Written evidence submitted
by Rhyl City Strategy
Rhyl City Strategy is submitting this written evidence
in response to an invitation from DWP. The views expressed in
this evidence are those of the Rhyl City Strategy Community Interest
Company, and include feedback from Future Jobs Fund employees
and employers. Seven employers attended a feedback session on
1 September 2010, another seven employers submitted written
evidence and 12 FJF young people attended a feedback session on
6 September 2010.
REPORT SUMMARY
Background
1. The Rhyl City Strategy Community Interest
Company is the lead accountable body for a FJF programme in Conwy
and Denbighshire, North Wales, and has created 322 job vacancies
across its network of employers from the business, statutory,
and voluntary and community sectors. Between November 2009 and
August 2010, the partnership has achieved 223 FJF jobstarts. To
date, of 70 FJF completers, 38% have entered sustained employment,
and a further 10% have progressed into full time education or
training.
THE EXTENT
TO WHICH
THE FJF HAS
SUCCEEDED IN
MATCHING NEW
WORK EXPERIENCE
OPPORTUNITIES TO
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE
2. The Rhyl City Strategy FJF programme has successfully
matched 223 young unemployed people to new work experiences. Jobcentre
Plus has played a key and effective role in referring eligible
customers to the opportunities, with job profiles being matched
to jobseekers' experience, skills and interests. Monthly jobfairs
have supported the matching process.
3. Our FJF programme has provided opportunities
for young unemployed people from a broad spectrum, many of whom
have had no or limited previous work experience or skills training.
STRENGTHS 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
4. The benefits of the FJF programme have been
far-reaching for unemployed young people and employers across
a range of sectors, businesses, and the community as a whole.
5. The programme has facilitated the creation
of "real" jobs, enabling FJF employees to develop a
work ethos and demonstrate work-place discipline and reliability,
as well as gaining relevant, up-to-date and work-focussed skills
and qualifications. For many, this opportunity has broken the
continuum of long-term unemployment and enabled the achievement
of a portfolio of experience which has proved advantageous in
subsequent job search. In many cases, the direct contact between
jobseekers and employers has led to real opportunities for progression
into permanent, sustained employment.
6. FJF employees come off benefits and many are
taking home a wage for the first time. This has helped challenge
negative perceptions about being "better off on benefits".
The scheme has had significant impacts on motivation and self
worth, enabling young people to improve self-esteem, confidence
and interpersonal skills. The more vulnerable employees have the
support they need to develop and progress.
7. The FJF programme is highly effective in connecting
employers with the worklessness agenda. The flexibility of the
grant funding and up-front funding model has helped to attract
employers to the programme and encouraged them to "take a
risk" on someone who they might not otherwise have considered.
The programme helps to challenge employer perceptions of the long-term
unemployed, and encourages them to seek to recruit from amongst
this group, thereby exercising their social responsibility
8. The programme is helping to stimulate local
enterprise growth. The flexibility of the grant funding and the
provision of an up-front payment is enabling the participation
of smaller employers and organisations and the creation of a range
of additional new posts. This influx of new employees has enabled
many organisations and employers to develop new areas of work,
which has stimulated internal growth. This is sometimes leading
to the creation of a permanent position, and an FJF employee being
taken on as a permanent member of staff.
9. At this early stage, there is insufficient
evidence to draw conclusions about the overall long-term potential
of the programme to move people into sustained employment. However,
there are indications that there is considerable capacity to use
this job creation exercise to generate growth in the SME sector.
This should be seen to maximum effect as the economy begins to
come out of recession and employers seek to take on additional
staff in response to increased business.
10. Rhyl City Strategy's partnership approach
builds on existing relationships with employers from a range of
sectors and develops local capacity and commitment to engage with
the worklessness agenda. By working through a locally based partnership,
the FJF has reached a network of employers that would otherwise
have never become involved in such a programme.
11. Through its focus on hot-spots, the FJF targets
the most disadvantaged communities, tackling a culture of worklessness
in our poorest communities. By providing a resource for community
based organisations, the fund supports local regeneration activity.
Over the longer term, this offers potential to create a new generation
of people with first hand experience of the voluntary and community
sector who will be well-positioned to participate in the Government's
Big Society proposals.
