The West Midlands Public Sector Skills Challenge

Mickey Burke Regional Skills Manager

• The largest sector in terms of employment (27%)

• Currently 640,000 employed in the sector

• 50,000 new jobs will be created over next 10 years in the regions public services

• A further 250,000 recruits needed to cover replacement demand

• Over 80% of new recruits will be replacing existing employers

• 19% (120,000) of existing workforce are not qualified to level 2

• 32,000 have no qualifications

Historical Context (1):

• Poor track record of employing young people

• 6% of employees are under 25

• Only 5% of apprenticeships in the WM region are in Public Service

• By 2015 less than 40% of jobs will be in occupations not requiring higher level skills

• Sector has high potential for bringing workless people into employment especially through pre-employment programmes

Historical Context (2)

Historical Context (3) The Public Service Compact

• Original membership with a focus upon Birmingham & Solihull - 2003

• Launched in 2004 with 5 members

• Review / Relaunch in 2006 with 38 members (LAs, PCTs, V&C, FE, HEIs uniform services)

• National acclaim and International recognition

• City Region Compact: 8 x City Region Local Authorities - 2007

• Shire Network Compact: 5 x Shire Local Authorities - 2007

• Civil Service West Midlands: Driven by Cabinet office

• …..West Midlands Public Sector Skills Challenge

West Midlands Public Sector Skills Challenge

“I’m challenging public service employers across the West midlands to light a spark. To lead the way in the transformation of our regions skills base”

“ Skills is our number one challenge for the long term. So there is no reason why our public services should not be at the forefront of ourambitions to change. The challenges is set. There is a clear message to our region’s' public service leaders today. The West Midlands expects”

West Midlands Minister: Liam ByrneSeptember 2007

A challenge to all public service employers with a commitment over

the next 3 years:

• Up Skill the workforce to a minimum of level 2

• Tackle the basic skills needs of employees

• Prioritise the recruitment of local people from the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods

• Increasing the number of young people (16 – 25) employed in the sector through a high quality and sustainable apprenticeship programme

The Public Service Skills Challenge (1):

• 75,000 public service employees upskilled to level 2

– Improving public service productivity and service delivery

– Contribution to Level 2 Leitch targets

– Closing skills gap

• Increase in under 25’s employed by 25% including 8,000 new apprenticeships

– Reducing NEET, Increasing apprenticeship take up

• Recruit 10,000 local unemployed people into PS

– Reducing worklessness

– Contribution to Local Area Agreement priorities & targets

Skills Challenge (2)Targets by 2010

• Letter from Liam Byrne to Chief Executives

• Follow up from Ian Austin

• High level follow up meetings for those expressing an interest

• The LSC has been co-ordinating the response to the Skills Challenge and with the support of partner organisations and has developed a package of support

• Allocation of dedicated / specialist brokers

• Cross agency – virtual teams

• Action plans to address needs

Skills Challenge Implementation

• WM Brokerage and Job centre Plus

• Allocation of dedicated Support and Resource

• Train to gain –skills for life, NVQ’s, and Skills Pledge

• Apprenticeships and adult apprenticeships

• Job Centre + customised recruitment programmes through Local Employment Partnerships (LEP)

• Bespoke pre recruitment programmes

• Matching prospective recruits and employer skills requirements

• Integrated Employment and Skills (IES)

Skills Challenge Delivery Integrated Employer Offer

Pulling the strands together

Jobs Pledge and LEP’s

Skills for Jobs / City Strategy

Train to Gain

“Employer Offer”

Skills Pledge

• Customised support for major recruitment programmes through JCP’s Local Employment Partnerships

• Bespoke pre-recruitment training programmes funded by the LSC equipping prospective recruits with essential skills to be job-ready

• Job scoping and individual skills assessment to ensure a match between prospective recruits and skills requirements of the job

• Youth and Adult Apprenticeships for all new entrants to provide a structured career development programme to a recognised and accredited standard

‘Employer Offer’(1)

• Independent advice and support in undertaking an Organisational and Individual Training Needs Analysis reviewing skills of employee(s) against the needs of the organisation

• Free training to address basic literacy, communications and numeracy needs and to train employees to their first Level 2

• Access to the wider Train to Gain service across the spectrum of organisational development and training needs with a choice of preferred training providers

‘Employer Offer’(2)

• Developing sector specific strategies, e.g. Skills for Life

• Workforce Profiling

• Skills Audit

• ITQ

‘Enhanced Employer Offer’(3)

West Midlands Police

Recruitment (Lloyd House)

• PSC / Intermediaries

• Faircities

• Provider (s)

• JCP

Workforce& Learning Development (Tally Ho)

• Provider (s)

• West Midlands Brokerage

• LSC

• PSC / Intermediaries

Jobs Pledge

Skills Pledge

Local Authority

Jobs Pledge Skills Pledge

JCP West Midlands Brokerage

Virtual Team Relationship Management

Skills for Life

Apprenticeships

Funding

Achievements to Date

of the 144 employers written to:

• 111 have responded to the challenge

• 89 have signed the Skills Pledge

• 45 have signed up to Local Employment Partnerships

• 48 Organisational Needs Analysis have been carried out by the brokerage service

• 54 have developed an action plan to address the skills challenge

Monitoring the Skills Challenge

• Dedicated database

• Integrated Reporting Platforms

• Shared Teamsite to support performance management

• Monthly meetings with Brokers

• Skills Challenge built upon success of the PSC

• Cross agency approach

• Delivering Integrated Employer offer

• Supporting workforce development

• Meeting the needs of PS as employers that address wider issues

• Innovative and collaborative approaches to recruitment and workforce development

Summary

Questions?

Email: publicservicecompact@lsc.gov.uk

www.publicservicecompact.org