Meeting documents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REGENERATION AND ENVIRONMENT/

SCHOOLS, CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY PANEL

 

 

 

 

 

CAREERS ADVICE AND GUIDANCE REVIEW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEBRUARY 2013

 

 

Foreword by the Chairs of the Regeneration and Environment and Schools, Children and Young People’s Overview and Scrutiny Panel

 

At a meeting of the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel in September 2012, the Panel was provided with a report updating Councillors on the work of the Private Sector-led Work and Skills Partnership Board. 

 

The report presented provided a full assessment of Doncaster’s present position, work completed by the Board in recent months and an outline of what is planned in the remainder of 2012/13 municipal year.  It was explained that in order to address challenges faced within the Borough, the focus of the partnership is aimed to reduce unemployment and the number of NEETS across the borough. 

 

Councillors from both the Regeneration and Environment and Schools and Children and Young People therefore joined forces and decided to focus on a review addressing and understanding ‘Careers Advice and Guidance’ to children and young people within Doncaster pre and post 16.

 

We are therefore delighted to present the findings of this recent scrutiny review which includes recommendations made by the working group in response to some key questions raised by Members.

 

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the review including Councillors, Local Authority officers, partners, stakeholders and particularly the young people from the Doncaster Youth Council who gave up their time to support the work of this group and who are much appreciated.

 

We look forward to receiving the response to our findings and recommendations made.

 

 

 

 

Councillor Tony Revill	Councillor Hilary McNamee
Chair of the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel	Chair of Schools, Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel

Contents

 

 

Item                                                                         Page Number

 

 

Executive Summary                                                            4                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

Focus of the Review                                                            5

 

Method of Investigation                                                       5

 

Timescale                                                                           5

 

Membership of the Joint Working Group                               5 - 6  

 

Contributors                                                                        6 - 7

 

Background                                                                        7 - 10

 

Evidence Gathered – What Members Learnt                        10 - 17

 

Conclusions and Recommendations                                     18 - 20

 

Acknowledgements                                                             21

 

 

 

 

Executive Summary

 

The following recommendations were made by the Regeneration and Environment/Schools Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny joint working group as its final meeting on the 11^th February 2013. The reasons for the recommendations are detailed later in the report.

 

The group therefore recommended that: -

 

1.       A report is presented to the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel in autumn 2013 detailing progress with apprenticeship programmes and progress of the Work and Skills Board, following consideration of the proposed Cabinet decision entitled Investing in Apprenticeships, Skills and Jobs.

         

2.       The action proposed for Careers Advice and Guidance School Governor Champions be supported and propose that co-ordinated support package/guidelines be developed to assist all appointed Governors, including local authority Councillors in their role.

         

3.       The programme, actions and priorities of the Work and Skills Board, be supported.

         

4.       The proposed Cabinet decision; Investing in Apprenticeships, Skills and Jobs, be supported.

         

5.       Further investigation is carried out into how the parental role can be further utilised and access can be increased to career advice and information through the Work and Skills Board programme and actions.

         

6.       The work of the Children and Young People’s Management Team in holding the remaining Local Education Authority (LEA) and Academy schools to account with regard to the quality of careers advice and guidance being provided, be supported.

         

7.       The development of a Doncaster Council quality mark to be awarded to trainers/employers, be considered.

         

8.       Consideration is given to what could be applied from the Barnsley IAG network to support Doncaster’s programme, bearing in mind the differing landscapes.

         

 

FOCUS OF THE REVIEW

 

1.               To Understand and Address Careers Advice and Guidance to Children And Young People Within Doncaster Pre And Post 16.  

 

METHOD OF INVESTIGATION

 

2.               At its meeting on the 3^rd September 2012, the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel considered a report updating them on the work of the Work and Skills Partnership Board.  As part of the recommendations, the Panel agreed that a joint working group should be formed with members from the Schools, Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

 

3.               The Regeneration and Environment and Schools Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel separately agreed the membership of the review group at meetings that took place on the 3^rd and 11^th September 2012 respectively.

 

Scoping Meeting

 

4.               There was a meeting of the Regeneration and Environment and Schools, Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel Chairs and Vice Chair and key officers on 17 October, 2012 to discuss the scope of the review.

 

5.               The Regeneration and Environment and Schools, Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel met on the 19^th November, 2012 and 26^th November, 2012 to respectively note the scope of the review.

 

TIMESCALE

 

6.               It was initially agreed that the review would be undertaken during December 2012.  This was later changed as the group requested further information to be considered and it was therefore agreed that a later meeting would be held in February 2013, with final recommendations taken to the Panel’s formal meeting on 18^th March, 2013.

