Bedfordshire Hertfordshire Provider Network Welcome Bedfordshire Hertfordshire Provider

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Welcome Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Wednesday 25 th September 2013

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Mark Pike Chair of the Network

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Lynne Tabone Education Funding Agency

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network DWP Update Jane Devlin and Steve Perry 25 September 2013

Themes • Center Parcs • Work Experience and Sector Based Work Academy (sbwa) • Traineeships • Your Business Our Business • JSA Register Across Beds & Herts 5 Department for Work and Pensions

Center Parcs Department for Work and Pensions

Center Parcs – Woburn Village • Major recruitment now underway in three tranche’s (July to Sept, Oct to Nov and Dec to Jan) to secure employees for 1, 347 posts. • Largest single vacancy launched over the weekend of 21/22 nd September – 400 Housekeeping Assistants (9. 5 hours pw). • Pre-Employment Training Tender exercise complete – Awarded jointly to Hospitality Industry Training (HIT) and North Hertfordshire College (NHC). • Pre –Employment Training set to commence w/c 30/09/13 with delivery planned to go through to December 2013. 7 Department for Work and Pensions

Work Experience and sector Based Work Academies (sbwa) Department for Work and Pensions

Work Experience and Sector Based Work Academies • We need your support • Sbwa – Biggleswade, Borehamwood, Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans, Stevenage and Waltham Cross • Work Experience - Bedford, Hemel Hempstead, Leighton Buzzard, Waltham Cross and Watford. 9 Department for Work and Pensions

Traineeships Department for Work and Pensions

Traineeships What is a Traineeship? Traineeships are: • Voluntary opportunities, which can last between 6 weeks and a maximum of six months. • Designed to help move young people aged 16 -23 (and 364 days) into Apprenticeships, sustainable employment or other opportunities. • • • Comprised of up to 3 elements; Work Placement, English and maths for YPs who have not achieved a GCSE A-C or equivalent (level 2) or level 3 for 16 -18 yr olds. Work preparation training to include interview preparation, CV writing & jobsearch. • • 11 This will amount to approximately 30 hours per week. Department for Work and Pensions

Traineeships Who is eligible to participate? JSA and UC claimants living in England who: • Are aged 16 -23 years old from August 2013 and • Have qualifications below Level 2 (or a full level 3 for 16 -18 year olds) and • Have little or no work history and • Are motivated by the prospect of work and • Are close to the labour market. Participating Providers Traineeships will be available via Training Providers who have achieved an “Outstanding” or “Good” OFSTED report (Grade 1 or 2) and wish to participate. 12 Department for Work and Pensions

Traineeships How are Traineeships structured? 13 • Providers should design Traineeships to fit within existing benefit rules, to allow claimants to participate without impacting their benefit. This will be discussed with Partnership Managers in agreeing the Traineeship. • Partnership Mgrs will agree a delivery model where the training element is for up to 16 hours per week. No additional DWP funding is available to support Traineeships. • Fares, Childcare and additional support costs are funded by the provider via the £ 180 million Bursary Fund for 16 -19 year olds and the Discretionary Learner Support arrangements for 19 -24 year olds. Department for Work and Pensions

Your Business Our Business Department for Work and Pensions

OFFER……. YOUR BUSINESS: OUR BUSINESS Employer Product The YB: OB Employer Product can be used both as an initial introduction to our services and as a reminder of what we can OFFER to employers we have recently engaged with. The links within the Product itself provide further information about our services. The Product is now available on gov. uk. Please make employers aware that they can access the leaflet from gov. uk and consider emailing the URL below, directly to them: (https: //www. gov. uk/government/public ations/how-jobcentre-plus-can-helpemployers). If you decide to print off and hand the leaflet to the employer, please note that it's possible type in your local contact details at the bottom before printing. 15 Your Business: Our Business Department for Work and Pensions

JSA Register Department for Work and Pensions

JSA Register for Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire District Bedford Biggleswade Borehamwood Hatfield H Hempstead Hertford L Buzzard Letchworth Dunstable Luton St Albans Stevenage Waltham Cross Watford 17 Aug 2012 32, 295 4, 805 1, 055 860 1, 935 2, 115 1, 545 855 1, 820 --7, 875 1, 595 2, 440 1, 995 3, 395 Aug 2013 28, 375 4, 315 950 785 1, 845 1, 860 1, 315 775 1, 635 --6, 500 1, 405 2, 150 1, 780 3, 065 Department for Work and Pensions

Snapshot of the Central Bedfordshire Economy Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Provider Network 25 th September 2013 Kate Mc. Farlane, Head of Community Regeneration and Adult Skills Victoria Dale, Economic Partnership and Policy Officer Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

