Work, Benefits and Skills: the role of local

government

Andrew BrooksEconomic Regeneration

19th January 2011

Purpose of Workshop

Show how Lincolnshire County Council has used ESF to add value to skills & training

Highlight partnership working with other Local Authorities

Show the real benefits of this approach Look into the future to see what

opportunities will be available for Local Authorities

What started the ball rolling?

Key aspects

Good previous track record of ESF Delivery prior to 2007

Momentum for increased regional working

Key buy-in at a Chief Exec level at 1st Tier Authorities in the East Midlands

Ability to pull together authorities delivery aspirations

How does it work? Lincolnshire County Council are the

Lead Body within a Consortium Joint Plan produced to engage

support of both National Management Agency (NMA) & Regional Monitoring Committee

Joint Prospectus produced to engage providers

Each participating Local Authority delivers skills & training programme in their sub-regional area

LCC monitors & manages the programme & supports other local authorities in their management of projects

LCC submits claims to NMA

What will the consortium be delivering?

Key outcomes of consortium activity include so far for 2007-10;

Delivery of a £8.4 million programme, drawing down £3.8 million of ESF

Supporting 1,736 individuals back along the road to economic activity & jobs

Delivering the up-skilling of 1,744 participants Developing an active partnership of Local

Authority delivery, and engagement with ESF

What does this mean for the East Midlands Consortium?

Continued support of a £ 3 million ESF previous programme

Ability to engage and participate with other organisations in the delivery of skills & training in the County

Target external funding to ‘add value’ to the local area’s needs

Deliver projects through, in most cases, locally based organisations, that have a local business sector impact

Unique Selling Points

Augmenting mainstream provision Procurement – No approved providers,

prime contracting or minimum contract values

Open & competitive tendering process, in its widest sense

Local providers – Using, wherever possible, local providers to ensure continuity

Links to local strategies & activities

Lincolnshire Example Project – Bridge Farm

Nursery, Spalding Project supporting people

with learning disabilities Support to gain

qualifications of Certificate & NVQ 1 in horticulture

Business Sector supported project, with real life working environment

Lincolnshire Example - 2 Project: Tendering

opportunities for the Third Sector Supporting the Third

Sector Up-skilling

organisations within the sector

Using peer support & delivery mechanisms

Lincolnshire Example - 3 Project – Pre-business start up

Run by Nottingham Business Ventures

Support for people to overcome barriers before think about becoming self employed and/or setting up their own business

‘Escalator’ approach to moving people into mainstream provision

Linked with BSSP model & Business Link

Other Authority Activity

Leicester City Council – BME engagement activity, support for lone parents

Derbyshire County Council – Large support programme for moving people with learning disabilities into paid employment

Derby City Council – Support on worklessness, pre- business start up activity

Key Issues Faced

Engagement of other Local Authorities Ability to find viable match funding

sources Setting of programme areas Ability to explain added value role of Local

Authorities Joint working & procurement processes Audit

So, in summary The consortium has been a national pilot It is plugging local gaps in skills provision

& delivery It engages Local Authorities in the skills

arena with other commissioners Enhances local delivery, using local

providers where applicable Achieved good external audit results for

handling ESF

Delivery

David Smith – Nottingham Business Venture

Case Study – Up Skill Me

Our Vision supporting ESF

Our Challenges Trust Duplication Reach

Our Outcomes

Case Study – Up Skill Me Suzanne joined this program having been

referred to seek advice on how to set up her baby and toddler B2C retail business

Although low in confidence our team were able to provide support, engage with community groups and develop financial tools to help identify the feasibility of her idea.

13 months later, she has now established a successful and growing business through e-bay and Amazon websites, plus a very upmarket website of her own!

Suzanne says “I found the project support very helpful and understanding, it was nice to speak to someone who was very eager to advise me on my business venture. With their expertise I have been able to grow very rapidly!”

Case Study – Up Skill Me After an initial visit, we established that James

has suffered from mental illness since birth and had special needs in his primary education. Finding it hard to concentrate led to a lack of formal training in art which created a barrier to him displaying his artwork at galleries. Therefore, his craft had remained just a hobby.

We provided support, advice, coaching and encouraging them in the ‘up-skilling’ process, which led to their setting up a business offering abstract designs on glass. These products are now sold over their own website and on e-bay to customers across the world. They also sell at local craft fairs, with some of the proceeds being donated to charity. In addition, James buys postcard memorabilia, which he then resells to collectors.

Partnership Working

Roy HarperLincolnshire & Rutland Employment

& Skills Board

Connectivity

Local Employment and Skills partnership LEP / ESB complementary Locally-based practitioners / funders /

providers Articulation of an Employer Voice Local economy, geography, sectors Influence and steer provision, not directly

procure or commission Champion Lincolnshire and Rutland

Employment and Skills Plan 2010

Local differentiation – opportunities and challenges

Rurality and sparsity Pockets of skills deprivation Low employer demand for skills ‘Employment Gateways’ – Coastal / Care /

Retail Local sectors – Agri-food / Polymer

Future

How can Local Authorities influence & provide ‘local

differentiation’

Hypothetical Future???? Given that more funding for skills & training is

becoming more centralised, with contracts being awarded at ever higher minimum levels, what are the opportunities for; Local differentiation – Urban vs Rural models, localism &

local aspirations, travelling patterns Partnership working – Lobbying & strategic direction,

LEP’s, colleges Provider delivery – Prime contracting, minimum contract

levels, local reach & continuity of service, ‘Big Society’