ADD2567 Primary Schools Outreach

1.1. The Mayor’s London Infrastructure Group (LIG) has set out a pledge to reach schools to showcase potential careers in the infrastructure and construction sector, promoting the sector and highlighting pathways into the sector for underrepresented groups from an early age.

1.2. The Workforce Integration Network (WIN) programme at the GLA is also delivering a range of interventions for young black men and underrepresented young people (who are some of the most affected by the impact of Covid-19) to progress into employment within the construction and infrastructure industries, which can offer strong career prospects.

1.3. The two teams are working on this project jointly to engage primary school children in Years 5 & 6, to promote a range of career pathways available within the construction and infrastructure sector in targeted, relevant primary schools. The project will deliver engaging career sessions, as well as produce an effective set of resources to share with primary schools. It will also engage diverse employers from the construction and infrastructure sector in the career sessions to ensure children hear from people they can relate to.

1.4. Budget will be put toward a supplier able to deliver the outreach, including career sessions and resources.

1.5. The Workforce Integration Network team will contribute £25,000 towards the project, for which they have approval through MD2859 (Workforce Integration Network Programme Budget)

2.1. Through the Primary Schools Outreach project, the GLA aims to reach 30 schools (approximately 1,800 underrepresented pupils) and attract them to the construction and infrastructure sectors by opening career routes and networks.

2.2. The project aims to help pupils and parents better understand the world of construction and infrastructure, the range of jobs available and the link between learning and work.

2.3. The project will also engage with potential employers to show them how to work with primary schools. It will also help employers build ongoing relationships with schools to ensure contact can continue through to Key Stage 3/4.

2.4. Overall, we expect increased and higher quality direct engagement from the sector with primary schools in London, including schools actively using project resources and tools.

3.1. Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Mayor and GLA are subject to the public sector equality duty and must have due regard to the need to: eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not; and foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not.

3.2. The “protected characteristics” are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation and marriage/ civil partnership status. The duty involves having appropriate regard to these matters as they apply in the circumstances, including having regard to the need to: remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share or is connected to a protected characteristic; take steps to meet the different needs of such people; encourage them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low. This can involve treating people with a protected characteristic more favourably than those without one.

3.5. This project explicitly seeks to support underrepresented Londoners. Through our project objectives, the GLA requires that at least 60% of the primary schools engaged by the appointed supplier, through the career sessions, have a high black pupil population. The remaining should cover schools in areas that have high proportion of groups currently underrepresented in the infrastructure and construction sectors.

3.6 Through the procurement process the team have set out Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) criteria to ensure the supplier appointed demonstrates company commitment to EDI.

4.1. Key risks and issues

Links to Mayoral strategies

4.2. The Primary School Outreach project meets the objectives set out in the Mayoral Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy and priorities to create a fairer, more equal, integrated city supporting young, underrepresented people fulfil their potential.

Conflicts of Interest

4.3. There are no conflicts of interest in relation to this work.

5.1    Approval is being sought for expenditure upon the Schools Outreach Programme 2022 as detailed within the main body of this report. 

5.2    The total estimated cost of the programme is £41,667, which will be funded from the Infrastructure Policy budget (£16,667) and the Social Integration budget (£25,000) for 2021-22 and 2022-23. The Social Integration contribution is currently accounted for within the Communities & Skills Directorate and this contribution has already been approved through MD2859 (Workforce Integration Network Programme Budget).

5.3    The phasing of the programme expenditure and the GLA funding sources is detailed below:

5.4    As per the table above, £16,667 of the programme costs will be funded from the Infrastructure Policy budget for 2021-22 and 2022-23, with the 2022-23 budget allocation being subject to formal approval of the GLA’s detailed budget for 2022-23. 

5.5     In relation to the £25,000 contribution from the Social Integration budget (WIN Programme), previously approved by MD2859; this is currently accounted for within the 2021-22 accounts but as expenditure is scheduled for 2022-23, this will be subject to a carry forward request at year-end. It should be noted that carry forwards are not guaranteed and in the event that it is not approved, costs that fall in 2022-23 will be contained within revenue resources available to the Transport, Infrastructure & Connectivity Unit and / or programme costs reduced accordingly.

5.6    All appropriate budget adjustments will be made.