local challenges/constraints (and any ideas around solutions for these) Transport Due to the nature of Angus there are ongoing issues with getting young people to the main towns to partake in training, education or work placements. Young people who do not have access to their own vehicle or a bus network have considerable problems getting to work also. Training Provision Due to budget constraints the demand for training under Get Ready for Work and Training for Work outstrips supply. Angus partners are working closely with Skills Development Scotland to support this barrier with a bid into the JCP Flexible Fund. Skills the range and availability of skills in the local area could be improved to give young people more opportunities to progress into the labour market. The proposed Angus Employability Academy has been designed to fill the current gaps in local provision but the future of this programme is dependant on funding. It is important to note that we don t currently have a life skills provision in Angus. Opportunities Due to the economic climate there has been a lack of local opportunities for young people. A local solution has been the development of a health and social care academy. The Employer Engagement Sub Group of the Angus employability Partnership is also working towards a more joined up job brokerage scheme to open up opportunities for the people of Angus. Additional Support Needs Providing additional support for those young people with Health problems, Social issues and disabilities is very much a specific action for the Angus Employability Partnership. We support those partners with a specific remit to work with these young people to provide the best possible service however there are capacity issues with Work Choice which could prevent some young people moving through the pipeline. What is happening in your own local area; Volunteering The local Volunteer Centre have engaged with schools and MCMC partnerships to work with young people and highlight their opportunities and support their personal development. Careers Support The local SDS team work closely with young people with the support of other partners to ensure that young people are moved into the most appropriate destination for them. 16+ in Angus - For some young people a more personalised programme of learning is required to enable them to progress and in Angus we are developing Activity Agreements where young people are supported to get involved in a personalised programme of learning and activity from a wide range of fun and challenging options. The Activity agreement is one of several post-school options now available to young people as part of 16+ Learning Choices.

3 DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL 1. Employment opportunities Dundee had the lowest rate in Scotland for school leavers entering employment last year at just 11.3% Increased competition for jobs, including graduates, for even entry level jobs Level of skills/qualifications and general lack of job readiness of MCMC cohort Lack of progression outcomes making it difficult to keep young people engaged. 2. Further develop incentives for employers to provide opportunities for young people, particularly the MCMC group as we know that this can work through the Future Jobs Fund. 3. Community Jobs Fund process appears to be quite complicated and there is already a significant delay. 4. Public Sector - clear national guidance is required to ensure a consistent approach in how the whole of the public sector allocate their training and employment opportunities to MCMC young people, such as Modern Apprenticeships. The Employer Incentive could potentially assist with this as there has to be recognition that this group of young people have complex needs which do require substantial additional support. 5. Public sector organisations need to review the effectiveness of their current practice in working with young people; engagement strategies, communication & marketing, targeting, assessment, intervention, etc. Dundee are in the process of a Total Place review on our MCMC policy and practice. 6. Activity Agreements we have only had funding since March 2011 but have used it to provide additional key worker support which has been very effective in engaging previously difficult to reach young people. 7. High number of young people (highest in Scotland) going into further education. Unclear as to the progression rates into employment from College and also how appropriate the courses are and are they linked to local labour market information. FIFE COUNCIL The following information gives a brief insight into the operational response of Fife Council to the youth employment / unemployment (16 24 years) agenda. This reflects the work of the Opportunities Fife framework and the related Employability Pathway. It is not intended to include in any detail the work of other partners, in particular SDS, Fife Colleges and Job Centre Plus in the youth unemployment context. Fife School Leaver Profile In September 2010 Fife initial positive post school leaver destinations was 86.6% (Scotland 86.8%). Overall positive destinations have increased in Fife in the last 10 years from 78% in In terms of sustainability, the same cohort in March 2011 still in positive destinations was 83.7% (Scotland 85.2%). This last figure is lower than March Employability advice, intervention and support for young people in this transition is provided by the following broad processes: Prior to Leaving School SDS information, advice and guidance available to all young people in Fife schools School interventions open to all young people e.g. PSE employability programmes, Work Experience School interventions relating to employability for identified needy groups e.g. College exceptional entrance, Work4U, Activate, Icebreaker, Key Workers