 

MEMBERSHIP OF THE JOINT WORKING GROUP

 

Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel

 

Councillor Richard Cooper-Holmes (Chair)

Councillor Nuala Fennelly

Councillor Yvonne Woodcock

Councillor Monty Cuthbert

 

 

Schools, Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel

 

Councillor Rachel Hodson (Vice Chair)

Councillor Andrew Bosmans

Councillor Tracey Leyland-Jepson

Councillor Alan Jones

Councillor Doreen Woodhouse

 

Full Membership of the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny panel

 

·             Chair - Councillor Tony Revill	·             Councillors Deborah Hutchinson
·             Vice-Chair - Councillor Richard Cooper-Holmes	·             Councillors Ken Keegan
·             Councillors Nuala Fennelly	·             Councillors Ted Kitchen
·             Councillors Bob Ford	·             Councillors David Nevett
·             Councillors Stuart Hardy	·             Councillors John Sheppard
·             Councillors Yvonne Woodcock	·             Councillors Paul Wray.
·             Councillor Richard A Jones	·

 

Invitee: 

Paul Smillie (Unite)

Paul O'Brien (GMB)

 

Full Membership of the Schools, Children And Young People Scrutiny Panel

 

·             Councillor Hilary McNamee	·             Councillor Richard A Jones
·             Councillor Rachel Hodson	·             Councillor Jane Kidd
·             Councillor Joe Blackham	·             Councillor Sue McGuinness
·             Councillor Andrew Bosmans	·             Councillor Sue Wilkinson
·             Councillor Monty Cuthbert	·             Councillor Doreen Woodhouse
·             Councillor Sandra Holland	·             Councillor Alan Jones
·             Councillor Tracey Leyland-Jepson

 

Co-opted Members:

·             Mr J Parkes – Parent Governor Primary Sector

·             Mr J Hoare – Diocese of Sheffield Church of England

 

Invitees:

·             Mr J Board – UNISON

·             Mr B Parkinson - JPOC

 

CONTRIBUTORS

 

·                   Philip Harris – Chief Executive, Doncaster Chamber

·                   Dan Fell – Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Doncaster Chamber

·                   Andrew Best – Partner, HSR Law

·                   Ian Hanks – External Strategic Partnership Manager for Job Centre Plus

·                   George Trow – Principal of Doncaster College

·                   Pam Bolderson - Head of Connexions/IAG Lead

·                   Jane Vose - Head of Service for Learner Engagement

·                   Lee Tillman - Head of Strategy and Programmes

 

Meetings

 

The following meetings took place as part of the review: -

 

·                 6^th December 2012 – Youth Council Meeting

 

Information gathering session attended by 17 Youth Councillors who provided responses to a series of questions posed by Members in relation to their views around careers and guidance.

 

·                 11^th December 2012 – Careers & Guidance Review Meeting

 

Meeting took place to receive and discuss a range of information and views from key partners and stakeholders.

 

·                 11^th February 2012 – Careers & Guidance Review Meeting

 

Meeting took place to receive further information on the work being undertaken in the school and progress of the work and skills partnership board.

 

BACKGROUND

 

Doncaster’s Current Economic Position in Relation to Work and Skills

 

7.          In order to ensure the Borough’s economic growth, there is a need to:

 

·             Understand what skills our businesses need to grow and to match this demand; and

·             Ensure that the Borough’s Young people leave statutory education equipped with the basic skills and knowledge (Maths, English and Employability skills) to enable a positive transition into work and prevent them becoming not in employment, education or training (NEET).

 

8.           It is recognised that skilled, well-trained staff are more efficient, motivated and productive, leading to more competitive businesses.  Conversely, those areas with the highest percentage of people with no/low skills are most vulnerable to either economic downturn or recession.

 

9.          In the context of increasing unemployment in the Borough, including 15% of our 18-24 year olds being out of work, it is acknowledged that the need for us to meet this skills challenge is critical.  Within this, there is also a need to raise aspirations and engagement of young people and their families and to offer real alternatives to a meaningful career away from higher education routes and for them to contribute to wider society.

 

Skills: The Current position

 

10.       According to the latest Labour Market statistics published by the Office for National Statistics, the skills of our people still lag behind those in other areas.  It was noted that:

 

·                 Only 1 in 5 of Doncaster’s residents have a qualification at Level 4 or above which is significantly below both the national average and the regional average;

·                 The percentage of people with qualifications at Levels 2 or 3 and above has increased however, with the gap to the regional and national average narrowing as a result.  Nearly 43% of our residents have a Level 3 qualification or above (up from 41% in 2010), whilst 64% of residents have a Level 2 qualification or above (up from 61% in 2010);

·                 Fewer people now have ‘no qualifications’, although at 15.2% there remains a significant gap to the regional and national average.