12. Employers indicate that the FJF administrative
processes are not proving too onerous. Employers are able to use
the grant to cover costs of training and associated administration
and overhead costs.
WEAKNESSES OF
THE FJF PROGRAMME
FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF
PROVIDERS (INCLUDING
IN THE
THIRD SECTOR),
EMPLOYERS AND
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE
13. The community benefit focus of the FJF limits
its potential to support business growth within the commercial
sector. This is particularly unfortunate, as in the current economic
climate, it is the private sector which is most likely to be able
to offer permanent employment at the end of 26 weeks.
14. As JSA claimants, potential FJF employees
have had to be "available for work", and as such have
not been able to participate in pre-employment training or work
trials.
15. Competitive recruitment processes mean there
is a potential risk of employers "cherry picking" the
best candidates, with the "hardest to reach" left at
the end of the queue; employers can be reluctant to take on employees
with particular support needs. However, the additional resource
provided by the scheme does assist with this issue.
16. A minority of employers have found the administration
onerous.
17. There have been some issues with referrals
to vacancies not translating to jobstarts, either because advisors
have not been disseminating information on vacancies to jobseekers,
or because jobseekers have not been chasing up applications to
employers. In order to overcome this issue, Rhyl City Strategy
has established monthly jobfairs in partnership with Jobcentre
Plus, which have proved effective in matching eligible jobseekers
to vacancies.
18. 16-17 year olds are not eligible to participate
in the programme.
19. Many FJF employees state they would prefer
the scheme to last 8-12 months, with a greater number of minimum
hours.
THE LIKELY
IMPACT OF
THE DECISION
TO END
THE FJF IN
MARCH 2011 RATHER
THAN MARCH
2012
20. There is a concern that the positive gains
will be at risk of being lost. With the FJF having only been in
operation for a short period of time, there has been no opportunity
to explore its full potential.
21. The FJF has been an extremely powerful tool
in engaging employers in the worklessness agenda and in stimulating
local business growth through job creation; the programme has
helped to engender an optimism and confidence at a potentially
bleak time. Ending the FJF when the economic recovery is still
so fragile runs the risk of halting the growth of many small local
organisations.
22. In previous recessions, it has taken five
years for youth employment to get back up to pre-recession levels;
the decision to end the programme early runs the risk of losing
the momentum with employers, and destroying confidence in some
of our most disadvantaged communities.
23. Our local FJF employees have expressed concerns
at the impact on a lost generation of young people, who will find
it impossible to find work without the scheme.
HOW THE
TRANSITION FROM
FJF TO THE
WORK PROGRAMME
WILL BE
MANAGED, INCLUDING
THE PART
TO BE
PLAYED BY
THE GOVERNMENT'S
PROPOSAL TO
FUND NEW
APPRENTICESHIPS.
24. We are still awaiting information on how
the transition from FJF to The Work Programme will be managed.
At this stage, we would wish to see a Future Jobs Fund component
built into the model.
25. We have found the focus that the FJF gives
to recruitment from hotspot areas particularly effective in tackling
unemployment in disadvantaged communities, and would wish to see
a similar arrangement reflected in the new Work Programme.
RECOMMENDATIONS
26. Rhyl City Strategy would like to see the
FJF programme reinstated until March 2012, giving time to develop
an FJF component within the new Work Programme. There should be
continuity so that working relationships and good practice are
not lost.
27. Any development of the FJF in the new Work
Programme should incorporate a model that has a particular focus
on targeting deprived communities at neighbourhood level.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
AND THE
FUTURE JOBS
FUND
Background
28. Rhyl City Strategy is one of 15 City Strategy
Pathfinders taking part in a DWP programme to tackle unemployment
and economic inactivity in the UK's most disadvantaged communities.
Rhyl, situated on the North Wales Coast, was a thriving holiday
resort until the advent of cheap flights in the 1970s. The town's
economy subsequently went into decline, leaving a legacy of deprivation.
Two of the five wards of Rhyl are consistently in the top five
of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation and Rhyl West holds
the number 1 position out 190 wards in Wales. Rhyl City Strategy
brings together a partnership of key stakeholders from the statutory,
voluntary and business sectors to pool resources and align activities
in pursuit of the shared goal of improving the employment rate
in the town. Rhyl City Strategy has Community Interest Company
status.