4 Post School SDS e.g. continued case management role, National Training Programmes coordination Fife 16+ LC / MCMC programmes for specific groups e.g. CLD Activity Agreements programmes in each Getting It Right in Fife area Relevant Fife Employability Pathway Programmes e.g. Client Action Team, Next Steps 2, Engagement in Employability, West Fife Enterprises (Quest for Employment) Job placement programmes e.g. based on the FJF/Fife ILM model in Leven What is working well in Fife and why? Coordinated partnership approach at strategic and operational level built on established relationships with key partners like SDS, Fife Colleges and the Third Sector Efficient use of available funding direct grants from ESF and FSF and in kind support from key council services, Clear and agreed employability pathway structure (Opportunities Fife) Mainstreamed 16+ Learning Choices and Activity Agreement process Innovative outreach, mentoring and key worker approaches Specific Challenges and Constraints Search for further funding currently e.g. Innovations Fund, Flexible Support Fund Strategic constraints because funding from SG for 16+ LC and AA is for one year only (what, if anything is beyond this?) Lack, in the short term, of employment and training opportunities Need to improve employer engagement Uncertainty about the current FE capacity in this context Responding appropriately to every client group Targeting specific areas of deprivation and need and resulting culture Means of communicating with clients Coherent data sharing and referral processes INVERCLYDE COUNCIL From an Inverclyde perspective we have well established links for the lead officers for the MCMC and Employability and Inclusion attending both local partnership meetings and regularly meeting out with this to discuss relevant challenges and opportunities. This has been the norm since 2006 and has developed over time to ensure that we play to our strengths. We also have the Strategic Employability Group and the Head of Service Education attends and inputs into this work. Employability and Inclusion lead on the Employability pipeline for year olds and MCMC/SDS and partners ensure that we do the CfE element for year olds, both lead officers then progress how we work together on the agenda and locally this has meant commissioning employability/regeneration services across the area (obviously this does not include the DWP work programme) to deliver an end-to-end employability programme/support to all those requiring support in work and from benefits to employment/training/education. Good practice examples of this are: - Alignment of local programmes with national programmes - Work programme and Community Jobs Fund Targeted programmes - eg the Graduate programme community benefits from procurement - Inverclyde Council, River Clyde Homes and Riverside Inverclyde working with a single point of contact to max jobs and training. Inverclyde Council and European (ESF and ERDF) funds to deliver employability services

5 I feel that Inverclyde is clear on the direction that is being taken and the relevant plans are in place, challenges that are known and being worked on are:- Local work opportunities in developing the labour market (Inverclyde also has its own FJF and Riverside Inverclyde is generating growth) Employer Engagement - a one stop shop has been developed but work is on-going to make the most of this service and how we maximise the interaction with employers and young people / adults e.g. extended work experience we have a significant jobs gap which is deep rooted and despite all our efforts there are just insufficient jobs JOBCENTRE PLUS EAST & SOUTH EAST OF SCOTLAND Specific local challenges/constraints Jobcentre Plus has introduced a number of key initiatives to tackle the issue of youth unemployment. There are, however, a number of underlying problems at national level which can impact on our ability to deliver locally: Limited data sharing between public agencies on young people continues to be a problem. We are currently constrained by the amount of information that can be exchanged (general statistical info). A more integrated collation and sharing of information would help us to be better informed when supporting young people and provide a more responsive and appropriate service. Constraints on method of sharing data- cannot use of fax to exchange information and postal route takes too long (Working with under 18 customers) Specific issues surrounding links & sharing of information with SDS, on 16/17 year old hardship cases & how best to progress customers Need for a more joined up approach to employer engagement for under 18s between Jobcentre Plus and SDS Information on other vacancies e.g. online vacancies etc which are being identified by both SDS and JCP are not being shared effectively Consent form from YP so that we can check with SDS what activity has been undertaken prior to the YP claiming with JCP Volume of Scottish and UK Govt policies can cause confusion and be perceived as overlap. Need to work together to compliment activity and maximise outcomes Ideas on tackling Issues Information sharing Simplify the process to develop data sharing agreements and gain commitment to develop them between key agencies on a Scotland wide basis. Working with under 18 customers Exchange contact details between U/18 advisers and SDS advisers to help build relationships Provide regular update to SDS of hardship customers approaching trigger points, so that more intensive support can be offered by SDS. Introduce telephone case conferencing with SDS colleagues Introduce national agreement which removes the need for individual consent Vacancy information exchanged with specific contacts within SDS - JCP will take a normal vacancy but alert SDS that these vacancies maybe of interest to YP Government Policies Simplify the policies and show the links between them Working closely with partners such as Local Authorities, Colleges and SDS to identify solutions. Ensuring that JCP offers through Get Britain Working align with and compliment partner offers to meet employer needs encouraging recruitment of young people.

