GROWTH UPDATE AND FUNDING: COPELAND WORK AND SKILLS PROGRAMME

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1 Exe GROWTH UPDATE AND FUNDING: COPELAND WORK AND SKILLS PROGRAMME EXECUTIVE MEMBER: LEAD OFFICER: REPORT AUTHOR: Cllr Lena Hogg Julie Betteridge Sarah Mitchell WHAT BENEFITS WILL THESE PROPOSALS BRING TO COPELAND RESIDENTS? The Copeland Work & Skills Programme is designed to support people into employment, training and skills development opportunities. The target audience for the Programme are those that are out of employment or under employed, with the intention of moving them into or closer to work, or into more highly skilled and better paid jobs. The benefit to Copeland residents will be that those targeted by the programme will gain new skills, become employed or more employable and wider residents will benefit from the increased economic activity in the Borough. WHY HAS THIS REPORT COME TO THE EXECUTIVE? (e.g. Key Decision, Policy recommendation for Full Council, at request of Council, etc.) The Work and Skills Programme will have a real impact on supporting improvements in skills and employment in the Borough. The Executive are being requested to agree to receive and spend the grant offer of 92,217 from the recently successful Copeland Community Fund application and to note their role as Project Sponsor and Lead Partner for the Work & Skills Programme. RECOMMENDATIONS: Executive are requested to: a) Note the Work and Skills Partnership progress, including the recent research on gaps and priorities that the Council has commissioned from CRED. b) Agree to receive and spend CCF funding of 92,217 over 3 years. c) Note that the Council is acting as Project Sponsor and Lead Partner for the Copeland Work & Skills Programme. 3

2 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 The Copeland Work and Skills Programme will be an important contribution in closing Cumbria s skills gaps and defining the role of local partners in tackling Copeland s particular needs around upskilling local people and increasing employment. The Copeland Work & Skills Partnership has been in place since 2009, working to deliver funded projects and increase joint working. The Partnership has identified key priorities in the Borough for immediate funding, as well as longer-term needs that have the potential to be addressed through a series of coordinated approaches. 1.2 In December 2015, Copeland Borough Council, on behalf of the Work & Skills Partnership, commissioned the Centre for Regional Economic Development (CRED) at the University of Cumbria to research current and future gaps in work and skills provision and funding in Copeland providing evidence to support an application to Copeland Community Fund against immediate needs and to consider potential for the Partnership to deliver against future needs, drawing down other funding sources such as European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF). 1.3 Within a similar timescale the LEP has also produced its Skills Investment Plan ( ) for Cumbria, which highlights a set of key targets for the Employment and Skills Commission to achieve by The Copeland Work and Skills review undertaken by CRED highlights the implications for Copeland partners in working to achieve an increase in qualifications to level 2 or above and employment rates to 78% by 2020, which are two of the targets adopted by the LEP. The CCF programme will help partners to start to meet local needs and the targets that are being set at Cumbria level and the CRED report also highlights further collaborative schemes for the Copeland Work & Skills Partnership to consider in evolving this work. 1.4 The Council has taken a lead in terms of supporting the Work and Skills agenda in Copeland, towards upskilling local residents and supporting them to gain employment. The Council has previously run schemes around apprenticeships with Lakes College and targeted work with Future Jobs Fund, and this is a key priority within the Council s Corporate Plan. The Council also supports the Centre of Nuclear Excellence (CoNE) Skills Task Force and works with Sellafield Ltd and their supply chain on initiatives including West Cumbria Works and Creating Careers in Cumbria. The critical issue for the Borough aligned to the nuclear sector is both re-skilling and up-skilling to meet the needs of nuclear new build and de-risk the Moorside project, enabling sustainable economic growth. 1.5 The Copeland Work & Skills Programme will support these agendas by providing early interventions, as well as the co-ordination and framework under which detailed projects and the wider programme can be developed. 4