What we want to cover • Summary of the 2013 Local Economic Assessment (LEA) key findings • How the Council is responding to the LEA • Your views Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

1. Introduction • Objective: pulls together a wide range of evidence of issues affecting the local economy for residents, businesses and the area. Methodology: • Quantitative and qualitative research including APS, IDBR, BRES, Business Survey and Labour Market research on barriers to employment, • Direct input from key teams across the Council (writing sections and providing data and feedback) • Extensive consultation with external partners whose work impacts upon the local economy and the Council’s work to support local economy. • Publication: now published on the Council’s website: www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk/economy and will shortly promote in Members Bulletin, Staff Central, Ezine (thematic partnership), Let’s Talk Business, direct to key partners, local press, SEMLEP and local authority partners, development of info graphic, CMT and Member engagement. Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

2. Local Economic Assessment 2013 -key findings Jobs growth vs. population growth rate • Central Bedfordshire’s population has grown by approximately 20, 700 people, a faster rate than England is forecasted to grow by a further 31, 700 by 2021. • Jobs growth rate (700 jobs in 2011) is not keeping pace with population growth rate and is well below Council’s target of 1, 350 jobs per year. • Gap between residents and workers earnings is widening: average resident earnings £ 560 per week versus average workers earnings £ 458 per week. • Level of out commuting remains high however number of jobs per resident remains low (0. 65 per resident) hence low GVA per head (£ 15, 251). • Biggest sectors by 2031: Professional Services (15, 300), Education (14, 400), Construction (13, 800) and Retail (11, 500). Self employment • Level of entrepreneurialism has been declining and self employment and business start up rate have both decreased in the past year. Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

3. Local Economic Assessment 2013 -key findings Skills • Skills shortages remain an issue for businesses (44%) with most commonly cited: communication, job specific and customer service. • Agriculture, transport and storage, accommodation and food services and finance and insurance more likely to report skills shortages. • Digital literacy is a key skill reported by local businesses and employment support providers as an issue. • Skills attainment has fallen across most NVQ Levels 1 -4 and higher percentage (9. 6%) of working age population with no qualifications since 2006. • Around half of the total required employment will ask for HND level and above. • Apprenticeship numbers are growing but starting from a low base. • Under half of businesses cite no current business need as main reason for not taking on an apprentice. Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

4. Local Economic Assessment 2013 -key findings Labour Market • Employment rate fell during 2012 to 74. 2% in December 2012 (below our Medium Term target of 5% above national rate) whilst number of people economically inactive and not looking for work increased with main reason to look after family/home. • Unemployment rate whilst still low increased during 2012 to 6. 3% in December 2012. • Female and youth unemployment rates remain above pre-recession levels. • Childcare, cost of public transport and attitudes of providers remain a barrier to work for young people and women. • Fewer people aged 65 years old and over remain in employment than in 2011. • Over half of working age population employed in managerial/professional occupations. • The largest occupation employment by 2020 will be for managers and senior officials, professional occupations, and associate professional and technical occupations. Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

5. Our Response – using the LEA • Resource deployment • Used to determine Adult Skills & Community Learning (ASCL) commissioning priorities • Basis for pilot activity – eg hospitality sector • Evidence base for external funding Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

6. Your Views…… 1. Does what you’ve heard sound familiar to you or is this new ? 2. What can we do to address the issues raised ? 3. What are we already doing to address it ? 4. Do you want to be involved in helping us to pull together next year’s Local Economic Assessment? If so, how would you like to be involved ? Central Bedfordshire Council www. centralbedfordshire. gov. uk

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Skills Funding Agency Update (Read by Mark Pike)

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Chris Watson & Dan Yusuf YES Education & Training

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Break 11: 00 – 11: 15

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Anna Morrison Network Update September

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Group Activity: Responding to the Apprenticeship Funding Reform Consultation

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network Three proposed models: 1. Direct Payment Model: Businesses register Apprentices and report claims for government funding through a new online system. Government funding is then paid directly into their bank account. 2. PAYE Payment Model: Businesses register Apprentices through a new online system. They then recover government funding through their PAYE return. 3. Provider Payment Model: Government funding continues to be paid to training providers, but they can only draw it down when they have received the employer’s financial contribution towards training.

Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Provider Network On each of your tables please discuss: 1. What could be the advantages and disadvantages of each of the proposed models? 2. Would businesses be willing to negotiate the price of training with providers, and what would help them to do this? 3. Would the funding principles outlined here raise the quality of training, and its relevance and responsiveness to businesses’ needs? Why not? 4. What would be the impact of these funding principles on the experience for Apprentices themselves? Please nominate a scribe and a spokesperson