 

11.       Improving skills, linked to the demands of our businesses, is therefore of critical importance to the wider economy:

 

·                 Those areas with the highest percentage of the population with low educational outcomes and skills are most vulnerable to recession/downturn;

·                 Lagging areas (like Doncaster) need to focus on getting the basics right (Maths, English, basic employability skills) so individuals can  achieve a positive transition post statutory education, change careers, be more resilient in time of economic downturn and business can be confident that employees have the necessary skills;

·                 It is likely that more jobs in the future will require higher skills (Level 3) and there will be fewer jobs at Level 2 and below – so getting the right education and skills platform is crucial in making a positive transition to post statutory education and employment.

 

The Role of the Work and Skills Board

 

12.       In March 2012, a Private Sector-led Work and Skills Partnership was set up in direct response to the challenge outlined above.  Chaired by Nigel Brewster (Managing Director, Brewster McBride and Skills chair for the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership), it has representation from a range of local businesses, Doncaster College, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, Job Centre Plus, Primary School and Secondary School Headteachers and the Council to deliver the skills in the borough that our businesses need to grow and ensure our residents get in work and stay in work.  The partnership is about bringing together a greater understanding of the current issues and work towards breaking down barriers.  Part of work has involved talking and working with employers and stakeholders to identify what their needs are in the current economy in terms of skills and employment. 

 

The Board’s aims are as outlined as follows:

 

·                     Doncaster taking control of its own destiny making the most of current national opportunities/funding;

·                     Taking action now to respond to large increases in youth unemployment;

·                     Co-ordinated action, improved leadership and accountability through this partnership;

·                     Delivery of a single set of actions with the Borough’s resources aligned behind them to get the messages to business/individuals;

·                     Ensuring some simple key messages are communicated;

·                     Work with the education and training sector (primary, secondary, special and Pupil referral units) to ensure young people leave school equipped with the skills employers desire (Maths, English and basic employability skills); and

·                     Be open to positive challenge, and scrutiny from business, public and private sector partners.

         

Partnership Work Undertaken To Date

 

13.       Partnership efforts so far have focused on laying the foundations for effectively improving skills and job prospects for the future. 

 

·                      Work has nearly been completed on establishing the level and quality of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) given to Children and Young People and Adults across the Borough.  It is viewed that good quality careers advice, linked to the needs and wants of existing businesses, is absolutely crucial in allowing people to make informed decisions about what qualifications they want to undertake.  This work is informing the procurement of a ‘portal’ for pupils, teachers, and people looking for apprenticeships or employment opportunities to access in the future to guide their future intentions.

 

·            A comprehensive ‘Labour Market Information’ survey has been undertaken with 1,000 local businesses to effectively establish the state of the local economy and to establish what support businesses need in order to grow.  Questions related to:

 

o        Changes to the workforce over the previous 12 months to gain an idea of business demand;

o        The skills of the current workforce; and

o        Future plans for recruitment.

 

It is the intention that the results of the survey will guide the development of the ‘portal’ as described above, any changes to ‘Business Support’ offered by Partner organisations that are required and to identify whether any training provision by our providers is either missing or lacking the quality required by our businesses.  The outcomes of these results are included in Paragraph 19 and Appendix 1.

 

·                 Finally, a large amount of discussion with Private Sector firms has taken place to promote local job opportunities, including the creation of graduate/apprenticeship programmes and to support future major programmes such as the Inland Port.

 

EVIDENCE GATHERED – What Members Learnt

 

Provision Mapping Information (16-19 Provision and 19-24 Apprenticeship data)

 

14.       Doncaster has a very different learning landscape compared to its South Yorkshire neighbours and many other parts of the country.

 

15.       Doncaster has a large number of school sixth forms. Many of which are small in size.  In Doncaster, there are approximately 62% who are in the sixth form, which is almost double of those not in the sixth form post 16 due to the high number of sixth forms in place.  It was commented that there needs to be a valid alternative for those young people for whom the sixth form is not a valid option.  It was later commented that some young people are making the right choices after 16 but that there are others who are not and have to go back and begin again after 17.  Concern was raised about the Governments plans to increase the participation age to which all young people in England must continue in education or training (requiring them to continue until the end of the academic year in which they turn 17 from 2013 and until their 18th birthday from 2015).

 

16.       That young people are travelling outside of the Borough, although it was acknowledged that individuals will naturally go to the closest location to where they live such as which college they choose to go to. For example, Don Valley is approximately one mile outside of a DN postcode and therefore shows Doncaster residents going outside of the Borough to continue their education although it is likely because it is the nearest.

 

17.       The data below represents the number of learning aims on which learners are engaged, learning aims as recorded here are not all of the same length or “volume of learning”, for example many of the Preparation for Life and Work qualifications have a very low number of learning hours. Therefore simply counting learning aims is not a true comparison of the volume of learning undertaken.  It was commented by one Member that the figures may be indicative of how much effort schools are preparing young people in the pre-16 age groups.

