Skills digest
Our summary of policy and publications, announcements and appointments
from recent months
New Coalition Government – key publications
- The Coalition agreement:
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
/media/409088/pfg_coalition.pdf - The Budget:
www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/junebudget_complete.pdf - The Skills Funding Agency funding letter:
www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corporate/docs/s/10-1013-sfa-funding-letter-2010-11.pdf
New Coalition Government – key speeches
- David Cameron’s speech to Civil Service Live
www.number10.gov.uk/news/speeches-and-transcripts/2010/07/pms-speech-at-civil-service-live-53064 - Vince Cable's speech to Cass Business School
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=413641&NewsAreaID=2 - John Hayes' speech to City and Islington College (new freedoms for
colleges)
http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=413905&NewsAreaID=2
- Iain Duncan Smith's speech (welfare for the 21st century)
www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/ministers-speeches/2010/27-05-10.shtml - Chris Grayling's address to welfare providers
www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/ministers-speeches/2010/02b-06-10.shtml - Lord Freud's address to welfare providers
www.dwp.gov.uk/newsroom/ministers-speeches/2010/02-06-10.shtml
Documents for consultation
Skills Minister John Hayes has invited employers, individuals, colleges and training organisations to share their ideas on how they would like the future of skills policy organised.
The consultation document Skills for Sustainable Growth outlines the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS’) vision for skills and expectations of what the main parts of the strategy will contain.
A second, complementary consultation, FE and Skills Funding System and Methodology for Further Education colleges and training organisations, follows an independent review by Chris Banks, CBE.
The documents invite views on:
- Making best use of private investment in skills to allow more effective direction of public money to areas of greatest need.
- Where to target more limited public investment and how skills provision can be simpler yet effective.
- How to improve support for individuals and employers, developing skills and learning and meeting the needs of the economy.
- How to encourage businesses to take part in supporting local community learning.
- Holding colleges and other training organisations to account for their performance in responding to learners and employers needs, and setting priorities for training that add real economic value.
The closing date for responses to both consultations is 14 October 2010.
Following the speech by Iain Duncan – Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, DWP has launched a consultation on welfare reform, 21st Century Welfare, which closes 1 October 2010.
A related consultation on the Work Programme, designed to support people find work, has now closed. DWP have subsequently published details of the Framework for the Provision of Employment Related Services within which the Work Programme will operate.
Plans for London’s governance
Read about the Mayor's proposals for devolution in the capital: www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/proposals-for-devolution.pdf
LSEB publications for release this autumn
- Helping the High Skilled Unemployed. Compared with some other groups
searching for work, people from ‘high skilled’ backgrounds,
often working in the professions or senior management roles, have a
less distinct path back to employment. Many find being without work
a new and difficult experience to manage, and may lack the self-confidence
and skills to launch themselves back into employment in a job that makes
the best use of their abilities.
This study explores the issues facing these people, examines the services that are on offer to them, and suggest ways for improving routes back to work
- Customer Feedback Study. This desk research, complemented by interviews
with main providers and contracting organisations, explores how agencies
collect, use and share customer comments and views on services.
The study’s recommendations for consideration and action include standardising customer responses across organisations to achieve comparable data, and greater use of e-surveys.
- The Impact of Commissioning Models in London. Following Government’s
commitment to involve third sector organisations in employment and
skills programmes, there is a need to evaluate how well contracting
models are working.
This report examines the impact of main agencies moving to larger, three to five-year contracts. It assesses the use of measures to gauge the long-term benefits for people facing the biggest barriers to employment, and the opportunities for smaller, more specialised service providers to engage in contracts.
Among a suite of conclusions and recommendations, the study looks at the benefits of incentives, targets, customising provision and performance data.
Other news and research
I July 2010
London businesses feeling more upbeat says CBI and KPMG Survey
London businesses are more positive about the coming half-year, and while most firms still feel some impact from the recession, spending plans have improved on six months ago, the latest CBI and KPMG survey reveals.
The research shows 53 per cent of companies are optimistic about their future business prospects, up from 47 per cent six months ago. Some 58 per cent of firms plan to expand their business in the next 12 months, with nearly a third of those planning to expand within London.
18 June 2010
Looking Forward for London - Mayor’s Annual Report
The Mayor outlines his key achievements over the last two years and plans to make London the Best Big City in the World, with priorities to 2012.
www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/mayor/publications/government/mayors-annual-report-200910
9 June 2010
More than 700 unemployed Londoners achieve their Personal Best
Londoners from diverse backgrounds celebrated completing the pre-volunteer programme for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at a Recognition of Achievement event. The Personal Best programme, led by the London Development Agency, uses the appeal of the London 2012 Games to reach out to disadvantaged groups by using volunteering as a first step into employment.
28 May 2010
London First employer research
The Voice of London Employers (VoLE) 2010 survey from inward investment agency London First explores the views and attitudes of employers towards the Capital’s labour market.
This survey covers 2,000 businesses and other employers in Greater London, sampled to represent sector and business sizes.
www.london-first.co.uk/documents/VoLE_2010_May_28.doc
25 May 2010
Mayor unveils benchmark report on outer London boroughs
The Mayor of London launched the pre-publication report of the findings of the Outer London Commission. The document is the most comprehensive account of economic prosperity in the outer London boroughs and will influence policy and decision-making.
While outer London provides two fifths of the capital’s jobs, these have been growing at little more than half the rate of those in inner London. To address this and related concerns, the Mayor set up the Outer London Commission to identify untapped potential in the outer boroughs. The report covers the causes currently limiting the prosperity of certain areas, and recommended policies and proposals for development.
www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/mayor/publications/planning/outer-london-commissions-final-report
Appointments and honours
5 July 2010
Apprentice winner, Tim Campbell, joins Mayor in capital training drive
The drive to create more apprenticeships and training opportunities across London has a major boost. Tim Campbell is the new Mayor's Ambassador for Training and Enterprise. Tim is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bright Ideas Trust. He is also the first winner of BBC’s The Apprentice TV show. He entered the competition while a senior planner at Transport for London.
15 June 2010
Queen’s Birthday honours
Councillor Merrick Cockell received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to local government. Sir Merrick was Chair of London Councils from 2006 to 2010.
Professor David Latchman, Master of Birkbeck College, received the honour of Commander of the British Empire (CBE), for services to higher education.
8 June 2010
New chair for London Councils
The Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, is the new Chair of London Councils.
London’s latest employment and skills figures
Unemployment rate |
|
Overall |
Unemployment Rate
8.9% (363,000) |
Claimant Count |
|||
By age |
18-24 |
Claimant Count |
|
25-49 |
Claimant Count |
||
50+ |
Claimant Count |
||
Employment rate |
|
Overall |
Employment rate |
By highest qualification |
No qualifications |
Employment rate |
|
Level 2 (equivalent to 5 GCSEs A*-C) |
Employment rate |
||
Trade Apprenticeship |
Employment rate |
||
Level 4+ (equivalent to undergraduate degree) |
Employment rate |
||
Number of people with no qualifications |
Overall |
Londoners with no qualifications 610,000 |
|