The Liverpool City Region MAAEmployment and Skills Platform

Sue Jarvis

Service DirectorCity Region Strategy, Employment & Skills

Knowsley MBC

1

The Liverpool City Region – key facts

Population of 1.5 million

Forms core of wider economic zone of influence of over 2 million people

GVA of over £17bn, 539,000 jobs and 38,000 businesses

Our Vision - to be a thriving international city region by 2020.

To achieve this we will need to

accelerate growth and substantially close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK and;

reduce worklessness across the Liverpool City Region, providing routes for people to move into work and progress in their jobs.

A Multi-Area Agreement

Voluntary agreements between two or more top-tier or unitary local authorities, their partners and Government of work collectively to improve local economic prosperity

MAAs are not:

– Just about service delivery

– An end in themselves

– The same everywhere

– Designed or prescribed by central government

What are we aiming to deliver?

Accelerate economic growth and substantially close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK

Increase entrepreneurial activity

Reduce worklessness

Increase skills levels

Increase housing quality, choice and range

Improve transport/access to employment and opportunities

How will we deliver this?

New Partnership between City Region partners

– Shadow City Region Cabinet – set up in November 2008

– Finalised city region structure to be developed by October 2009

– Structure supported by 6 Partnership Boards – economy, employment and skills, transport, planning and housing, environment and waste, safer and healthier communities

Multi Area Agreement

– Step-in change in agreeing priorities and actions for the city region

– LCR Story of Place and Employment and Skills Platform Signed off by Government

– Economy, Housing, Transport Platforms Drafts under development

Employment and Skills

Scale of the Challenge:

LCR employment rate of 68.1% compared to 74.4% nationally

Almost 175,000 residents claiming out of work benefits; 50% claiming a benefit for 5+ years

More than one in three (37%) working age adults without NVQ level 2 qualification

Key Issues:

Complex landscape – funds, targets, delivery agencies

Diverse but fragmented range of provision

Multiple management and governance arrangements

Employment and Skills

Our Approach:

Strengthening employer representation and demand for skills

Delivering an integrated package of services based on a continuum model of employment and skills provision

Working collectively to align and co-commission mainstream resources at the local level

Adding value to the core offer using discretionary funding (ESF, ERDF, NWDA, Area Based Grant)

Changing provider behaviour

Acting as a test bed for new Government initiatives

Implementing new governance arrangements

Employment and Skills

Our Asks of Government (1):

Develop an Employment and Skills Strategy by June 2009

– Agree shared priorities, common framework of targets

– LCR Commissioning plan will inform Government and local contracting arrangements

– Locally delivered solutions

Work with Government to shape the way future contracts operate in our area and to co-commission bespoke services, e.g.:

– Flexible New Deal

– Fit for Work Service

– Skills Accounts trials and their further development

– Adult Advancement and Careers Service

Employment and Skills

Our Asks of Government (2):

Improve data sharing

– Better access to non disclosure DWP data, GIS

– Signpost employer vacancy information to skills brokers

– Share provider performance data

Stimulate employer demand

– City Region employer engagement strategy

– Use Board Members to champion the Local Employment Partnership and Skills Pledge

Establish LCR Employment and Skills Board by summer 2009

– Secure legal status by 2010

Employment and Skills

Outcomes and Targeting:

Adding value by simplifying the offer to individuals and employers

Prioritisation by geography and client group

Accelerated programmes of intervention to meet specific LCR needs

Minimise duplication or displacement

Outcomes must be set in the context of the current economic downturn and LAA refresh

– Job Seekers Allowance

– Incapacity Benefit

– Increasing skill levels

Moving Forward: Implementing the MAA

Karon Brownbill

Economic Development Director

Learning and Skills Council Greater Merseyside

2

Strategy Development

Commission a piece of work to develop the strategy drawing on evidence from existing reports e.g. LSC Strategic Analysis, Sector Skills Agreements, Local Intelligence

Considerable engagement with employers and sectors e.g. Maritime, Retail, Leisure, Tourism

Understanding demand and supply, local skills shortages, specific employment and skills responses to key strategic developments e.g. Super Port, Digital, Environmental Technologies as well as other key employment sectors e.g. Public

Strategy to bring together employment and skills into a continuum from no skills through to higher skills

Set the priorities for investment – consultation April to June, developed by end of June 09

Co- Commissioning

DWP Green Paper sets out three potential levels of devolution:

Level 1: local partners having active involvement in DWP commissioning processes.

Level 2: co-commissioning and joint investment planning.

Level 3: full joint commissioning in some areas, and devolution of some funding decisions in others.

Co-Commissioning

Starting work on Flexible New Deal

National Programme – influencing the design, targeting

Pooling of Funds – influence over assessment and monitoring processes

Evolution towards inclusion and alignment via the framework of all commissioned employment and skills activities

Not about a single commissioning body; but about co-operation, alignment and simplification – working together to a single set of priorities

Challenges: differing business cycles, several agencies, change in system, demand led system for employers and adults

Engagement

Employers – Demand

– Employment and Skills Board Summer 2009, Legal Status 2010

– Strong Private Sector representation/ Clustering

• Public Sector 40% of employer base

• Proactive engagement with existing networks e.g. Chambers, TMP etc

– Champions

– Workforce planning

– City Region Employer Engagement Strategy

– City Region Employer Offer

Providers – Supply

– FE Colleges

– Higher Education Institutions

– Voluntary/ Community Sector

– Private Providers/ Employers

Employment and Skills Board

Vol/Com

LCR Econ Board

HEI

14-19

National Govt + Agencies

DWP/DIUS

Employer Coalition

CES

•Learning provider•M Colleges Assoc.•Vol Comm. VOLA

•RESB•Council

•Sector Skills•UK Comm/

Employment & Skills

LCR Cabinet

LCR ESB

Changing Landscape

LSC Shadow Structures September 2009 onwards

– Alignment of existing structures and resources

– National Apprenticeship Service live April 2009

Skills Funding Agency Live April 2010

– Adult Advancement Agency 2010

Young Peoples Learning Agency Live April 2010

16 – 19 Commissioning to Local Authorities- transition Academic Year 2010/2011

Machinery of Government :Transition of 16-19 FundsLinks with MAA

Paul Lally

Children’s Services Manager

Knowsley MBC

3

What do we know

Proposal for second stage application for Greater Merseyside sub regional grouping: each borough to commission providers based in their borough but supported by Greater Merseyside 14-19 Executive

National funding formula for 16-19

Six work streams established to support transition

– LLDD

– Data

– Staffing

– Common Application Process: E-prospectus

– Legal and finance

– Commissioning

Alignment between 14-19 Commissioning and Employment and Skills

What is yet to emerge

Commissioning guidance from DCSF (commissioning flows between national/regional/sub regional and local: relationship between local commissioning and NAS)

Procedures and timescale about staffing transfer

Details about how 16-19 commissioning will link into CYP Trusts

Details about financial rules, accountability

Bill is published but it needs guidance to indicate what it means in practice

Positives

Good partnership working across Greater Merseyside (LTP, GMLPF, MCA, 14-19 Partnerships)

MAA offers us a way of

– Aligning political accountability

– Developing Greater Merseyside staffing capacity to support the outcomes

– Looking at transition young people into adults (e.g. NEET into JSA)

– Harnessing employer voice and

– Developing employment and skills strategy

Focus on outcomes: raising participation, achievement and progression

Timetable is demanding but not impossible: we will focus on the practical

2010/2011 is a year of transition

Any questions?