 

Further Education Provision Mix

 

Enrolments	2011/12						2011/12 Total
SSA Tier 1	Entry Level	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Other Level	Entitlement
Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care	5	69	70	45			189
Arts, Media and Publishing		63	93	489			645
Business, Administration and Law	4	77	92	155			328
Construction, Planning and the Built Environment	23	214	95	35			367
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies	16	227	291	113			647
Health, Public Services and Care	209	606	540	361			1,716
Information and Communication Technology	11	37	63	118			229
Languages, Literature and Culture		1	23	131			155
Leisure, Travel and Tourism	8	341	118	156			623
Preparation for Life and Work	3,010	2,946	876	397	82		7,311
Retail and Commercial Enterprise	45	184	362	102			693
Science and Mathematics		1	64	330			395
Not Applicable					805		805
Social Sciences				124			124
History, Philosophy and Theology				104			104
Entitlement						2,896	2,896
Grand Total	3,331	4,766	2,687	2,660	887	2,896	17,227

 

18.       In reference to post 16 regarding the number of young people classed as NEETS (Not in Education Employment or Training) the percentage was 6% for post 16 and 2.8% not known.

 

Labour Market Information (LMI) Survey

 

19.       A comprehensive ‘Labour Market Information’ survey was carried out and the results were presented to the group.  Members were informed that out of 6,000 businesses contacted 613 (13%) completed the survey.  The information presented to the group showed which areas/subjects the local economy are looking for from potential candidates. 

 

The following observations and comments included: -

 

a.           In terms of high end skills, the numbers of individuals in Doncaster who have an engineering background were questioned as some Members felt that the skills levels for this sector were still available.

b.           That Doncaster only has a low number of its own graduates and many leave Doncaster to train and look for employment outside of the Borough.  It was acknowledged that local opportunities for graduates are low.

c.           It was also noted that many graduates who move away from Doncaster do not stay or return as they do not find Doncaster an attractive place to live.

d.           It was recognised that it is very difficult in current climate to find work and that it was a very competitive and set against the backdrop of benefit changes.

e.           There was a brief discussion on apprenticeships and a number of views expressed.  Observations were raised on whether the issue of apprenticeships was merely the current ‘vogue’.  From a private sector led point of view, it was noted that for a business, an apprentice will not ‘hit the ground running’ and it was commented that a business may benefit more from a higher level skilled graduate who will also gain more work experience.  It was also noted that apprenticeships generally engage more with younger people and offer a financial incentive.

f. It was noted that more thought needs to be given regarding what Doncaster economy looks like and what this means.

g.           Regarding the labour market, the group was informed that although there is the perception that there are no jobs, this is not necessarily the case.  In terms of the Doncaster labour market, it was outlined that it is heavily influenced by many agency jobs but that those jobs although temporary could lead to permanent employment and enable individuals to gain more work experience and therefore be more marketable.

 

Feedback from Youth Council Meeting – 6^th December 2012

 

20.       From the meeting held on the 6^th December 2012 with members of the Doncaster Youth Council, feedback was provided in relation to a series of questions.  The following key points from the information provided at meeting included: -

 

·  Advised where to go to through school;

·  All young people know to approach Connexions for careers advice and guidance – on numerous levels e.g. Groups, individual and class based;

·  Social media is an excellent source of information but young people need the drive to use this mechanism;

·  Wish to see more information offered at schools and libraries;

·  Would like more one to one discussions;

·  Too much general information, needs something more personalised;

·  Not enough support when go to college;

·  Generally young people did not feel prepared for work and wished for more work experience, but in the current climate this was difficult, even voluntary work; 

·  Felt biggest gap was that students did not know what they wanted to do when they left school, so were unable to prepare themselves;

·  Instilled that they must achieve good English and Maths GCSE grades.  School pressure to achieve good grades but do not look at practical life working skills;

·  Lack of understanding what the labour market needs but it was essential to be hard working, motivated and have experience;

·  No sufficient knowledge and were not aware of national skill requirements – information is sought by own research;

·  University is pushed to everyone with not enough vocational/apprenticeship opportunities;

·  Lot of emphasis on vulnerable students;

 

21.                                                                                                                                                                                                         In response to the feedback, it was agreed that the views of the Youth Council mirrored those of the business community and that it was the section in the middle that caused a problem.  It was noted that post 16, young people know where they are going but when it is post 19 that they found it difficult to decide what happens next and only appeared to know about the Job Centre Plus at this point. Regarding apprenticeships, it was commented that these did not necessarily lead to jobs.  It was also commented that sometimes the brightest children were those that received the least help.

 

22.       It was noted during the meeting that it was not always about the young person’s own decision and that on occasion they are influenced by another person such as a family member or teacher etc.  It was commented that those young people who are not academic do not necessarily know what they want, how to get there and also feel that there is nothing out there for them.  It was also felt that young people are not quite as realistic as they should be about the opportunities out there. 