6 What is happening locally Jobcentre Plus has continued to develop its advisory services and offers to young people in response to the high levels of youth unemployment. Measures include: Securing work experience with national and local employers Supporting Work Clubs - specifically aimed at young people. Identifying and developing provision that will tackle employability issues and provide work placements by accessing funding via the Flexible Support Fund. Providing group information sessions which are tailored to the needs of young people Working with volunteer centres and Third Sector organisations to provide volunteering opportunities for young people e.g. Princes Trust, Cyrenians Some Examples The District is working closely with partners and employers to secure provision, work experience and job opportunities for our young people. Work Experience Opportunities have been secured with both local and national companies e.g. ASDA, Next, Argos, NHS, Capital Hotels, Holland and Barrett and Poundland. Jobcentre Plus is preparing young people to take part in 2 initiatives for young people developed by Falkirk Council. The Falkirk Jobs Programme plans to deliver 60 jobs by March 2012 for year old customers. The Backing Falkirk Futures initiative will provide 180 jobs form year old between now and March This model provides work experience placements followed by a subsidised job for at least 12 months; a modern apprenticeship or industry recognised qualification Barnados are currently running a 4 week training programme followed by an 8 week work experience opportunity in Edinburgh. Successful completion leads to the offer of employment West Lothian has established a hub system which effectively allows case conferencing on individuals between key public sector agencies (Skills Development Scotland currently holds group sessions (Career Essentials) for year olds in West Lothian schools. The scope to enhance these sessions through JCP attendance (on day 5) is subject to discussion at the moment Stirling Council has developed an Employability Programme for 75 young people (two weeks employability preparation followed by three weeks Work Experience with local employers. Effectiveness of initiatives When working with young people to identify and refer to appropriate provision and employment, we have ongoing problems with engagement and sustainability. Employers have flagged up the lack of core employability skills and work ethic. Feedback from these initiatives however has been very positive. Successful outcomes have been attained when partners have worked closely to share expertise and prepare the young people to take part in the initiatives. JOBCENTRE PLUS WEST OF SCOTLAND The specific local challenges we would think will be much the same all over, provision supports those most at risk or vulnerable young people but does not go far enough to support all Young People, e.g. the MCMC agenda focuses on those likely to be NEET, but those YP's not NEET but lacking in and understanding of the world of work and not going to Uni or College seem to be left behind, until they make a claim to JSA and are even more removed from the labour market. Activities in the West of Scotland External Relations Managers participate in MCMC strategy groups in the three Ayrshire areas, Dumfries & Galloway, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde JCP Work for You team is undertaking targeted community-based work with 16/17 year olds in selected wards within South, East and North Ayrshire PEDMs involved in local SDS liaison group that enables local MCMC opportunities to be circulated to JCP Advisers Prince s Trust Team and Get Into programmes active in East Ayrshire Inverclyde Council, on the back of the very successful FSF the council has funded 100 Future Jobs Inverclyde places for yr olds

7 Tomorrows People run a 12 week programme for year olds, to develop life skills, confidence and motivation, including Work Experience. Street League. Football/ Sport Academy for 16-19yr olds. Gain SFA level 1 Community Leadership Award, 2 week work experience. Action for Children - Construction Courses 16-19yr olds. One week in house induction including CV prep, interview skills, Work Experience placement to gain their site safety passport and PPE to go on site. Clients are paid 55 per week and zone card. The formation of the new Renfrewshire Employability Programme will focus on support young people between facing barrier to work e.g. Looked after and accommodated, ex care, offender background, addictions and or homelessness issues. St Mirren Support Employment has a very good track record of supporting YP and moving them in to work, it is hoped that the new REP will continue to fund/ support this programme. The HELP project in Dunoon and Rothesay supports young homeless people via a employability breakfast club. NORTH LANARKSHIRE COUNCIL Key Initiatives: MCMC Sub Group: The CPP s Lifelong Learning Working Group leads on the local MCMC agenda through its MCMC Sub Group. The Sub Group is made up of a variety of local agencies including North Lanarkshire Council Services (CLD, Psychological Services, Regeneration, Schools, Social Work, etc), local colleges, Job Centre Plus, Routes to Work, Skills Development Scotland, Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire, etc. The Sub Group meet regularly and ensure that MCMC work is delivered via a co-ordinated partnership approach which avoids duplication of work and resources. An Action Plan has been created and is currently being delivered by the group (see attached). Smaller working groups report back to the Sub Group on specific