Scrutiny Committee
Meeting to be held on 13 September 2013
Electoral Division affected:
All
Skills for Work:
Lancashire’s Skills Agenda; Youth Skills and Employment Framework;
Apprenticeships and Employment Programmes
(Appendices 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' and 'E' refer)
Contact for further information:
Eddie Sutton: Assistant Chief Executive, Lancashire County Council (01772
535171)
Executive Summary
This report sets out the current context and policy framework for delivery of
workforce skills development in Lancashire. In addition, it sets out the detail of
Lancashire’s Youth Employment Strategic Framework, currently led by the Learning
and Skills Team of the county council’s Young Peoples’ Service.
A detailed, up to date progress report is also provided on specifically the £10m
Apprenticeships and Employment Programmes of the county council, including the
Ex-Service Personnel Mentoring in Schools Programme.
Recommendation
n/a
Strategic Context
Improving the skills of the Lancashire workforce and addressing issues relating to
youth unemployment have been identified as key economic priorities for Lancashire.
It has long been recognised that if Lancashire is to achieve its growth ambitions, it is
vital we have a workforce with the skills required by business.
At its inception, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) commissioned a highlevel review of economic priorities. This work identified skills as being a necessary
component of the LEP Board's focus if it was to achieve economic success.
Consequently a private sector Board Champion for Skills was identified and a
Lancashire Skills Board has recently been established. The current Skills Champion
of the LEP is Owen McLaughlin (for CV see:
http://www.lancashirelep.co.uk/about/?siteid=6441&pageid=38386&e=e ). Members
of the Lancashire Skills Board are currently in the process of developing a
Lancashire Skills Plan with clear priorities and which will better align the supply of
skills with current and emerging skills demands in Lancashire. It is anticipated that
the Plan will be ready from Autumn 2013.
With regards young people, in order to maximise our resources and the impact on
our young people, a more co-ordinated approach within the services offered by LCC
has been developed. The Director for Universal and Early Support Services is now
the single point of contact for youth employment within the council and the YPS
Learning and Skills Team have taken the corporate lead on this agenda. A crossdirectorate internal working group has been created consisting of all service areas
involved in this approach.
Through a combination of local and county wide analysis followed by an external
consultation exercise a number of key issues for Lancashire have been identified.
These issues have formed the strategic objectives and underpinning actions for
Lancashire's 'Youth Employment Strategic Framework' (YESF). The framework
describes the shared youth employment priorities for Lancashire and is attached at
Appendix A.
Local partnership activity and collaboration is key to addressing youth employment
and no new structures will be responsible for delivering the YESF objectives. The
varying partnership models in existence across the county must work together to
deliver against these objectives and improve outcomes for Lancashire's young
people.
From its strategic position the County Council's contribution to this agenda is as
follows:
 Youth Employment is a key strategic priority for the County Council with
activity supporting this agenda embedded within County Council services
 The County Council provides a range of services to young people and
employers and has specific targets within this work to support unemployed
young people
 The County Council will continue to provide strategic analysis to support
partners working with young people and employers
 The County Council will continue to seek resources to support this agenda
and where appropriate look to influence provision for these groups
 The County Council will work with existing partners and partnerships to
influence and develop their response to this agenda
£10 million Investment: Apprenticeships and Employment Programmes
One Connect Limited was commissioned to use its capacity (and expertise) to
improve the skills of the workforce and increase individual's opportunities to move
from benefits into work with a focus on 16 – 24 year olds. The County Council
wanted to maximise its contribution to promoting Employment Programmes and
Apprenticeships not only as key employer within the Lancashire economy, but also
as Community and Economic Leaders.
Following a Cabinet Report in June 2012 the Employment and Support Team were
commissioned to deliver a £10million, five year programme. The programmes were
to help to support local economic growth and promote jobs across Lancashire. The
Fund was also to support 5000 young people (over 5 years).