29. The Rhyl City Strategy Community Interest
Company is the lead accountable body for a FJF programme in Conwy
and Denbighshire, North Wales. The LAB submitted a successful
bid to DWP to deliver 322 Future Jobs in Conwy and Denbighshire.
PROGRAMME MODEL
30. Rhyl City Strategy (RCS) has an existing
network of partner organisations developed over the past few years.
We have a Consortium of over 180 members from all sectors of the
community, all with a shared vision to reduce economic inactivity.
The Consortium meets quarterly, enabling joined up working and
reducing duplication.
31. In preparing its bid to DWP, RCS received
a commitment from its network of employers to create a total of
322 jobs. These partners span public, private and the voluntary
sector and range from small, micro businesses to the largest of
employers in the area - the County Councils. The types of jobs
created are widely diverse across a range of sectors, including
accounts, youth workers, childcare, football coaches, conservation
workers, graphic design, IT, tourist information guides, administrators,
construction workers, retail and catering, music/creative arts,
sports & leisure.
32. Rhyl City Strategy employs a Coordinator
and an Adminstrator to run our FJF programme. RCS pays a grant
to the employers, who organise all aspects of the FJF employees'
employment, training, support and onward progression.
RHYL CITY
STRATEGY FUTURE
JOBS FUND:
SUMMARY OF
OUTCOMES
33. In May 2010, the RCS FJF programme achieved
100% of its Tranche 1 target; a total of 143 jobstarts. The target
for Tranche 2 is a further 179 jobstarts by March 2011. Since
May 2010 we have filled 80 of these 179, with the remaining 99
to fill in the next seven months. Of the 223 jobs we have filled
since November 2009, there have been just 27 early leavers, of
which six left to take up a permanent employment. This gives a
retention rate of over 90%.
34. To date, 70 of our FJF employees have completed
their 26 weeks. Of these, 27 (38%) have progressed into permanent
employment, and a further 7 (10%) into full time education or
training.
THE EXTENT
TO WHICH
THE FJF HAS
SUCCEEDED IN
MATCHING NEW
WORK EXPERIENCE
OPPORTUNITIES TO
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE
35. To date, our FJF programme has matched 223
young unemployed people to new work experiences. The matching
process has been extremely successful. Jobcentre Plus has played
a key and effective role in referring eligible customers to the
opportunities. A dedicated officer has had responsibility for
"matching", and all advisors have been actively sighted
on the opportunities available; this has ensured that job profiles
have matched jobseekers' experience, skills and interests. In
support of the matching process, and in order to maintain a momentum,
we have developed monthly jobfairs, which are attended by all
employers with live vacancies, and to which Jobcentre Plus advisors
refer all eligible jobseekers. These have proved an effective
means of matching young people to work opportunities, offering
an opportunity for young people to meet a range of employers and
explore a number of options before applying for formal interviews.
36. "The main problem that I faced in
finding work was the fact that I had no recent work experience
to offer on my CV due to being in university. The RCS Job Fair
combined with JCP for the FJF allowed me direct contact with employers
in an interview like environment. This allowed me to demonstrate
and explain the skills I had. It also allowed me to see a wide
variety of employers in quick succession." - (FJF employee)
37. The FJF programme has offered opportunities
for young unemployed people from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
Some of our participating employers had initial concerns that
they would be swamped with applications from graduates, and that
the scheme would fail to reach those young people in particular
need of support. In fact, the scheme has provided opportunities
for young unemployed people from a broad spectrum, many of whom
have had no or limited previous work experience or skills training.
STRENGTHS 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
Benefits to individuals
38. In our experience the benefits of the FJF
programme have been far-reaching, to unemployed young people,
employers across a range of sectors, businesses, and the community
as a whole.
39. In marked contrast to previous employment
schemes, the programme has enabled the creation of "real"
jobs, with young people performing identical tasks to permanent
staff. FJF employees have had the opportunity to gain relevant,
up-to-date and work-focussed skills, experience of working with
colleagues and gain knowledge of the sector. Operating in a real
work environment has encouraged the development of a work ethos,
giving young people often for the first time the experience of
a daily routine and a "taste for work", and an opportunity
to demonstrate work-place discipline and reliability.