 

Not in Education or Employment and Training (NEETS)

 

23.       It was acknowledged that in respect of NEETS (Not in Education or Employment) significant steps had been undertaken.  In respect of the age group 19-24 year olds who are classified as NEETS it was recognised that there are a number of these who have Level 3 Education and waiting for employment. 

 

Schools

 

24.           It was commented that it is important to get the messages into schools at a very early stage.  Concern was expressed that there are disaffected children who are never going to achieve GCSEs and also those that will go from school to ‘A ‘Levels and then to University but have no idea about what to do or what is needed.  Concern was also expressed about those responsible for providing the necessary guidance and advice to young people in schools and felt that teachers were in need of more life experience in order to carry out this role, it was also questioned whether Teachers should be undertaking that role.

 

25.           It was observed that young people are not aware of whom the major businesses are in Doncaster and what they have to offer and some Members felt that businesses needed to start going into schools. A Member expressed concern that as a local authority it was unable to provide the link with schools and employers. It was noted that schools were being more reactive and also don’t have the resources in place.  The potential role of parents was referred to and it was commented that they were an untapped resource that would be of no cost. It was commented that in respect of what schools are providing heads are placing a cost on what they can provide.  It was suggested that perhaps Governors should be questioned whether this is sufficient for young people.

 

Children’s University

 

26.           There was a conversation about Children’s University and an explanation was provided to Members about what they are and what they entailed.  It was outlined that it had been running for 6 years although more had accessed it in the last few years, that of 500 primary schools, 13 engage with the scheme and that although secondary schools are invited to participate, none have chosen to so.  Members of the working group commented that they had not been made aware of this provision, asked why Councillors aren’t involved and asked for further information to be circulated.  It was explained that it had been reported in the press and that Officers and some Members had been involved or made aware.  It was suggested that it could go through the Governors Support function and get it into the leadership newsletter.

 

Post 17

 

27.           It was suggested that perhaps more thought should be given to the changes that occur educationally Post 17 for those who have made decisions made at 16 plus which not worked out.  Reference was again made to the concerns about raising the participation age.

 

Pilot Scheme – Placements

 

28.           The group was informed about an exercise that had taken place where 60 students had gone through a reality based selection process which had resulted in 3 ‘mini internships’ where all had resulted in positive feedback and 1 had a potential job.  Concern was raised by some Members about the 57 students who were not successful in gaining a place.  The group was informed that the idea had come out of the private sector and that businesses were getting more disappointed with the quality of the young people being placed on work experience.  It was noted that perhaps the experience for those 57 students not chosen could be used in a positive way for example, being about the selection process and that  jobs are not readily available in the real world and that employers benefited from having a young person that was more suitable and ready for the placement.

 

Our Role as a Local Authority

 

29.       The local authority has a strategic leadership role and could only use powers available it.  It was believed that there are lots of people working in silos that need to start communicating more effectively to become more aware of what one another is doing and to think more about what can be achieved without requiring extra resources. Positive steps need to be taken to establish the right mechanism and creating a framework to achieving a quality offer from having such an ad-hoc process in place.  A Member emphasised that it was important to get the mechanism right and get expert advice to young people through other avenues such as charity organisations and Youth Clubs.

 

Job Centre Plus

 

30.       The group was informed that although Job Centre Plus do not offer guidance they do signpost where needed.  There are a handful of young people who are seeking Job Seekers Allowance at the ages of 16/17 through hardship.  It was outlined that for the 18-24 age range, this group is more difficult as there are remote packages made available through youth contracts.  Regarding jobs, it was acknowledged that there are individuals who will avoid it but the vast majority do want to work and it’s about how they can be helped.  Job Centre Plus also invite partnership organisations in to work with as it is recognised that they cannot work alone.  The aim is to get people off the register and focus more on individuals getting a job rather than establishing a career.  Some of the areas that they are involved in include young people - interventions, group sessions, apprenticeship schemes, curriculum vitae (CV) preparation, and basic interview techniques and are currently developing group sessions for 50+.

 

Network Information Advice Guidance (IAG) in Barnsley

 

31.       An explanation was provided about Network IAG in Barnsley that was formed in response to the Borough’s high NEETs statistics.  It was outlined that a collaborative was formed to help schools meet their statutory duties and provide impartial and independent careers guidance package for pupils.  Members were informed that the system works well for Barnsley but it was noted that Doncaster’s landscape was completely different to that in Barnsley, recognising that the Borough only had one college and one sixth form. 

 

32.       The group discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the collaborative and questioned whether it was something that could be delivered through the Doncaster Association for Training Manager (DATM).

