Making it work for London
A
principal aim of the LSEB strategy is to join-up and simplify the
network of skills and employment programmes across the Capital. We
also want national training and workplace services, wherever possible,
to have a degree of flexibility so we can tailor them to meet the
specific needs of London and Londoners.
One example of this is the way we successfully positioned funding for the Skills for Jobs programme. While this is a national Learning and Skills Council (LSC) offer, during 2008/09 we made a convincing case for extra funding to help us increase London’s pre-employment services part of the provision.
Centred mainly on Jobcentre Plus Local Employer Partnerships, this funding is helping people learn new skills for available job opportunities in their area. Half of payments to training providers link to not only placing people in work, but also for them staying in work.
Making access to skills inclusive
As well as Local Employer Partnerships, some Skills for Jobs projects are aimed at people with specific circumstances who often face barriers to employment.
Organisations with specialist knowledge and networks helped us form contact with our target markets. The Leonard Cheshire organisation is working with people with learning difficulties or disabilities. Another project helps ex-offenders into employment.
Support during downturn
More recently, as the UK entered recession, the LSC started offering extra provision and interventions up and down the country, including them under the Skills for Jobs brand.
In partnership with Jobcentre Plus, these programmes aim to give workplace training support to people most at risk of long-term unemployment. There is a six-month offer, a programme of vocational skills training for jobseekers unemployed for six months or longer, and the Young Person’s Guarantee (YPG) for 18-24 year olds.
The European Social Fund (ESF) also supports a Response to Redundancy programme, helping employers, their employees at risk of redundancy, and those recently made unemployed, with offers of up-skilling and retraining. We are using all these programmes to help tackle the effects of recession in London, and prepare the Capital for economic recovery.
Stronger partnerships
Alan McChleery, Skills Development Manager at the Learning and Skills Council comments: “Within London it’s helpful to have LSEB setting out a clearer strategy for how we can work better with Jobcentre Plus and our provider partners to combine and merge our services. Where possible we want to present a single offer to employers and individuals seeking our help.
“Between our organisations there is now a clearer common purpose about what is happening and what needs action. There is more progress to make, but we’ve come a long way.
“Having a chunk of funding attached to people getting and keeping jobs is also new ground for many LSC providers. Giving greater weight to this objective helps shift their perspective. We are now linking our work more closely to improving the economy and local labour markets by giving people opportunities to learn skills that lead to lasting employment.”
Key facts:
More information: |