40. "I have got into a good routine compared
to when I was on JSA." - (FJF Employee)
41. "Before I started the FJF programme
I used to sit round at home or go to the Job Centre, but on this
programme it builds my confidence up and I think it helps my communicating
skills by meeting different people everyday". - (FJF
Employee)
42. For many, this opportunity has broken the
continuum of long-term unemployment and enabled the achievement
of experience, training, networking and references which have
then proved highly advantageous in terms of subsequent job
search.
43. The six-month duration of the scheme has
allowed time for young people to fully participate in work-place
training and in many cases to gain relevant, work-based qualifications.
Eligible jobseekers go through the process of applying for a job,
rather than being sent on a programme, and as such, there is greater
individual empowerment and ownership of the process. FJF employees
can demonstrate to prospective future employers that they have
experienced the world of work, and have developed a portfolio
of experience.
44. FJF employees go through the process of coming
off benefits, with support to deal with any arising difficulties;
support at this vulnerable stage reduces the risk of attrition.
In many cases, FJF employees are taking home a wage for the first
time, which can challenge previously negative perceptions about
being "better off on benefits". The scheme has had significant
impacts on motivation and self worth, enabling young people to
improve self-esteem, confidence and interpersonal skills.
45. "It's given me independence and a
confidence boost not being on JSA, I am now earning my own money."
- (FJF Employee)
46. "By earning my wage, it makes me
feel good been able to pay my own way." - (FJF Employee)
47. One of the key strengths of the programme
is the direct sustained contact between jobseekers and employers.
We have seen this translate into real opportunities for progression
into permanent, sustained employment, with unemployed young people
using the opportunity to get their "foot in the door"
and to impress employers with their hard work and enthusiasm.
48. "Before I started with FJF I would
have never worked on a farm, and now I have it is a great experience
as I am also getting kept on full time after the scheme ends."
- (FJF employee)
49. Through providing a resource to employers,
the programme ensures that the more vulnerable employees have
the support they need both to find a position and to develop their
skills and behaviour once employed.
50. "One was not a good timekeeper, if
he was fully employed then he would have been finished but through
FJF has been able to use this as an opportunity to develop. Another
realised that earning a wage was better than benefits."
- (FJF employer)
51. "We have taken on people who may
not have come forward through the normal routes; they have needed
extra support to gain the skills in the workplace" -
(FJF employer)
BENEFITS TO
EMPLOYERS
52. In the Rhyl experience, the programme has
provided a fresh impetus and an effective mechanism for connecting
employers with the worklessness agenda.
53. The flexibility of the grant funding and
up-front funding model has helped to attract employers to the
programme. The scheme provides employers with a resource that
enables them to take on someone who they might not otherwise have
considered, eg someone who needs extra support and mentoring.
54. "Employers can develop the capacity
of individuals who are very removed from the workplace - they
could not afford to invest resources in getting individuals up
to speed by using their core funding alone, given that their core
funding is very tight at present". - (FJF employer)
55. The programme has provided a form of extended
"work trial"; where internal resources have allowed,
and an FJF employee has shone, the employer has taken them on
permanently at the end of the six month contract. This has helped
to challenge employer perceptions of the long-term unemployed,
and encouraged employers to seek to recruit from amongst this
group, raising their awareness of JCP as a recruitment option
and sighting them on the potential of recruiting from amongst
the long term unemployed. In our experience, participating employers
have been largely impressed with the calibre and attitude of the
FJF employees, and have used the funding responsibly to provide
their employees with the skills and qualifications they need to
develop and progress.
56. The programme has also offered employers
an opportunity to exercise their social responsibility by playing
an active role in tackling youth unemployment in a recession
57. "The FJF has allowed us to recruit
directly from a sector of the community that was under represented
within our organisation and added a sense of freshness to Co-Options
activities." - (FJF employer)
STIMULATING GROWTH
AND OPPORTUNITY
58. In Rhyl, we have now begun to see the exciting
potential of the scheme to stimulate local enterprise growth.
The FJF provides employers with grant funding for wages, training
costs and any associated support, administration and overheads.