areas of development such as Activity Agreements, work with care leavers, those with Additional Support Needs, etc, 16+ Learning Choices: North Lanarkshire was an early implementer of 16+ Learning Choices, making all young people an offer of post-16 learning / training for those who want it. The pilot project involved 6 local high schools, and has now been rolled out to all high schools in the area. Pupil Support staff, teachers, Careers Advisors, etc play a large role in ensuring that young people are made this offer, prior to them leaving school. A new module within the schools Management Information System (SEEMIS) will enable staff to access and update this information later this year. This module has been developed by a group of authorities, including North Lanarkshire, to help manage and co-ordinate 16+LC offers. A temporary solution is currently being used via SEEMIS. As above, an Action Plan for 16+LC has been created (see attached). 16+ Data Exchange Hub: Work has been ongoing over recent years to develop methods of improving and sharing transitional information for young people. The 16+ Data Hub, which has now been officially launched, is an online data sharing tool, which draws in up-to-date information from Skills Development Scotland and schools to produce a combined overview of a young person s post-school progression. Further information systems will link into the Data Hub in the future, such as colleges, CLD, etc. North Lanarkshire has been involved in the development of the Data Hub, along with other local authorities, SDS and the Scottish Government. MCMC Co-ordinators: Each high school in North Lanarkshire has appointed an MCMC Co-ordinator to lead the MCMC work in their establishment. At various times throughout the year, these co-ordinators meet with staff from Learning & Leisure Services QIS, Skills Development Scotland, CLD, and other agencies as required, to share information and good practice around MCMC. Along with colleagues at NLC Regeneration Services, the MCMC Co-ordinators have also helped to organise Speed Networking sessions, where school pupils approaching their school leaving date are able to speak to colleges, training providers, employers, etc about their plans for the future.

8 Prince s Trust: The North Lanarkshire MCMC Sub Group have been working with the Princes Trust to develop a range of Get Into programmes, aimed at those who have left, or are leaving, school and are interested in hands-on training within a particular field. Last year, two programmes were delivered in North Lanarkshire, Get Into Social Care and Get Into Retail, in conjunction with employers and training providers related to each topic. This year, the range of options will be expanded to include Get Into Sport, which will link with coaches and staff at Motherwell Football Club. School Based Programmes: In partnership with the Prince s Trust, al high schools in North Lanarkshire now offer the XL programme to support those who may be at risk of underachievement, exclusion or not progressing to a positive post-school destination. Programmes are also offered in partnership with SDS, such as Activ8, and CLD through a network of Home School Partnership Officers. Activity Agreements: As one of the new 16+LC options for young people, Activity Agreements were piloted in North Lanarkshire from Aug 2009 to March 2011 for young people who are not in education, employment or training and are furthest away from the labour market. The North Lanarkshire Activity Agreement was one of ten national pilots which led to proposals being accepted for all 32 Scottish local authorities to be funded to deliver the initiative. Activity Agreements allow young people to plan a personalised programme of learning and activity with their own individual Keyworker. The Keyworkers, made up of staff from CLD, Routes to Work and Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire, work with young people to ensure that they are supported in their learning and have access to relevant opportunities through a network of six local Learning Hubs throughout North Lanarkshire. Potential young people are referred to the programme via Skills Development Scotland and other local partners. Many young people also self refer. Since the NL Activity Agreement started, over 450 young people have signed up with 55% of those leaving, moving directly to a positive destination. Evaluations have shown that most participants were viewed as having low attainment at school, while many had truanted, had behavioural issues or had been involved in drug or alcohol misuse. An action plan for Activity Agreements is attached. Challenges The challenges being discussed at the moment are mainly financial challenges, not only for providers, but also for young people and their families. Additional funding from the Scottish Government for some of the MCMC initiatives above has been cut at a time when services are facing increased demand, due to the current economic downturn and the reduction in places available at post-school destinations such as colleges, universities, employers, etc. The financial impact for families is an important factor, as many young people rely on relatively small payments such as EMA (if taking part in education) or Child benefit / Tax Credits. While higher allowances are, however, currently paid to those on national training courses, the need for young people to provide income for their families can often force young people to accept unsuitable post school opportunities in order to generate income, rather than pursuing education or training which may be more suited to their skills or interests.