 

33.       As parents have such strong supporting and influential roles in their child’s life, concern was expressed with regard to how and what information was available to them.  It was suggested that perhaps the issue could be addressed through Parent and Teacher Associations, but this was the responsibility of the school.

 

Future Work

 

Moving forward

 

34.       During the remainder of 2012/13, the Partnership’s focus is on the following programmes that should reduce unemployment and the number of NEETs across the Borough:

 

·             Working up the delivery elements of the ‘City Deal’– this includes creating 4,000 new Apprentices between 2013 and 2016 across the City Region, including 640 + 320 upskillings of existing staff upskill  in Doncaster;

·             Delivery of a product that brings up-to-date Careers Information, Advice and Guidance in one place to pupils, teachers, job seekers and businesses alike;

·             Continuing close work with the Prime Contractors of major Government-backed programmes such as the Work Programme to ensure our local people can take advantage of the opportunities on offer from local employers;

·             Following the completion of the Local Market Information survey ensuring that the Borough’s training provision, the careers guidance offered to Children and Young People and Adults and the business support offered to new and existing businesses is matched against the results found; and

·             The Council will continue to develop and deliver programmes to better connect local people to local jobs, with a particular focus on Procurement.

 

35.       Work has also included working on a framework and the purchase and implementation of a portal to provide better access for pre 16 age groups for careers, advice and guidance.

 

Challenging Academies

 

36.           Meetings are taking place with all Doncaster’s secondary schools to identify and evaluate the careers advice and guidance currently being provided.  An update to the group identified those that were and were not meeting the statutory requirements.  Chris Pratt, Director of Children and Young People’s Service had been informed of the schools not meeting the statutory requirement and that they would be challenged by the Directorates management team.

 

37.       The group was informed that some schools had invested in a careers advisor providing 1 to 2 days per week at the school, but this was a reduction in what the Local Authority had provided, that being 3 to 4 days per week.  The group was of the opinion that current provision was light touch and expressed concern that many children would not receive good support when trying to choose a career path.  Councillors were pleased that a mechanism was in place to challenge schools on a number of issues, if it was thought they were providing an inadequate service.

 

38.       School Governing bodies currently appoint champions for specialist roles, for example, safeguarding.  The establishment of Governing Body Champions was proposed for Careers Advice and Guidance, but this would be a voluntary decision made by schools.  It would be approached and promoted through presentations to Secondary Head and Governors’ forum.

 

Funding

 

39.       To support delivery of the work and skills board, it was acknowledged that Doncaster MBC could contribute £120,000 until end of March however any carryover would require approval.

 

40.       Sheffield City Region had funding allocations of between £24 to £25m.  It was agreed with Sheffield City Council (as accountable body for the deal with Government) that Doncaster Council receives £640K grant funding to operate the Doncaster Hub.  This will help deliver the additional 640 apprenticeships and 320 people upskilled over the next 3 years. 

 

41.       It was explained that through work undertaken as part of the Labour Market Information there had been 50 to 60 small businesses interested in such an initiative.  The Council would be responsible for ensuring the Apprenticeships were of a certain standard/length and completed.  The programme would be run through an existing mechanism rather than adding an extra provider in the Borough.  The programmes would be demand led but aimed at businesses with 0 to 50 employees, additional to those that already actively provide apprenticeships.  It was explained that the funding was not for wage replacement but aimed at sustainable employment growth in the borough.

 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

         

1.          A report is presented to the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel in autumn 2013 detailing progress with apprenticeship programmes and progress of the Work and Skills Board, following consideration of the proposed Cabinet decision entitled Investing in Apprenticeships, Skills and Jobs.

 

        Reason:  Panel members would like to be updated on the information that they have received in relation to the work that is taking place with by the Work and Skills Board looking at employer led approaches and what the framework will look like.  Progress is also required on the potential delivery of an additional 640 apprenticeships and 320 people upskilled over the next 3 years through £640K grant funding provided to Doncaster Council to operate the Doncaster Hub (subject to Cabinet approval).

 

2.     The action proposed for Careers Advice and Guidance School Governor Champions be supported and propose that co-ordinated support package/guidelines be developed to assist all appointed Governors, including local authority Councillors in their role.

 

Reason:  School Governing bodies currently appoint champions for specialist roles, for example, safeguarding.  The establishment of Governing Body Champions was proposed for Careers Advice and Guidance, but this would be a voluntary decision made by schools.  It would be approached and promoted through presentations to Secondary Head and Governors’ forum.  Member of the group was supportive of this approach although felt that they needed to be equipped with the relevant information, knowledge and support in order to undertake this role.