The flexibility of this funding and the provision of an up-front
payment has enabled the participation of smaller employers and
organisations, which have previously been deterred from involvement
in initiatives because of onerous bureaucracy and their own limited
organisational capacity. Through provision of this resource, participating
organisations, including small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
and social enterprises, are being enabled and encouraged to create
a range of additional new posts.
59. This influx of new employees, bringing skills
and fresh ideas, has enabled organisations and employers to put
resource into exploring and developing new areas of work, either
through direct use of the FJF employees, or by freeing their own
time up to concentrate on previously neglected areas. In many
cases and increasingly, we are seeing this stimulating growth
within the employing organisations themselves, resulting in the
FJF employees being taken on as permanent members of staff. Locally,
we have seen this to particular effect in the social enterprise
sector.
60. "In a small organisation the FJF
has been a massive help, especially with the recession."
- (FJF employer)
61. "One of the Future Jobs Fund workers
is due to spend a week with a project called Butterwick Trees.
This is a social enterprise scheme which collects seeds from a
local environment, germinates them and then grows and sells trees
with a focus on promoting local species. This young man is going
to learn about how this works and the technology associated with
this so that he can then inform the developmental plans to develop
a business here in North Wales on this model. What a fantastic
opportunity that is being involved in pioneering work which is
geared to generating a business which will generate jobs down
the road. And apart from the experience for the young person I
think this is also a great example of a participant employer thinking
creatively and evidencing a lot of lateral thinking in relation
to the deployment of workers."
62. This ability of the FJF to increase organisational
capacity, thereby generating a self-perpetuating cycle of job
creation, is proving itself to be one of the key strengths of
the FJF programme. This should be seen to maximum effect as the
economy begins to come out of recession and employers seek to
take on additional staff in response to increased business.
63. "The FJF has given us a
unique opportunity to take on young people and
to provide them with work opportunities in areas of potential
growth within our organisation. Without the FJF we probably would
not have taken this step and probably continued with our existing
staffing levels. Such has been the success of some of the
placements, that we are able to offer two full time permanent
posts on our smallholding and within our textile recycling facility."
- (FJF employer)
64. "As a small organisation with limited
resources CJIW has benefited significantly in terms of growing
capacity and extending reach amongst service-users. Furthermore,
significant added-value has been achieved from the introduction
to the organisation of young new staff who have brought in fresh
ideas and perspectives, particularly in terms of additional insight
into the needs of the local area, as well the needs of communities
of interest and identity, thereby helping CJIW to improve its
reach and effectiveness." - (FJF employer)
65. "The flexible structure of the scheme
has enabled the creation of a full-time post, with the FJF portion
acting as an employment subsidy. This pump-priming has, in turn,
led to the securing of ongoing funding to allow the post
to continue." - (FJF employer)
66. At this early stage, there is insufficient
evidence to draw conclusions about the long-term potential of
the programme to move people into sustained employment. At the
time of writing, the Rhyl City Strategy FJF scheme has seen 38%
of FJF employees completing the programme progressing into sustained
work, from a sample of 70 leavers. A further 10% of leavers have
moved into full-time education or training. Our current experience
certainly indicates that employers are adopting the scheme as
a genuine opportunity to offer a meaningful work placement to
a long term unemployed person, and that employers are seeking
to turn that short-term opportunity into a sustained job for the
right recruit wherever possible.
67. "I think that if this approach had
been in place when everything was much more vibrant economically
that we would have done some serious damage to reducing some quite
established long term unemployment, because I think the environment
would have had more capability to use this job creation exercise
to generate growth. For me the weakness has actually been consequent
upon the timing and focus being associated with short term impact
on joblessness amongst youth." - (LAB Board member)
68. Through its focus on hot-spots, the FJF provides
an excellent facility for targeting the most disadvantaged communities,
contributing towards tackling a culture of worklessness which
exists in some of our poorest communities. The fund has offered
an opportunity for community based organisations to develop their
activities, and to employ local community members. In this way,
the fund is actively supporting local regeneration activity and
creating new opportunities for the long term unemployed to become
involved in neighbourhood renewal. Over the longer tem, this offers
a powerful potential to create a new generation of people with
first hand experience of the voluntary and community sector who
will be well-positioned to participate in the Government's Big
Society proposals.