9 GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL Glasgow s Youth Employability Framework Scottish Government Lifelong Learning and Skills Directorate Strategic Boards Youth Employability Strategic Partnership Group Meeting Frequency Quarterly Led By: Glasgow Works/GCC Education Scope: Oversee and approve renewed/revised city-wide and SOA targets focused on reducing youth unemployment Identify and develop joint strategic approaches to contribute towards meeting targets Provide direction to YEGs & TEG on strategic focus of activity; Monitor the progress of YEGs & TEG in achieving locally disaggregated targets Target Groups: o o o o o year olds reaching their school leaving date at risk of not making a successful transition from school (NEET Prevention); year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET Reduction) Young people aged with additional entitlements afforded through ASL Legislation; including Young people aged in and leaving local authority care/ care leavers 3 Area Youth Employability Steering Groups Meeting Frequency Bi-Monthly (YEGs) Meeting Frequency: Quarterly Led By: Head Teachers from the 3 respective geographic areas (North East; North West: South) Scope: Oversee the implementation of city-wide Youth Employability strategy at a local level; Monitor the progress of local Youth Gateway services in achieving locally disaggregated targets and provide direction and support as required Analysis and resulting developmental actions/recommendations to Youth Employability Partnership based on progress reports Provide recommendations to the Youth Employability Partnership on gaps in service provision and common themes/barriers to progress Target Groups: o year olds reaching their school leaving date at risk of not making a successful transition from school (NEET Prevention); o year olds who are not in education, employment or training (NEET Reduction) ASL Transitions YEG Meeting Frequency: Quarterly Led by: Ed Psych Senior Psychologist Scope: Oversee the implementation of city-wide MCMC strategy focusing on equality of access to provision for our most vulnerable young people; Monitor the progress of local Youth Gateway services in achieving locally disaggregated targets in respect of vulnerable groups of young people and provide direction and support as required Provide regular analysis and resulting developmental actions/recommendations based on progress reports Provide recommendations to the MCMC Partnership on gaps in service provision and achieving equality of access to supports for young people who require additional support for learning Target Groups o Young people aged with additional entitlements afforded through ASL Legislation; including o Young people aged in and leaving local authority care/ care leavers

10 YOUTH GATEWAY TEAMS Comprised of: GRA, SDS Key Workers & Careers Advisers, 16+ AA Coaches, 16+ Development Team 1 X YOUTH GATEWAY INFORMATION/DEVELOPMENT TEAM Team Comprised of: 16+ Development Team, SDS Area Manager, GRA Gateway Manager Scope : Co-ordination of service delivery between operational staff; Compilation of quarterly area profile/position reports to the YESGs and Youth Employability Partnership on progress against NP and NR Targets; Development and management of effective data sharing processes making full use of the SDS Data Hub Overseeing and managing the population and full roll-out of the E-Prospectus; including the identification of gaps in service and providing recommendations therein 3 X YOUTH GATEWAY NEET PREVENTION TEAMS: Meerting frequency: Monthly Led by: Shared lead, rotating chair Target Groups Young people aged intending to leave school at the next formal school leaving date at risk of NEET with a specific focus on the following groups o Statutory leavers o All leavers identified as at risk on the GCC Risk Matrix (i.e. High, Medium, Low) without an agreed offer of learning o Young people aged with additional entitlement afforded through ASL Legislation; including o Young people aged in and leaving local authority care/ care leavers Team High Roles: Risk: AA Coach Med Risk: SDS KW Low Risk: GRA Scope: Targets: All Young People: SDS Careers Advice Case allocation & engagement before school leaving date Needs assessment and action planning before school leaving date Access specialist supports for young people with complex barriers to employment/learning Personal and Social Development activity Literacy and Numeracy support Careers Guidance CV Prep and Interview Skills Job tasters and placements Supported progression to formal outcome Progression to RA in work aftercare where appropriate 800 young people per year supported 600 young people supported into a positive destination 3 X YOUTH GATEWAY NEET REDUCTION TEAMS Meeting frequency: Monthly Led by: Shared lead, rotating chair Target Groups: year olds not in education employment or training year olds in receipt of JSA (0-6 Months) Team Roles 16+ SDS Engaged (Including IES): SDS KW 16+ SDS Not Engaged & Unknown Status: GRA All Young People: SDS Careers Advice Scope: Case allocation based and engagement based on Team roles (described above) Liaison with wider MCMC Partners to identify unknown young people Needs assessment and action planning ;Access specialist supports for young people with complex barriers to employment/learning Personal and Social Development activity Literacy and Numeracy support Careers Guidance CV Prep and Interview Skills Job tasters and placements Supported progression to formal outcome Progression to RA in work aftercare where appropriate Targets: 1600 young people per year supported 1200 young people supported into a positive destinations