 

3.     The programme, actions and priorities of the Work and Skills Board, be supported.

 

Reason:  The group showed support of the Work and Skills Partnership who had agreed the following priorities and delivery agreements:

 

Priority 1     –    Improve the employability competencies of those in Education;

Priority 2     –    Promote the value of apprenticeships and internships to businesses to make it easier to them to recruit; and

Priority 3     –   Attract and retain graduates in the borough

 

The full set of priorities and actions to be delivered in 2013 can be viewed in Appendix 2.

 

4.     The proposed Cabinet decision; Investing in Apprenticeships, Skills and Jobs, be supported.

 

Reason:  Sheffield City Region had funding allocations of between £24 to £25m.  It was agreed with Sheffield City Council (as accountable body for the deal with Government) that Doncaster Council receives £640K grant funding to operate the Doncaster Hub and stimulate demand.  Access to the remaining funding is dependent on the level of demand generated through by Doncaster businesses.  This will help deliver the additional 640 apprenticeships and 320 people upskilled over the next 3 years.  The Chair of the Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Panel recently supported these proposals which the group fully endorsed.

 

42.       Further investigation is carried out into how the parental role can be further utilised and access can be increased to career advice and information through the Work and Skills Board programme and actions.

 

Reason:  The potential role of parents was referred to and it was commented that they were an untapped resource that would be of no cost.  It was felt that there is potential as parents have such strong supporting and influential roles in their child’s life, however, concern was expressed with regard to how and what information was available to them.  One suggestion was that perhaps the issue could be addressed through Parent and Teacher Associations, but ultimately this was the responsibility of the school.  It was felt that the potential role of parents was something that should be looked into further.

 

6.     The work of the Children and Young People’s Management Team in holding the remaining Local Education Authority (LEA) and Academy schools to account with regard to the quality of careers advice and guidance being provided, be supported.

 

        Reason:  The statutory guidance to provide of face to face Careers Guidance was transferred to Schools from September 2012 and replaced with the requirement to provide access to impartial and independent careers guidance.  Meetings are taking place with all secondary schools to identify and evaluate the careers advice and guidance currently being provided.  The group was pleased to hear that those schools not meeting the statutory requirement and that they would be challenged be the Schools, Children and Young People’s management team.

 

7.           The development of a Doncaster Council quality mark to be awarded to trainers/employers, be considered.

 

        Reason:  It was felt that by offering a quality mark to trainers/employers in providing employment/training for apprenticeships would improve the quality and range of pre-employment programmes and training.  A higher standard of service could also be established as well as achieving a certain level of information, provision and consistency amongst providers and recognition.

 

8.           Consideration is given to what could be applied from the Barnsley IAG network to support Doncaster’s programme, bearing in mind the differing landscapes.

 

Reason: Further to discussion at the meeting in December, information was provided on the Network IAG in Barnsley, formed in response to the Borough’s high NEETs statistics.  This collaborative was formed to help schools meet their statutory duties and provide and impartial and independent careers guidance for pupils.

 

It was recognised that the system works well for Barnsley but it was noted that Doncaster’s landscape was completely different to that in Barnsley, recognising that the Borough only had one college and one sixth form.    The group discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the collaborative and questioned whether it was something that could be delivered through the Doncaster Association for Training Manager (DATM).  It was felt that this was something that could be considered further to see whether there is anything Doncaster could apply from it which would bring benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

 

The Schools Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel would like to thank, for their time and information, the following people:

 

 

 

 

 

DEMAND: LMI Headlines	Businesses want to employ local people and understand the importance of training Less than half of businesses agree that Doncaster has a talented workforce Experience is valued over qualifications and there is an acceptance that people may have spent a period out of work Half of firms agree that attitude is the most important requirement for the job, placing a focus on careers advice/education Majority of firms disagreed that they had to look for Doncaster for the right level of staff, but not at higher levels Business/commercial skills of staff is not strongly endorsed Quality of local training provision queried by a large proportion of the sample Most sole traders surveyed have no plans to expand Low intended take-up of staff through Work Programme/Youth Contract/Apprenticeships schemes Graduates find it difficult to find opportunities at the ‘right level’ for them in the Borough
SUPPLY: Present Skills Data	The skills of our people lag well behind other areas, particular at Level 4+.  It would cost c. £275m to bring our Skills profile to the national standard, assuming a 70% success rate Our Skills profile has a direct bearing on our economic performance; Doncaster’s GVA per head is less than the City Region average, leading to a £221m productivity gap with the City Region average Aside from supply, Doncaster’s workforce needs to take advantage of economic opportunities ‘in the pipeline’, for example major schemes such as the Inland Port which must be accounted for in any Information, Advice & Guidance
SUGGESTED PRIORITIES	“Pointing People in the right direction”; Improve Information Advice & Guidance at all levels, linked to economic opportunities	Improve the quality & range of pre-employment programmes & training	Increase the number of Apprentices our businesses take on	Develop high-end Skills by generating Graduate-level opportunities & improving the leadership capabilities of our businesses
SUGGESTED PROGRAMMES	·     Development of a ‘Work & Skills Governor’ network in Schools to communicate LMI/economic opportunities with teachers, Parents et.al ·     Delivery of robust IAG product(s) for our young people, rolled out to Secondary Schools/Colleges as a minimum	·     Regular & effective scrutiny on the quality of provision ·     Improved links to Work Programme/Youth Contract providers to improve delivery ·     Deliver the Logistics Academy, linked to Inland Port ·     Introduce ‘oversight’ of School-affiliated Work experience	·    Deliver at least 640 new Apprenticeships across the Borough between 2013 and 2016 through the City Deal-funded ‘Apprenticeship Hub’ ·     Regular & effective scrutiny on the quality of existing provision	·    Create public/private Partnerships to generate Graduate opportunities/internships ·    Support the Private Sector to put a bid relating to ‘Leadership/Management’ into the Employer Ownership of Skills Fund (2013)
All priorities must also account for targeted marketing/communication campaigns (as needed) and must properly scrutinise present standard of relevant provision

