Written evidence submitted
by Creative Development Consultancy
Traditionally those who have a talent for creative
work tend not to have the time or inclination to keep on top of
the day to day tasks. Many don't want the responsibility of taking
on a new person, full time and need to examine the situation more
closely before committing. At first they want an extra pair of
hands; someone who has the right skills and an understanding and
love of the work they do and the potential to become a long term
staff member
In our experience those in the creative sector are
very careful about who they chose to work with. They tend to have
a very strong work ethic and committment to training and supporting
their staff. They take their responsabilities very seriously.
Because of this culture we have build many successful relationships
with employers and forged long term opportunities for placing
suitable young people where they will be greatly valued. We work
as advisers in The University of the Arts and many graduates who
have been looking, without success, for work for some time return
to the advice sessions. We also work with community projects which
attract many young people looking for work experience. These are
the people we would like to help.
The Creative Industries sector:
- contributes 6.4% GVA and has grown by an average
of 4% from 1997 to 2006 compared to 3% of the whole of the economy;
- contributes a greater proportion of GDP than
any other nation according to a recent OECD study [52];
- accounted for £16 billion of exports in
2006 equating to 4.3% of all goods and services;
- employs an estimated 1.98 million people, equating
to 6.78% of the working population. Of these, 1.15 million work
within creative companies across 157,400 registered businesses
(2008) and the remaining 800,000 work in a creative capacity in
other non-"creative industry" sectors.
In recent years, creative employment has been growing
at 2%, comparing favourably with a 1% average for the whole economy.
We are writing to submit our evidence regarding the
success of FJF in terms of our own experience.
1. THE EXTENT
TO WHICH
THE FJF HAS
SUCCEEDED IN
MATCHING NEW
WORK EXPERIENCE
OPPORTUNITIES TO
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE.
The response we received for our client base to the
offer of interns funded by FJF was very well received.
We expect to create 60 jobs throughout the year in
London and the south east., concentrating on regeneration areas
We work with small arts organisations and small social enterprises
. Both of these groups are often approach by people who want to
gain experience by acting as an intern. We are also often asked
if we know of anyone who would be suitable to fill a post from
some specialist recruitment agencies. As well as our own clients.
We work with a network of 350 business in Kings Cross
who fit this description 17% have said they have an interest in
expanding their workforce in this way.
Creative Exchange, is running a programme in partnership
with the Brighton and Hove Business Forum There is a keen awareness
from the city that the creative sector must be supported in order
to ensure the economic recovery of the area. It has attracted
local industry experts, local businesses local sponsors who are
keen to put their name to this initiative. The programme is supporting
over 300 businesses. A quarter of these businesses have expressed
a desire to build capacity in this way.
We work with several charities who expressed an interest
of providing places for one or two people.
We have a client who owns seven office buildings
. This organisation had hope to place a young person in each if
these to work on reception, we had then hoped to offer the service
to each of the businesses in the building.
2. STRENGTHS
AND WEAKNESSES
OF THE
FJF PROGRAMME FROM
THE PERSPECTIVE
OF PROVIDERS
(INCLUDING IN
THE THIRD
SECTOR), EMPLOYERS
AND YOUNG
UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE,
AND PARTICULARLY
IN RELATION
TO THE
LONG-TERM
SUSTAINABILITY OF
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Strengths
Young people in this sector are very keen to work.
They do approach organisations such as ours or the business themselves.
FJF was the clear and uncomplicated offer; employers
understand the value of the offer. They appreciated the fact that
they would be supported throughout the first six months and that
the young person would be mentored by someone who understood their
industry. This programme is easy to adminster and realistic programme
with good payment points and realistic paperwork.
Weaknesses
The only weakness was the marketing of the programme. We
are very aware that this sector is largely unaware or not attracted
to government support. They would never consider approaching a
Job Centre to increase their workforce. By the same token a young
person wanting to work in that sector would not approach a Job
Center Not one employer we spoke to had heard of the programme
until we mentioned it.
3. THE LIKELY
IMPACT OF
THE DECISION
TO END
THE FJF IN
MARCH 2011 RATHER
THAN MARCH
2012
We can only comment as potential deliverers of FJF
via the 3SC contract, as we had an allocation to deliver 30 jobs
We still have these jobs ready and waiting and the job descriptions
written. We cannot match the jobs and employers to young people
without an extension to the contract and this work will be wasted.
We are still engaged with employers in the hope that this will
be reinstated and have still the interest from employers and the
young people targeted, We had already begun to build relationships
with the local job centres and were planning to meet with then
to assist them in understanding the needs of the sector The impact
of the decision to end FJF in March 2011 has meant the loss of
70 jobs in the Brighton area (which we know of) where advertised
positions remain unfilled due to lack of capacity within the 3SC
and other supplier's contracts.
We had intended to deliver this programme in Hastings
together with a local enterprise agency where the unemployment
figures are even higher .In both towns there are many cases where
more than one generation from each family has become accustomed
to the culture of unemployment.
The impact on the growth of the economy and the lack
of faith in the government decision not to support young people
back to work can only be imagined.
The employers to whom we spoke when marketing FJF
and when helping them to create jobs all said that without the
input of FJF support and wage subsidy, they were reluctant to
take the first step of engaging with marginalised young people
and raising their hopes in case they could not fulfil their obligations.
These employers will not create jobs, in our opinion, without
the support of specialist FJF contract holders who understand
the sector, and financial incentive.
We sincerely hope this excellent and worthwhile programme
will be reinstated.
11 August 2010
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