Written evidence submitted
by Kirklees Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
OF MAIN
POINTS
- FJF has given those who would not compete well
a real chance to gain valuable work skills and earn income.
- FJF has helped breakdown stereotypical views
of what long term unemployed and young people bring to the work
place.
- FJF has allowed organisations to recruit from
a more diverse base of prospective employees - including more
younger people - which has enriched the organisation and given
their work a fresh perspective.
- Success comes from delivering FJF through strong
local partnerships.
- Over 50% of Kirklees FJF leavers are moving straight
to into further employment.
- The ending of the programme in March 2010 has
prevented more businesses and communities from benefiting from
the impacts.
EVIDENCE
The extent to which FJF has succeeded in matching
new work experience opportunities to young unemployed people
- FJF has helped people generate job opportunities
which have given those who would not traditionally have competed
as well as more able/skilled JSA customers a real chance to gain
valuable work skills and earn income.
- What has been quite profound for us is the ability
of a scheme like this to breakdown stereotypical views of what
long term unemployed and young people bring to the work place
- and to encourage that stigmatisation of what people are like
to be removed. I know that one of our legacies will be that local
employers will look on this group of people in a very different
light in the future when recruiting - and this has to be seen
as a real break through for reducing inequalities in the labour
market.
- We have also found that whilst many of the jobs
were for only 26 weeks that young people in particular were pleased
that they were able to gain valuable work experience to allow
them to progress in the labour market and to make more informed
choices about their future.
- Results to date show that 51% of leavers are
moving straight into further employment - this is exceptional
for these types of programmes.
- Sally Wilkinson Kirklees Active Leisure experience.
"I joined KAL on a six month government funded
job scheme. My job role is of the sales and membership assistant
to Karen Doyle. Since the day I started on 7 December I have enjoyed
every moment; everyone made me feel at ease straight away, which
enabled me to fit in easily within the existing team.
I enjoy completing the different jobs that I am set
on daily basis such as inputting customers details on plus2, Out
reach (making people aware of KAL and what we can offer them),
and dealing with customers on the phone giving them friendly helpful
advice.
Nothing is the same on a day to day basis which I
prefer as it gives me other challenges to achieve within the day.
I am still learning each day that I am with KAL,
and feel at ease due to the relaxed and helpful attitude of not
only Karen Doyle but all my work colleagues.
I hope that other people get the chance to have this
opportunity like I have, as I believe that working within KAL
has built my confidence within the working place benefiting me
for any future job that I may have."
Sally has completed her 26 week opportunity and is
now working for KAL as a Lifeguard (permanent position)
- Quote from "Steve" at Lifeline:
"I was really excited when I found out about
the opportunity, and even more pleased to find out I'd been successful.
Even though I'd kept myself busy and volunteered to learn new
skills, there is a stigma attached to not having a job and I feel
much better now I am paying my own way and getting on with my
life.
My past is well and truly behind me but I am so pleased
that I am being given this chance to help others; I can connect
easily with clients as I know what they are going through. Without
Future Jobs I would still be applying for jobs and working for
free, but now I'm thinking about the future and planning what
to do next."
The strengths and weaknesses of the FJF programme
from the perspective of providers and employers, particularly
in relation to the long-term sustainability of employment opportunities
- Local Authorities have provided a strong local
partnership framework to take forward this type of intervention
and to embed the support needed to move people to a sustainable
outcome within a local employment and skills infrastructure. We
are keen to boost the proportion of positive destination outcomes
and are supporting the appointment of an officer dedicated to
working with providers to improve the numbers of FJF employees
transferring directly into work or training
- Evidence has shown that where National Bidders
have worked in areas they have not been able to tap in to this
support framework and have been unable to properly support the
employee as well as they should have been.
- Since November 2010 320 long term unemployed
people have been offered work in Kirklees - 320 people who would
not otherwise have gained work with 52% of those who have now
completed gaining and staying in work - this is quite amazing
and just can not be underestimated in terms of its impact on people's
life There have been no other Government Schemes which have turned
out results like this in such a short amount of time, with our
local and regional Jobcentre Plus also agreeing with this claim.
- FJF has also contributed to the development and
capacity building of the third sector by allowing them to create
jobs to develop their organisation which they would not have been
able to. The third sector is able to be more creative and responsive
in the jobs they are creating than some larger and/or public sector
organisations and reductions in government spending may create
some opportunities for more sustainable jobs in this sector.
- Providers have reported that the FJF programme
has allowed them to recruit from a more diverse base of prospective
employees - including more younger people - which has enriched
the organisation and given their work a fresh perspective.