3 2 PROPOSALS 2.1 The Programme is a pro-active approach, which wouldn t be progressing without Council leadership, to deliver against local needs through coordinating partner interventions as part of strategic delivery. CBC is working closely with DWP to develop this approach, as the latter see it as a model that could be rolled out elsewhere in Cumbria. 2.2 The CCF Programme provides both: immediate delivery against key priorities that have been identified by partners and supported by evidence from CBC s commission with CRED, supported through CBC and CCF funds. longer term delivery further supported by evidence from CBC s commission to draw in future funding and facilitate joint approaches between partners towards increasing employment and skills levels within the Borough. 2.3 The Programme sits within the existing Work & Skills Framework, which is focused on the agreed three key strands: Pre-employment providing support to those that are furthest from the job market, including those that are economically inactive or have been out of employment for some time; Into-employment providing support to those that just need some key skills or experience to enable them to successfully apply for and secure employment, and In-employment providing up-skilling or re-skilling for those that are underemployed, made redundant, or need support to progress within a career or change careers. 2.4 The Programme costs allow for a Programme Manager to deliver the projects and coordinate the Partnership, with key projects shown below. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total Salary & Office costs 39,078 39,677 40, ,044 Project Costs, inc: 37,000 40,000 34, ,500 IAG/ Mentor NVQ 3/4 Sector based schemes Employability Fund Area based subsidy (apprenticeships) Research support 76,078 79,677 74, ,544 The projects delivered through the programme will be expanded in accordance with further partner engagement and the availability of additional funding. Monitoring will allow contributing partners to meet evidenced needs in Copeland and support LEP targets. 5

4 2.5 In summary, this Programme will meet three major needs in Copeland: to provide immediate funding support against identified and evidenced priorities to support local people into employment, as well as providing a platform for future funding submissions; to provide leadership and co-ordination to facilitate the development of joint schemes in the Borough, and to create a framework for the monitoring and evaluation of partners contributions to increasing employment and local skills levels as part of the wider Cumbria LEP delivery. 3 CONCLUSIONS 3.1 The Work & Skills Programme is a key priority for the Borough and the Council in supporting residents into employment and raising skills levels in Copeland. It will set the framework for partnership delivery, linking locally led schemes into the strategic programmes set by Cumbria LEP and CoNE, supporting future growth and sustainable development. 4 STATUTORY OFFICER COMMENTS (IF APPLICABLE) 4.1 The Monitoring Officer s comments are: Provided that there are no onerous conditions attached to the CCF grant no further legal issues arise. 4.2 The Section 151 Officer s comments are: This money has been awarded to Copeland Borough Council by the Copeland Community Fund. It is the Council s responsibility to manage the project within the overall budget detailed in this report. 4.3 EIA Comments: The projects within the programme are being designed to increase access to employment and skills development opportunities through focusing on addressing barriers associated with social and financial inclusion and isolation, plus targeting areas with high levels of economic inactivity. All venues used in delivering the programme will be assessed for accessibility and to meet the needs of the projects. 4.4 Policy Framework: The Work & Skills Programme supports the Councils stated values to work with partners, be cost effective and treat everyone equally, fairly and with respect. The Programme underpins Ambition 3 in the Corporate Strategy Employment, Skills and Social Wellbeing and will support the delivery of the Strategic Outcome, to attract businesses and professionals to Copeland and retain our talented young people, through working with partners to support the most vulnerable. 6

5 4.5 Other Consultee comments, if any: Through the CRED commission, this work has been extensively consulted with members of the Work & Skills Partnership (listed in Appendix A), plus the LEP and Sellafield Ltd. 5 HOW WILL THE PROPOSALS BE PROJECT MANAGED AND HOW ARE THE RISKS GOING TO BE MANAGED? 5.1 The development of the Work & Skills programme is being managed by the Economic Development team, as part of the Growth Directorate. A risk register is in place and key risks have been identified as delivering to cost and time, plus ensuring appropriate stakeholder engagement. 5.2 A programme officer will be recruited to manage the programme and this is budgeted as part of the CCF application. A Project Management Plan with detailed Business Case is in place and this will be delivered against and monitored by the officer recruited. 6 RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS 6.1 The CCF funding is a revenue grant over 3 years against agreed delivery and outputs, which are outlined below under 7.1. The grant conditions are standard funding requirements with payment on delivery. The CBC match funding is being delivered through existing and identified regeneration resources. 7 WHAT MEASUREABLE OUTCOMES OR OUTPUTS WILL ARISE FROM THIS REPORT? 7.1 The CCF funded programme will create one new job; 6 new IAG workers qualified to NVQ level 3/4; 45 candidates with improved employability through a sector based scheme; 45 individuals helped to secure employment, education or training and 10 individuals supported to gain nationally recognised qualifications. 7.2 In addition, the Work & Skills Programme will deliver added value from coordination and shared learning; increased clarity on the pathways into employment in Copeland; more targeted provision and closer links between employers requirements and skills development. 7

6 List of Appendices: Appendix A: Members of the Copeland Work & Skills Partnership Copeland Borough Council Dept. of Work & Pensions Cumbria County Council Lakes College Gen2 Inspira Howgill Children s and Family Centre Works 4 You Ltd Phoenix Enterprise Centre Millom Network Centre Home Group Impact Housing Cumbria CVS Citizen s Advice Bureau 8