69. "The ARC Communities initiative with
CJIW (Community Justice in Wales) in Colwyn Bay has provided an
interface between youth and the homelessness agenda by employing
young people on FJF to deliver services to the homeless. In addition
to raising awareness in the young people, we have seen chaotic
service users responding to and valuing the input of these young
people, which has lead to breaking down barriers on both sides.
These young people have learned about and responded to the social
care medium which relates to the community cohesion agenda and
the "Big Society" - (LAB Board member)
PARTNERSHIP APPROACH
70. Rhyl City Strategy's FJF delivery model has
used a partnership approach, building on existing relationships
with organisations from the private, voluntary and community and
statutory sectors, developing local commitment and contacts, and
raising local capacity and interest in the agenda. The FJF scheme
has enabled Rhyl City Strategy to mobilise a network of local
employers to play an active role in tackling local youth unemployment
by creating a diverse and exciting range of new work opportunities.
The FJF has provided a flexible and highly effective mechanism
for engaging employers actively in the worklessness agenda.
71. By working through a locally based partnership,
the FJF has reached a network of employers that would otherwise
have never become involved in such a programme. In administering
the scheme locally, Rhyl City Strategy is facilitating networking
and liaison amongst its committed group of employers, and building
on this engagement to promote and raise awareness and take-up
of other employability programmes and provision eg Basic Skills
Employer Pledge/NVQs etc.
ADMINISTRATION
72. Employers have indicated that the administrative
processes associated with the FJF are far more straightforward
than with other schemes, with paperwork and reporting requirements
not proving too onerous. This in itself is encouraging continued
participation. The flexibility of the grant is also a strength
of the scheme, with employers able to use the grant to cover costs
of training and associated administration and overhead costs.
73. "The administration by Rhyl City
Strategy of the scheme has been straightforward and non-bureaucratic.
This has resulted in highly-efficient use of government resources,
with the direct financial benefits of the scheme accruing to the
young person and VCS organisation rather than being absorbed into
overhead and administrative costs." - (FJF employer)
WEAKNESSES OF
THE FJF PROGRAMME
FROM THE
PERSPECTIVE OF
PROVIDERS (INCLUDING
IN THE
THIRD SECTOR),
EMPLOYERS AND
YOUNG UNEMPLOYED
PEOPLE,
74. Local stakeholders have identified a number
of areas where the FJF programme could be improved upon.
75. There have been some issues with referrals
to vacancies not translating to jobstarts, either because advisors
have not been disseminating information on vacancies to jobseekers,
or because jobseekers have not been chasing up applications to
employers. In order to overcome this issue, Rhyl City Strategy
has established monthly jobfairs in partnership with Jobcentre
Plus, which have proved effective in matching eligible jobseekers
to vacancies.
76. The community benefit focus of the FJF limits
its potential to support business growth within the commercial
sector. This is particularly unfortunate, as in the current economic
climate, it is this sector which is most likely to be able to
offer permanent employment at the end of 26 weeks. Rhyl City Strategy
is constantly having to turn down applications from employers
keen to participate in the scheme where no community benefit can
be identified; eg a firm of solicitors, a carpet fitter &
a pub.
77. As JSA claimants, potential FJF employees
have had to be "available for work"; this has meant
that they have not been able to participate in pre-employment
training, even where funding for this has been available. This
opportunity could have helped prepare people for work, and helped
them to get the most of their 6 months' employment. FJF vacancies
were not available as work trials.
78. On the whole, employers have welcome the
straightforward administrative processes in involved with the
FJF programme. However, a minority of employers have found the
administration onerous, particularly as they are required to make
monthly rather than quarterly claims.
79. Competitive recruitment processes mean there
is a potential risk of employers "cherry picking" the
best candidates, with the "hardest to reach" left at
the end of the queue; employers can be reluctant to take on employees
with particular support needs. However, the additional resource
provided by the scheme does assist with this issue.
80. It is of particular concern that 16-17 year
olds are not eligible to participate in the programme.
81. As far as the FJF employees are concerned,
the main weakness of the scheme is the length of contract; they
would prefer to see an 8-12 month commitment from the employer,
with a greater number of minimum hours.