- Providers also report that FJF employees have
tackled the work enthusiastically and become valued and valuable
members of their teams.
- A key outcome, regardless of initial destination
for leavers from the programme, is the ability of an FJF participant
to be able to call in future on a recent, credible and detailed
reference when making applications to other organisations or institutions.
This cannot be underestimated particularly for young people who
may have had little or chaotic employment history and would have
been relying on school or college references which may be both
hard to secure, out of date or vague. Compounding this, many young
people will have changed behaviours and attitudes in the interim,
and it can be demoralising to have to feel that their past may
well be impacting adversely on their future opportunities many
years after the school relationship has ended.
- Comment from Alasdair Brown, KAL's Chief Executive:
"The Future Jobs Fund has provided KAL with
a group of enthusiastic young staff members, who have taken to
the range of tasks asked of them with energy and commitment.
Staff across the organisation have been pleasantly
surprised at the impact made by these young people and the positive
way in which they have completed the work set for them. Indeed,
many staff have found it hard to believe that the people appointed
have been unemployed for so long, such is their ability and approach.
KAL would certainly recommend any employer with the
opportunity to get involved in the FJF programme to do so and
to help develop the skills, self-confidence and ability of these
young people that will hopefully lead to their permanent employment
in the longer term."
The likely impact of the decision to end the FJF
in March 2011 rather than March 2012, which was the date originally
planned
- The Kirklees allocation of 742 jobs in total
is fully profiled to organisations, so the ending of the scheme
prevents current partners delivering more jobs and prevents new
partners from joining the programme - and we have had interest
in both.
- The high profile announcement of the ending of
the FJF scheme has led to some reduction in the profile amongst
potential applicants and Jobcentre Advisers which has made hard
work of generating applicants to jobs in existing contracts and
to some extent stalled the momentum we were creating locally.
- Kirklees Council and its partners have core ambitions
to provide a clear sense of direction, focusing on improvements
which will deliver a bright future for all our communities. The
recession makes life tougher for all of us, but here in Kirklees
we are seeking local solutions to a global problem, with one of
our top priorities being to help people in a very real way, making
a difference to their lives and trying to ensure there are good,
secure and better paid jobs. In addition, the Council wants to
close gaps in employment, wages, skills, housing, attainment and
health, and by achieving this, help reduce inequalities. Our partners
have shown real commitment and creativity in generating interesting
and rewarding job opportunities - this response is an indication
of how serious local organisations are in wanting to make a real
difference to people's lives. Ending the funding in 2012 is a
disappointing response to all our partners for the hard work,
commitment, ingenuity and early results of embracing the FJF programme.
- The absence of other dedicated funds (e.g. Failure
to secure WNF monies) was part of the impetus for selecting the
LAA (2008-11) Indicator NI153 (Reducing levels of worklessness
in the most disadvantaged parts of the District), as one of the
Councils Priority indicators. Analysis of the workless population
identified those parts of Kirklees where the benefit claim rate
was over 25% of the working age population. Twenty-one Super Output
Areas met this criteria at May 2007. FJF is a central pillar of
activity to address this agenda. The early closure of this programme
considerably reduces our ability to.
- Kirklees Council therefore sees the receipt of
FJF as being very important in the absence of other funding coming
in to the district to help those removed from the labour market
or at risk of becoming long term unemployed gain valuable work
skills to help them access local opportunities in the future.
This importance can be viewed through the Councils successful
application in the first round, the only Local Authority in West
Yorkshire to do so, to ensure help was made available as soon
as possible, for those who most need it.
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
- We welcome the Government's proposal to fund
new apprenticeships and recognise the value of accredited industry
standard qualifications. However, we also know that we need to
support a variety of options to ensure all those at disadvantage
in the labour market can access relevant and appropriate pathways
to employment.
- We would caution against too simplistic a response,
with a "one size fits all" approach. Our experience
shows that personalised plans which consider not only specific
work issues but wider issues that impact on the individual's ability
to sustain work - including housing, health, family and caring
responsibilities - lead to better longer tem outcomes.
- Our experience also shows that locally based
providers that can demonstrate a real commitment to the area and
the communities they serve.
- It is also important to make sure that the transition
is effected without a time lag which would disadvantage people
caught in the middle of two schemes. This means also giving sufficient
lead time for the providers to make adequate preparation to establish
the new scheme effectively.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The success of this scheme has been to offer
real jobs - the new Work Programme should retain this element.
2. Ways of involving the private sector as programme
partners should be fully investigated to maximise the opportunities
for job creation.
3. The delivery focus should remain local - where
established networks and partnerships offer real added value to
any programme.
17 September 2010
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