the liverpool city region maa employment and skills platform sue jarvis service director city region...
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The Liverpool City Region MAAEmployment and Skills Platform
Sue Jarvis
Service DirectorCity Region Strategy, Employment & Skills
Knowsley MBC
1
The Liverpool City Region – key facts
Population of 1.5 million
Forms core of wider economic zone of influence of over 2 million people
GVA of over £17bn, 539,000 jobs and 38,000 businesses
Our Vision - to be a thriving international city region by 2020.
To achieve this we will need to
accelerate growth and substantially close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK and;
reduce worklessness across the Liverpool City Region, providing routes for people to move into work and progress in their jobs.
A Multi-Area Agreement
Voluntary agreements between two or more top-tier or unitary local authorities, their partners and Government of work collectively to improve local economic prosperity
MAAs are not:
– Just about service delivery
– An end in themselves
– The same everywhere
– Designed or prescribed by central government
What are we aiming to deliver?
Accelerate economic growth and substantially close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK
Increase entrepreneurial activity
Reduce worklessness
Increase skills levels
Increase housing quality, choice and range
Improve transport/access to employment and opportunities
How will we deliver this?
New Partnership between City Region partners
– Shadow City Region Cabinet – set up in November 2008
– Finalised city region structure to be developed by October 2009
– Structure supported by 6 Partnership Boards – economy, employment and skills, transport, planning and housing, environment and waste, safer and healthier communities
Multi Area Agreement
– Step-in change in agreeing priorities and actions for the city region
– LCR Story of Place and Employment and Skills Platform Signed off by Government
– Economy, Housing, Transport Platforms Drafts under development
Employment and Skills
Scale of the Challenge:
LCR employment rate of 68.1% compared to 74.4% nationally
Almost 175,000 residents claiming out of work benefits; 50% claiming a benefit for 5+ years
More than one in three (37%) working age adults without NVQ level 2 qualification
Key Issues:
Complex landscape – funds, targets, delivery agencies
Diverse but fragmented range of provision
Multiple management and governance arrangements
Employment and Skills
Our Approach:
Strengthening employer representation and demand for skills
Delivering an integrated package of services based on a continuum model of employment and skills provision
Working collectively to align and co-commission mainstream resources at the local level
Adding value to the core offer using discretionary funding (ESF, ERDF, NWDA, Area Based Grant)
Changing provider behaviour
Acting as a test bed for new Government initiatives
Implementing new governance arrangements
Employment and Skills
Our Asks of Government (1):
Develop an Employment and Skills Strategy by June 2009
– Agree shared priorities, common framework of targets
– LCR Commissioning plan will inform Government and local contracting arrangements
– Locally delivered solutions
Work with Government to shape the way future contracts operate in our area and to co-commission bespoke services, e.g.:
– Flexible New Deal
– Fit for Work Service
– Skills Accounts trials and their further development
– Adult Advancement and Careers Service
Employment and Skills
Our Asks of Government (2):
Improve data sharing
– Better access to non disclosure DWP data, GIS
– Signpost employer vacancy information to skills brokers
– Share provider performance data
Stimulate employer demand
– City Region employer engagement strategy
– Use Board Members to champion the Local Employment Partnership and Skills Pledge
Establish LCR Employment and Skills Board by summer 2009
– Secure legal status by 2010
Employment and Skills
Outcomes and Targeting:
Adding value by simplifying the offer to individuals and employers
Prioritisation by geography and client group
Accelerated programmes of intervention to meet specific LCR needs
Minimise duplication or displacement
Outcomes must be set in the context of the current economic downturn and LAA refresh
– Job Seekers Allowance
– Incapacity Benefit
– Increasing skill levels
Moving Forward: Implementing the MAA
Karon Brownbill
Economic Development Director
Learning and Skills Council Greater Merseyside
2
Strategy Development
Commission a piece of work to develop the strategy drawing on evidence from existing reports e.g. LSC Strategic Analysis, Sector Skills Agreements, Local Intelligence
Considerable engagement with employers and sectors e.g. Maritime, Retail, Leisure, Tourism
Understanding demand and supply, local skills shortages, specific employment and skills responses to key strategic developments e.g. Super Port, Digital, Environmental Technologies as well as other key employment sectors e.g. Public
Strategy to bring together employment and skills into a continuum from no skills through to higher skills
Set the priorities for investment – consultation April to June, developed by end of June 09
Co- Commissioning
DWP Green Paper sets out three potential levels of devolution:
Level 1: local partners having active involvement in DWP commissioning processes.
Level 2: co-commissioning and joint investment planning.
Level 3: full joint commissioning in some areas, and devolution of some funding decisions in others.
Co-Commissioning
Starting work on Flexible New Deal
National Programme – influencing the design, targeting
Pooling of Funds – influence over assessment and monitoring processes
Evolution towards inclusion and alignment via the framework of all commissioned employment and skills activities
Not about a single commissioning body; but about co-operation, alignment and simplification – working together to a single set of priorities
Challenges: differing business cycles, several agencies, change in system, demand led system for employers and adults
Engagement
Employers – Demand
– Employment and Skills Board Summer 2009, Legal Status 2010
– Strong Private Sector representation/ Clustering
• Public Sector 40% of employer base
• Proactive engagement with existing networks e.g. Chambers, TMP etc
– Champions
– Workforce planning
– City Region Employer Engagement Strategy
– City Region Employer Offer
Providers – Supply
– FE Colleges
– Higher Education Institutions
– Voluntary/ Community Sector
– Private Providers/ Employers
Employment and Skills Board
Vol/Com
LCR Econ Board
HEI
14-19
National Govt + Agencies
DWP/DIUS
Employer Coalition
CES
•Learning provider•M Colleges Assoc.•Vol Comm. VOLA
•RESB•Council
•Sector Skills•UK Comm/
Employment & Skills
LCR Cabinet
LCR ESB
Changing Landscape
LSC Shadow Structures September 2009 onwards
– Alignment of existing structures and resources
– National Apprenticeship Service live April 2009
Skills Funding Agency Live April 2010
– Adult Advancement Agency 2010
Young Peoples Learning Agency Live April 2010
16 – 19 Commissioning to Local Authorities- transition Academic Year 2010/2011
Machinery of Government :Transition of 16-19 FundsLinks with MAA
Paul Lally
Children’s Services Manager
Knowsley MBC
3
What do we know
Proposal for second stage application for Greater Merseyside sub regional grouping: each borough to commission providers based in their borough but supported by Greater Merseyside 14-19 Executive
National funding formula for 16-19
Six work streams established to support transition
– LLDD
– Data
– Staffing
– Common Application Process: E-prospectus
– Legal and finance
– Commissioning
Alignment between 14-19 Commissioning and Employment and Skills
What is yet to emerge
Commissioning guidance from DCSF (commissioning flows between national/regional/sub regional and local: relationship between local commissioning and NAS)
Procedures and timescale about staffing transfer
Details about how 16-19 commissioning will link into CYP Trusts
Details about financial rules, accountability
Bill is published but it needs guidance to indicate what it means in practice
Positives
Good partnership working across Greater Merseyside (LTP, GMLPF, MCA, 14-19 Partnerships)
MAA offers us a way of
– Aligning political accountability
– Developing Greater Merseyside staffing capacity to support the outcomes
– Looking at transition young people into adults (e.g. NEET into JSA)
– Harnessing employer voice and
– Developing employment and skills strategy
Focus on outcomes: raising participation, achievement and progression
Timetable is demanding but not impossible: we will focus on the practical
2010/2011 is a year of transition
Any questions?