82. "There's no security if you're not
kept on, you face having to look for a new job which is very difficult
in our current economic climate." - (FJF employee)
83. "Six months isn't long enough; by
the time you have got into the rhythm of working, it's time to
look for another job. Also 21-and-under wages need to be addressed,
also the amount of hours needs to be more, maybe 30 hours minimum."
- (FJF employee)
84. "Obviously the fact you're not guaranteed
a permanent place, I knew it was only definite for six months
from the beginning but it is still disappointing, also I think
there should be more hours given instead of just 25."
- (FJF employee)
85. "I feel 8 -12 months would give people
a better opportunity to get more out of this course."
- (FJF employee)
THE LIKELY
IMPACT OF
THE DECISION
TO END
THE FJF IN
MARCH 2011 RATHER
THAN MARCH
2012
86. Rhyl City Strategy has found the decision
to end the FJF in March 2011 rather than March 2012 extremely
disappointing. We feel as a partnership that the positive gains
made locally will be at risk of being lost, along with the momentum
that has been growing around employer engagement. With the FJF
having only been in operation for a short period of time before
the decision was made to pull the funding, there has been no opportunity
to explore its full potential; the lessons will be lost before
the real gains have a chance to be realised.
87. "As is so often the case, we are
lurching towards abandoning something before we've really and
truly explored its full potential. So we once again have discontinuity
and undermine a really interesting piece of architecture."
- (LAB Board member)
88. The FJF has been an extremely powerful tool
in engaging employers in the worklessness agenda and in stimulating
local business growth through job creation; the programme has
helped to engender an optimism and confidence at a potentially
bleak time. Ending the FHF when the economic recovery is still
so fragile runs the risk of halting the growth of many small local
organisations, or worse.
89. "The ARK scheme would have folded
without the FJF programme." - (FJF employer)
90. "This programme has stabilized the
small businesses within this recession." - ( FJF Employer)
91. In previous recessions, it has taken five
years for youth employment to get back up to pre-recession levels;
the decision to end the programme early runs the risk of losing
momentum with employers, and destroying confidence in some of
our most disadvantaged communities.
92. "People will be disadvantaged again.
Back to square 1. Hot Spots will be back to where they were before
the FJF began." - (FJF Employer)
93. "One employer had wanted to increased
their placements to 10-12 next year, working in partnership with
other national organisations - everyone was disappointed that
this was no longer possible because of funding cuts."
- (FJF Employer)
94. "It's been a godsend for us. It's
a fantastic scheme, will be a big loss." - (FJF Employer)
95. The FJF employees themselves have their own
concerns about the impact of the loss of the scheme:
96. "Unemployment would rise and the
benefit of the cut would not be as significant as many positions
would disappear meaning the employees would go back on JSA, housing
benefits etc, which in some cases would equate to the FJF allowance
without giving work experience, confidence etc." - (FJF
employee)
97. "I personally think it would be a
STUPID idea to end FJF in 2011. It has given young people a chance
to get back into work. Without it there will be more young unemployed
people than ever. Maybe I'm being dramatic but there is a chance
that the more young people are unemployed then the more trouble
we'll have on the streets. It's better to have people in work
than hanging around on the streets causing trouble or sitting
at home doing nothing all day." - (FJF employee)
98. "More young people will be in jobs,
but soon there will be more people young and old in the job centre
struggling for job, finding jobs and the job centre struggling
to get everybody in on time." - (FJF employee)
99. This would leave a lot more people out of
a job and people would not have money to survive or do things
they enjoy doing and with people having nothing to do they will
need other ways to occupy themselves which could lead to a rise
in crime and drug use." (FJF employee)
HOW THE
TRANSITION FROM
FJF TO THE
WORK PROGRAMME
WILL BE
MANAGED, INCLUDING
THE PART
TO BE
PLAYED BY
THE GOVERNMENT'S
PROPOSAL TO
FUND NEW
APPRENTICESHIPS.
100. We are still awaiting information on how
the transition from FJF to The Work Programme will be managed.
At this stage, we would wish to see a Future Jobs Fund component
built into the model.
101. We have found the focus that the FJF gives
to recruitment from hotspot areas particularly effective in tackling
unemployment in disadvantaged communities, and would wish to see
a similar arrangement reflected in the new Work Programme.
