ADD2587 Funding for the London Career Educators’ Conference 2022

1.1. The London Career Hubs are funded by the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) and match-funded by the Mayor of London’s European Social Fund (ESF) Co-Financing Programme. The London Career Hubs are part of a national programme led by the CEC and funded by the Department for Education. Career Hubs have been in operation in London since October 2021. The funding for Career Hubs 2021-2024 is detailed in Mayoral Decision (MD) 2796: Career Hubs, signed on 10 March 2021.

1.2. The GLA grant-funds a Careers Hub in each of the four sub-regions of London, responding to sub-regional and London skills and employment needs. Each hub:

• employs Enterprise coordinators with caseloads of 15-20 schools or colleges – working directly with the careers leader to build and implement a quality, employer-led careers programme
• matches a business volunteer (Enterprise Adviser) to each school and college to bring the business perspective and support engagement with senior leaders
• builds strategic relationships with local businesses, providers and networks, so that the hub works with the existing local infrastructure.

1.3. Prior to Careers Hubs, the CEC (working alongside the GLA) co-funded the London Enterprise Adviser Network (LEAN) (see MD2262: Expansion of London Enterprise Adviser Network). To fall in line with the rest of the country, the LEAN is being phased out and replaced by Career Hubs, which have similar aims.

2.1. This decision is sought to approve £48,630 funding to run a conference to support the London Careers Hubs and the LEAN. The conference will be held on 1 July 2022. The estimated number of delegates is 500. The conference will be opened by the CEO of the CEC, with representatives from the London Economic Action Partnership (London’s local enterprise partnership), as well as the Mayor’s Skills for Londoners Board and his Jobs and Skills Business Partnership. The awards will be presented by the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe.

2.2. In 2018, the LEAN was expanded to engage more schools and colleges across London. Part of the grant from the CEC was an upfront payment to the GLA called the ‘Sustainability Fund’. This money was ringfenced for additional LEAN activity beyond salaries to include events, training, marketing material and building additional resources. The GLA has rolled over £94k of this Sustainability Fund into the 2022-23 financial year.

2.3. To ensure the delivery of the Careers Conference is in partnership with the Career Hub Delivery partners, it has been agreed for the delivery partners to contribute up to 50 per cent of the cost for each participant attending from their area. This will be paid for out of their individually allocated Central Hub Fund, which is held by the GLA and claimed at the point of defrayal. As such, whilst the total cost of the event will be £48,630 – which the GLA will pay upfront – the Hubs will refund up to half of this amount.

2.4. As noted above, the funding for the conference is coming from the Careers & Enterprise Sustainability Fund and this expenditure has been agreed by the CEC. As this the first event of its kind, we agreed not to pursue sponsorship or charge for admission. Both these routes might be considered in future if the event is a success, and is seen to have impact on the quality of careers education and the increased understanding of the London labour market.

2.5. Young Londoners have been disproportionally affected by COVID-19. This conference aims to equip career educators with skills and knowledge to improve the quality of career education across London, so that all young people can make informed decisions about their future. In addition, we want career educators to understand more about the London labour market; where the growth sectors are; and how young people can best access jobs in these areas of demand, with an emphasis on vocational pathways.

2.6. Potential crossover with similar events was researched and considered. In addition, the GLA has reached out to key partners and stakeholders to ensure they are included in the event. There is no similar event taking place.

2.7. The conference will deliver the following outcomes:

• to bring together, for the first time, career educators, including career leaders, career advisers, business volunteers and youth workers across London to discuss career-education issues
• to raise the profile of careers education in London following the launch of Career Hubs in October 2022 and increased investment by the Mayor
• to use London’s size to deliver more impact to a wider audience
• to offer in-person continued personal development, which forms part of the KPIs for the Career Hubs, in an attractive package to career leaders
• to recognise and celebrate good practice in careers education
• to promote and educate those working in careers education in London’s growth sectors and local labour market information
• to discuss how to increase take-up of vocational pathways across young Londoners.
  

3.1. This conference address key equality themes such as:

• attracting diverse and inclusive workforces into London growth sectors
• how to make careers programmes more inclusive
• using careers education to engage disengaged groups of young Londoners.

3.2. This conference brings together all career educators, including career leaders and advisers. The invitation has been extended beyond schools and colleges to projects working with disadvantaged groups; those not in education, employment or training; and virtual school heads. In addition, we have invited representatives from London youth groups via London Youth, where young Londoners are not connected well to their school and may seek support for careers in other settings.

3.3. Quality careers education can increase social mobility, and ensure all young people can access the full range of opportunities across London’s sectors. This conference is focused on how to improve career education and access to opportunities for all young Londoners.

3.4. Full consideration has been made to ensure the conference is fully accessible to all.

Key risks and issues

4.1. The key risks and issues are set out in the table below.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.2. The funding outlined in this Assistant Director Decision (ADD) Form will be used to support the mission-based approach that the Mayor has adopted for London’s economic and social recovery.

4.3. Careers Education, and the GLA Career programmes including London’s Careers Hubs form part of the Good Work for All Londoners mission. The priority is on supporting Londoners into good jobs with a focus on sectors key to London’s recovery.

4.4. The delivery of the Careers Hubs supports three of the four key themes in ‘Good Work for All’ by:

• supporting Londoners hardest hit by the pandemic – Career Hubs target interventions at disadvantaged groups
• coordinating skills, careers and employment support – Career Hubs align work with local skills priorities and the National Careers Service; and link up with Department for Work and Pensions programmes, including through the Mayor’s No Wrong Door initiative
• establishing sector specific London ‘academies’ – the schools and colleges link with the academies to ensure that young Londoners are aware of the future job available to them and the pathways to get there.

Consultations and impact assessments

4.5. Consultations and Impact assessments were undertaken for the above-mentioned relevant strategies and Skills Roadmap for London. As this funding will help deliver the objectives of these strategies, the original impact assessments is still relevant to the programme.

Conflicts of interest

4.6. No GLA officer involved in the drafting or clearance of this ADD is aware of any conflicts of interest with the proposals set out in this form.

5.1. Approval is being sought for the expenditure of £48,630 to host the London Career Educators’ Conference. This will be funded from available resources contained within the 2022-23 Skills & Employment budget envelope. The event is in partnership with Career Hub delivery partners; as such, each partner will contribute up to 50 per cent of the event costs. The GLA will pay for the costs upfront and it is expected the delivery partners will reimburse the authority.

6.1. The event is due to take place on Friday 1 July 2022. GLA officers will collect feedback from delegates and liaise with partner organisations to evaluate the event’s success. Officers will also work with partner organisations to calculate retrospective funding reimbursements to the Sustainability Fund, dependent on attendance.