The Employment and Support Team already took a lead as an ambassador on
behalf of the National Apprenticeship Service, within both the public and private
sector on a local, regional and national basis. The approach and Employment
Programmes designed and delivered by Employment and Support Team have been
promoted nationally by the National Apprenticeship Service as best practice as
considered very cost effective with outstanding success. The work of the
Employment and Support Team and its Employment and Apprenticeship
Programmes being acknowledged by winning the National Apprenticeship Service
North West Regional Macro Employer of the Year Award in 2011 alongside a range
of other national awards since 2009 to date. In June 2012, the Cabinet committed to
invest £10 million pounds over a five year period (2012-2017) to support 5000 young
people through a range of programmes with identified pathways within both the
public and the private sector. The financial investment being allocated as follows:
£5 million to support the County Council's own workforce development by creating a
broad range of Professional Apprentice and Trainee roles across all areas; with the
funding being utilised to fund salary and training costs of those appointed.
£5 million to be used to deliver the range of Employment Programmes outlined
below in the public and private sector across Lancashire; in addition to the
Professional Apprentice and Trainee roles.
The delivery plans and progress to date was presented at the meeting of the
Scrutiny committee on the 12 October 2012. Appendix B is the report of the meeting
and Appendix C a note of the minutes.
£3m Investment – Ex Service Personnel Mentoring in Schools Programme
Addressing issues relating to the ongoing staffing reductions within the Armed
Forces with significant numbers of ex service personnel currently returning and
expected to return to Lancashire in the next few years. There is an acknowledged
need on a national, regional and local basis to support those Lancashire Ex Service
Personnel to retrain and move to different employment roles within the Lancashire
economy. In addition, it is acknowledged that some Ex Service Personnel due to the
roles they have undertaken whilst in the Armed Forces have significant experience
and ability in mentoring others and that within Lancashire schools we have some
pupils who would benefit from that additional support.
In October 2012, the Employment and Support Team became responsible for the
County Council's commitment to deliver the £3 million investment for Ex Service
Personnel Mentors in Schools Programme. This fund is to support a minimum of 50
ex service personnel retrain to become mentors within Lancashire schools
supporting 1,500 year 9, 10 and 11 pupils who have been identified by their
respective Pastoral Care Leads as requiring some mentoring support to improve
attendance, behaviour and or attainment.
The delivery plans and progress to date was presented at the meeting of the
Scrutiny committee on the 6 November 2012. Appendix D is the report of the
meeting and Appendix E a note of the minutes.
Delivery to date
Each Programme is reviewed in turn.
£10 million Investment – Apprenticeships and Employment Programmes
A work programme was agreed with targets set.
Agreed Priorities for Year One: 2012/2013
As the mandate to proceed was agreed in June 2012 (at the end of Quarter One of
2012/2013) it was agreed that 2012/2013 would be a start up year and that the
priorities or Year One were to be:






Increase current provision.
Deliver 670 new opportunities 2012/2013.
Continue to manage and increase current caseload.
Increase staffing resource.
Create new programmes to meet the expectations of the County Council by
the end of 2012/2013.
Undertake required procurement for some aspects of delivery with training
providers and partners.
The Employment and Support Team achieved or exceeded all six year one priorities
with:



885 new opportunities being achieved.
In addition to managing an ongoing current caseload of between 800- 900
young people at any one time.
The ongoing caseload increasing as the new opportunities increase:
2012/2013
New Work
2012/2013
Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter
1
2
3
4
WorkStart Suite
83
106
71
90
350
Apprenticeships
99
120
61
50
330
2012/2013
New Work
2012/2013
Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter
1
2
3
4
Suite
Future Horizons
Suite
29
21
27
22
99
Work
Experience
16
36
13
12
77
Duke of
Edinburgh
0
0
0
17
17
Graduates
0
12
0
0
12
227
295
172
191
885
Total
Table 3.1: New Employment Programmes Opportunities Delivered 2012/2013.
Apprenticeships
The Employment and Support team is currently supporting (as at June 2013) over
340 Apprentices within Lancashire County Council across 19 different
Apprenticeship frameworks covering; Health and Social Care, Customer Service to
Highway Operatives.
Professional Apprenticeships/ Trainees
The Professional Apprenticeships/Trainee programme aims to enhance the current
provision by developing a professional career pathway from apprenticeship through
to degree level and above, in areas of skill shortages and/or hard to fill positions. To
date 32 new Professional Apprentices and Trainees roles have been advertised to
young people with up to another 68 scheduled to follow.