102. "We welcome the opportunity to input
to the development of the new Work Programme to ensure the good
practices of reducing long term unemployment amongst young
people, particularly in deprived communities such as Rhyl, is
not lost. We would like to see that the commissioning arrangements
for the Work Programme help shape the relationship between the
Prime Contractor and the deprived communities they serve, to ensure
the impact of service delivery is measured not just on the outcome
of sustainable jobs, but on the economic regeneration of communities."
- (LAB Board member)
RECOMMENDATIONS
103. That the FJF programme is reinstated until
March 2012, giving time to develop an FJF component within the
new Work Programme. There should be continuity so that local working
relationships and good practice are not lost.
104. That any development of the FJF in the new
Work Programme should incorporate a model that has a particular
focus on targeting deprived communities at neighbourhood level.
105. That consideration is given to granting
the option of extending a Future Jobs Fund job for up to twelve
additional weeks, on submission of a business case. The employer
should be offered a gradually reducing subsidy during this additional
period.
106. MEETING
THE FJF EMPLOYEES
107. Lee Jagger - Admin Assistant - FJF
has now been completed and I have been offered a permanent position
and am now a "Trainee Assistant Manager".
108. Jennie Jones - Admin Assistant -
I am currently three months into my FJF contract, I find it encouraging
that they have already offered a previous FJF candidate a permanent
position.
109. Cy Williams - Recycling - After completing
my FJF scheme I have been offered a permanent position within
the company.
110. Daniel Gill - Farm Assistant - I
have completed my six months on Future Jobs and I have now secured
a permanent position within the company.
111. Lauren Roberts - Front of House -
Not happy at not being kept on but this is due to the financial
position of the company.
112. Chris Fone - Front of House - I am
not being kept on, however I will use my experience within my
FJF 6 months contract in the future for other employment.
113. Janine McSween - Admin Assistant
- I have completed the FJF project and have been kept on. During
my 6 months I had completed several courses and am currently in
the middle of completing my NVQ level 2 in Business and Administration.
My confidence has grown since being employed.
114. Lloyd Beattie - Admin Assistant -
I completed five months of my contract, but was fortunate enough
to apply for a permanent position within another company, using
the experience of my FJF placement.
115. Lloyd Buckley - Removals Assistant
- I am four months into my FJF and I'm positive that they will
offer me a permanent position at the end of it.
116. With me personally this scheme has succeeded
extremely well. I don't yet know if I am being kept on but even
if I'm not at least I have a reference and experience under my
belt. For anyone on the FJF a reference and experience are the
key elements even if someone isn't kept on. It looks better on
a reference that they were working for six months than being unemployed
not doing anything.
117. I think Future Jobs is good because it creates
work opportunities for young people out of work.
118. I think it is great that FJF gives young
people the experience in different things and all sorts of Jobs
and what jobs are out there.
119. Future Jobs is good because it gives you
experiences in different things. Future Jobs is good for young
people because it will found you a job and it's better to have
a job for six months and get the experiences needed for the future.
120. I think it has succeeded and is a brilliant
idea giving people the opportunity to earn experience which should
then stand them in good stead for their future employment
121. I think it is a really good scheme to get
young people off JSA and back into work. It does work and I do
think it's successful.
122. It's managed to get me into a completely
different line of work which I never thought I could get into.
Also, it has given me my independence back as I am no longer depending
on Job Seekers Allowance to get by.
123. It has succeeded ok and I think it has helped
old and young people to get back into work but disagree with only
a 6 month contract. I am very thankful that I got back into work
but will be gutted if I'm not kept on.
124. It helps you earn experience within the
six months for what trade or job you have. Gives you confidence
and helps you pay your bills instead of relying on JCP, housing
benefit and gives you the confidence to find a new job.
125. It has helped me get some construction experience
under my belt as I have never had the chance to learn a trade
until I came on this course. I had previously been unemployed
for seven months and without this I don't know what I would have
done. I have gained a CSCS card and a forklift truck license as
well which will hopefully improve my chance of getting a decent
job in the future.
126. The FJF gives another line of hope and confidence
to the long term unemployed
10 September 2010
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