 

Action Points from WORK and SKILLS PARTNERSHIP BOARD

1^st FEBRUARY 2012

 

PART 1: Presentation of Work and Skills Priorities for 2013

 

Mark Clapham and Mathew Lynds presented the suggested Work and Skills priorities and programmes for 2013, accounting for the results of the recent LMI Survey.

 

The Board agreed three main priorities for 2013:

 

Priority 1:  Improve the employability competencies of those in Education;

Priority 2:  Promote the value of apprenticeships and internships to businesses and make it easier for them to recruit; and

Priority 3:  Attract and retain Graduates in the Borough.

 

Following a wide-ranging discussion on suggested programmes for 2013, a consensus was reached on the following actions.

 

PART 2: Agreement of Actions for delivery in 2013

NOTE: £120,000 is available in the Council’s budget until the end of March 2013 to support the delivery of these programmes.  Any carryover would need to be agreed with the Council; funding decisions to be made by the Board.

Programme 1: Improve the employment competencies of those in Education.

-        STAGE 1: Development of employment competencies for delivery – the ones presented to the Board need to be refined and tested.  Dan Fell to organise Private Sector reps to do this; the Board asked that entry-level positions were accounted for when undertaking this work.  These will be refined during February.

-        STAGE 2: In order for providers and schools to work towards these competencies, Gary Richardson to link in with Ian Hanks, Alan Worboys, Jayne Vose and Mathew Lynds to develop/refine materials for schools and young people (for instance as part of Foundation Learning).  As Scott Cardwell and Jayne Vose stated, although the ‘competency model’ would be at the core of all materials, it would be scaled up/down according to age range.  Mick Werritt also confirmed that St Leger Homes would link their relevant programmes to these competencies.

 

Programme 2: Establish employability champions in each Secondary School and Sixth Form College.

-        This will initially be approached by presentations at the following (Jo Moxon/Jayne Vose to organise):

 

Ø  Secondary Heads meeting (1 March 8.30 -11) – Jo Moxon suggested that a presentation was needed on the ‘wow factor for Doncaster’ (to be delivered by Scott Cardwell) followed by Schools’ role in making this happen (to be delivered by Jo Moxon).  Jo has stated that the majority of the meeting will be given over for this item.

Ø  Governors Forum (early next term – April).

 

A package of materials to support the champions in their role will be created by representatives from the Board once in place, covering employment competencies and key employment programmes in the pipeline for Doncaster and the region.

 

Programme 3: Promote the value of Apprenticeships and Internships with local businesses, including support that can be accessed via the City Deal-backed Apprenticeship Hub.

 

-        Businesses regularly state they cannot find information on a range of programmes easily enough.

-        As a result, Iain Thomson/Jayne Vose/Dan Fell/Roy Barnes/Ian Hanks to work on a short document for use by local businesses and for publication on numerous websites (including Business Doncaster) and backed up by promotion – including with local professional intermediaries.  This document needs to include support through the local Apprenticeship Hub, the Youth Contract, the Work Programme and other Apprenticeship schemes backed by NAS.  Once this paper has been put together, this will be edited by Private Sector representatives. 

-        The deadline on this is swift.  First draft required by 28^th February for the Private Sector representatives to edit at their meeting (12 PM).  The final document should be ready by the 14^th of March to time with National Apprenticeship week.

 

Programme 4: Make Doncaster a viable destination for Graduates.

-        Graduate destination Doncaster: Although the Board has missed this year’s deadlines for Milkround, Nigel Brewster will convene a group together to start working towards a viable model with businesses to push Doncaster as a viable destination for Graduates.  Links should be made with the Enterprising Doncaster-led ‘Place Marketing’ programme as required.

 

-        Group to be convened week commencing 4^th February.