Introduction to Apprenticeships
The Employment and Support Team has designed and implemented a new
Programme called Introduction to Apprenticeships which offers Year 11 school pupils
the option of a Level One qualification with a local employer, one day a week out of
school.
WorkStart
WorkStart and WorkStart 4 Graduates are up to an eight week work placement
devised by the Employment and Support Team in partnership with Jobcentre Plus.
These placements have an inbuilt pathway progression into employment
opportunities across the public and the private sector.
The programme helps young people (aged 18 – 24 years old) who are actively
seeking work and have been claiming lone parent, employment and support
allowance or Job Seekers Allowance.
WorkStart helps people to get back to work by offering placements so they can
update their skills, gain experience and improve their confidence. Placements are in
Lancashire County Council, our district partners, a business in our supply chain or a
selected private sector company.
In preparation for this Report a request was made for comments to be received from
Job Centre Plus regarding their view of WorkStart. The response received was:
"The Employment and Support Team, specifically with regard to WorkStart, are a
very valued and key partner to Jobcentre Plus. The partnership has continued to
develop extensively over the last 7 years and we are jointly able to offer continued
support to local unemployed young people throughout Lancashire.
The partnership between Jobcentre Plus and the Employment and Support Team
has been extremely successful, enabling young people to move either into
employment, or closer to the labour market through the on-going support offered
through WorkStart.
The team visit Jobcentre's right across Lancashire on a weekly basis and have
forged strong links with Jobcentre Plus front line staff and advisors. They have also
attended many Adviser meetings sharing work opportunities and updates to maintain
this excellent partnership. providing an overview of Apprenticeships, WorkStart and
Future Horizons opportunities in LCC, District partners and Businesses. The person
centred approach and joined up working between the two organisations, has
continued to help economic growth and encourage more people into work across
Lancashire
This relationship has also provided an opportunity for a Jobcentre Plus Adviser to
work at LCC for 18 months on detached duty from Job Centre Plus, to be part of the
Employment and Support team. This has resulted in a much stronger partnership
between the two organisations, enhancing working practices for both organisations
whilst continuing to assist the citizens of Lancashire on a pathway into work.
Jobcentre Plus Advisers are continually promoting the County Council as a positive
step towards employment for all 16-24 year olds and WorkStart is often the first
pathway advisors consider when looking at opportunities for their customers. The
success of this collaboration has helped over 277 young people in 2012/13 and 131
young people in the current year from April – July 2013 to participate in WorkStart
opportunities throughout Lancashire."
Future Horizons (Pre-apprenticeships/Traineeships)
Future Horizons, is the pre-apprenticeship/Traineeship programme for young people
aged 16-18 who are not in education, training or employment, and includes children
looked after and those leaving care.
Future Horizons comprises of up to a 15 week tailored programme during which
candidates work with our Training Providers to improve their employability skills,
gaining vocational qualifications. Through the programme they commence a work
experience placement at across the broader public and private sector. Following this
there is an inbuilt pathway progression into employment opportunities across the
public and the private sector.
Introduction to Future Horizons
A new programme has been piloted and is now an offer that could be rolled out in
the Alternative and Complementary Education Residential Service. Introduction to
Future Horizons offers a work experience placement in either private or public sector
dependent on the needs and requirements of the young people.
Graduate Management Programme
The Employment and Support Team also manages the County Council's Graduate
Programme.
Private Business Programmes
There is now a stronger focus supporting Lancashire's businesses within the
Employment and Support team by supporting businesses to recruit the talent of the
future by offering a bespoke service with a dedicated officer for the private sector.
Within the Apprenticeship, Future Horizons and WorkStart suites is an "'@ Your
Business" strand which alongside securing placements and employment/
apprenticeship opportunities for young people provides that business with bespoke
Human Resources advice, independent advice and guidance on training
opportunities including Apprenticeships and available grants employers can access.
Business in the Community
Part of the commitment made in June 2012 was to support Education and Business
Links with the aim of bringing 100 young people together with local employers and
the 'Business Class' model supports this learning. The Employment and Support
Team in partnership with the County Council's Economic Development Service have
commissioned Business in the Community to support this work. This work will
commence Autumn term 2013.
Year Two Delivery (2013/2014)
At the end of Quarter One the Employment and Support Team is on track to deliver
1100 opportunities for young people across Lancashire.
