Agenda item
Work Path
- Meeting of Online 'Virtual' Meeting, Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Monday, 14th December, 2020 6.30 p.m. (Item 8.1)
- View the background to item 8.1
The Committee will undertake a review and critical challenge of WorkPath – Presentation to be made available prior to the meeting.
Minutes:
The Committee received a presentation from Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman (Cabinet Member for Work and Economic Growth); Vicky Clark (Divisional Director for Growth and Economic Development); and Aelswith Frayne (Interim Head of Employment and Skills) on the Review of WorkPath Services; In addition, the Chair informed the meeting that Tony Wilson (Director at Institute for Employment Studies) and Kayleigh Regan Kibati (WorkPath Client) was in attendance to share their external perspective on community engagement and to inform further discussions by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting. An outline of the discussion is set out below: |
Members noted that:
· WorkPath provides a service to support residents who have significant barriers and are far from employment. It offers three programmes including Information Advice and Guidance (IAG), Employer Engagement and Supported Employment. Employer Engagement targets clients who are job ready or recently out of work and Supported Employment targets clients such as 50+, care leavers and women returning back to work
· The WorkPath programme helps young people gain invaluable skills and connections that will give them the best possible chance of success by becoming a stronger employable candidate.
· With regards to Queen Mary University the Council has a good working in partnership with the University to help bridge the gap between Queen Mary’s and the workplace. Whilst in terms of wider health sector LBTH is working to maximise opportunities especially within the Mass Vaccination Programme, as LBTH wants to encourage applicants from the local communities to make sure that there is a safe and effective vaccination programme at the same time as continuing supporting the NHS in offering timely access and minimal impact on other services.
- LBTH work closely with Barts Health who have Healthcare Horizons which is their pre-employability training programme this provides eligible 16-29-year olds the opportunity to access entry level jobs and any upcoming apprenticeship vacancies (as and when available) at the Trust.
- Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman indicated that the reason for the 26% drop in performance in 2019-20 was due to (service restructure -reduced team) and IT issues which plagued capturing the outputs and was resolved in the last quarter.
· The main challenges facing the Long-Term Unemployed is a lack of relevant, recent experience, a problem only intensified by companies’ unwillingness to take a chance and offer the opportunity to gain the experience. Especially at a time when the level of competition for jobs is far greater than it would ordinarily with a large number of “Job Seekers” only having just left their previous job so in employers eyes they are what is called “work ready” and business owners just want to generate income and profitability therefore their first instinct will be to hire someone who has just “fallen out of work” they consider that they are “work ready” rather than someone that's been out of work for some time. Accordingly, WorkPath focus is currently on supporting those who find it hardest to get work and help them to be better able to compete with those people who have newly “fallen out of work”.
· Aelswith Frayne stated: For 2020-21, the target was 800 for the partnership, WorkPath captured 196 registrations and achieved 54 job outputs and are waiting on confirming a further 56 job outputs subject to securing evidence.
· Kayleigh Regan Kibati had participated in the WorkPath “Supported Employment Programme” which is essentially an adult version of Kickstart only that the Council paying for it rather than the Government. It is basically paid work experience combined with training and has proved to be incredibly effective giving people experience and a good grounding to help them find work again including confidence building. As a central part of why long-term unemployment is such a challenge is the importance of overcoming the impact that it has on an individual’s self-esteem and emotional well-being.
· The Institute for Employment Studies are currently evaluating Central London Works (CLW) an employment programme designed to support central London residents (e.g. Tower Hamlets) or residents referred from any Jobcentre that falls within the boundaries of the twelve Central London Forward Boroughs to overcome their employment barriers and move into stable, well-paid work.
· Based on the Institute for Employment Studies experience London Boroughs and the Combined Authorities in the North of England are much further along and much better equipped to address the impact of Covid-19 on the local economy and labour market.
· Whilst LBTH has good community-based provision in the West Midlands authorities are connecting communities with how they can engage in really disadvantaged neighbourhoods and to provide support within such disadvantaged local areas rather than trying to target specific individuals at the neighbourhood level. Which is something LBTH might wish to consider.
· There are definite benefits in local government of sharing such good practice and authorities learning from each other.
In conclusion, the Chair:
Thanked Motin Uz-Zaman; Vicky Clark; Aelswith Frayne; Tony Wilson; and Kayleigh Regan Kibati for attending tonight’s meeting and for the information that they had provided which would help to inform further discussions by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. |
Supporting documents:
- OSC cover page - 14 Dec Review of WorkPath Services, item 8.1 PDF 36 KB
- Correction Update WorkPath 2019 - 20 Annual Report Performance, item 8.1 PDF 194 KB
- Overview and Scrutiny 14.12.20 WorkPath Slides, item 8.1 PDF 183 KB