Year Three, Four and Five Delivery (2014-2017)
The Employment and Support Team is on track to deliver the 5000 opportunities for
young people across Lancashire.
£3 Million Investment: Ex Service Personnel Mentoring in Schools Programme
In October 2012, the Cabinet committed to invest £3 million pounds over a five year
period (2012-2017) to support a minimum of 50 ex service personnel retrain to
become mentors within Lancashire schools supporting 1,500 year nine, ten and
eleven pupils who have been identified by their respective Pastoral Care Leads as
requiring some mentoring support to improve attendance, behaviour and or
attainment.
The financial investment being used to pay; the salaries, travel, training costs and
promotion of the programme to both the ex service personnel and Lancashire
schools.
Agreed Priorities for Year One – 2012/2013
As the mandate to proceed was agreed in October 2012 (at the start of Quarter
Three of 2012-13) it was agreed that 2012-2013 was a start up year and that the
priorities or Year One were to:









Design the programme in line with all safeguarding and other requirements.
Deliver a pilot programme 2012-2013.
Recruit, train, place and talent manage pilot group of mentors into schools in
the Hyndburn and Pendle areas.
Recruit an ex service personnel to build staffing resource within the team to
coordinate and run the programme.
Create a mainstreamed programmes to meet the expectations of the County
Council by the end of 2012-2013.
Undertake required procurement for some aspects of delivery with training
providers and partners.
Develop engagement and partnerships with schools for the subsequent
programme delivery in years two, three, four and five (2013-2017).
Promote and mainstream the programme Lancashire wide from year two.
Deliver effective mentoring and other agreed interventions with year nine, ten,
eleven pupils who have been identified by their respective Pastoral Care
Leads as requiring some additional mentoring support to improve their
attendance, behaviour and attainment.
The Employment and Support Team achieved or exceeded all nine year one
priorities with four ex service personnel currently within the pilot group working to
date with 101 Year nine, ten and eleven pupils delivering 828 recorded mentoring or
other agreed interventions with respective Pastoral Care Leads:
Client
Group
Mentors
Young
People
Year to
Date
Current
Caseload
4
4
Mentoring Sessions
Interventions Delivered to
Date
828
42
59
Table 3.2: Mentor and Young People Caseload.
Skill Force
A formal procurement contract for years (two to five) of the Programme has been
awarded to Skill Force for the duration of the Programme (supporting a 45 ex service
personnel post recruitment).
Pilot Group (2012/13 intake)
Four Mentors currently employed:
 Three schools in Hyndburn.
 One school in Pendle.
Year Two Delivery New Cohort (2013/14 intake)
To date 18 new mentors have been recruited to commence in September 2013. The
confirmed school locations agreed to date are (this includes the 4 existing pilot
schools):
School Location
Number of mentors
Chorley
1
Lancaster
1
Pendle
3
Preston
4
South Ribble
2
Hyndburn
3
West Lancashire
2
Wyre
2
Total
18
Table 3.3: School Locations and Number of Mentors
Year Three, Four and Five Delivery (2014-2017)
The Employment and Support Team is on track to deliver the 50 employment
opportunities for ex service personnel supporting 1,500 Year nine, ten and 11 pupils
across Lancashire.
Summary
The Employment and Support Team has:





Exceeded all Year One priorities and targets with regard to the £10 million
and £3 million investment proposals for 2012/2017.
Recruited to meet delivery requirements for 2012/2017.
Entered into a range of procurement and partner arrangements to support
delivery 2012/2017 in specialist areas (Business in the Community and Skill
Force).
Full delivery plans in place for 2013/2017 meeting the targets set.
Arrangements in place that will ensure that they are fully on track to meet all
commitments.
A summary of 'Performance against Target' is:
2012/2013
Target
2012/2013
Delivered
WorkStart Suite
250
350
Apprenticeships Suite
250
330
Future Horizons Suite
80
99
Work Experience
60
77
Duke of Edinburgh
18
17
Graduates
12
12
Ex-service Mentors
Retained on Programme
4
4
Description
Table 4.1: Summary of Performance against Target
Consultations
N/A
Implications:
This item has the following implications, as indicated:
Risk management
N/A for information only.
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