THE JOBS HUB BEDFORD BOROUGH PARTNERSHIP BOARD REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2012 1.0 REPORT SUMMARY This paper provides the Partnership Board with an update on the Bedford Borough Jobs Hub Project. It outlines further progress on the Project since the June 2012 report. Key progress highlights includes: The Jobs Hub has had a very successful launch. The project opened to the public on 3 July and is already delivering positive outcomes for Bedford Borough residents. The service has been far busier than expected with a footfall of over 1,200 customers in the first 2 months of opening. Initial feedback is very positive. Early successes include working intensively with 97 Jobcentre Plus customers and 16 job/apprenticeship outcomes. The project is complex, delivered through a Jobs Hub core staff team and multi agency partnership arrangement. As at 30th August, total project expenditure was 33,014. An event to celebrate the launch and its early progress will take place on the 6th September. 2.0 SERVICE OVERVIEW The Jobs Hub is staffed by a team of advisers and delivery partners who provide free, impartial and independent information, advice and guidance on a range of options to help residents make that next step, whether they are unemployed, looking for new skills, have entrepreneurial aspirations or looking for a career change. Services include: Individual help with CVs, job application and interviews. Access to job vacancies through the Hub s relationships with local employers, including an apprenticeship vacancy matching service. Free Internet access for job searching and completing applications online. Information about job trends and skills demanded by employers. Business start-up workshops and enterprise coaching. Appointments with the National Careers Service, including a bilingual service. Back to work events, including jobs, skills and enterprise fairs. Access to training, accredited and non-accredited. Help to access other opportunities including employment and enterprise mentoring, volunteering and work experience.
Linking to other partner services to help with specific issues, such as redundancy, housing, health, benefit or debt advice. The service is based at Greyfriars in Bedford town centre and is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am-4.30pm, with no need to make an appointment. 3.0 SERVICE DEVELOPMENT UPDATE At the Pre-Launch Stakeholder Event, we launched a Pledge Card to formally invite our Partners to get involved. Delivery in the hub so far includes: The Hub Team The Hub team is made up of a core staff team, including the Project Manager (Karen Conway), 2 Senior Advisers and the former Connexions advisory staff, plus a team of external delivery partners. A staff induction programme for the core Hub Team was developed and implemented during late June/early July, including health and safety, conflict management and website training. Staff development and training is ongoing. Two staff training sessions have been held with the Bedfordshire Advice Forum to raise understanding of welfare advice services, the Advice Strategy and the local Advice Directory. Follow up sessions will be scheduled later in the year. Careers Advice National Careers Service partners have a full time presence in the Hub, delivered on a rota basis between 5 local providers Bedford College, The Learning Partnership, BPHA, Develop EBP and University of Bedfordshire. Bilingual careers advice: The Polish British Integration Centre is currently offering a bilingual service on Monday afternoons. 6 hearing impaired students (all ages) from Bedford College have visited the Hub and will now receive intensive 1-to-1 and workshop support from the Project Manager, assisted by an interpreter. Group Workshops and Events Jobcentre Plus is running group information sessions on employability skills and will continue to deliver workshops every Tuesday until further notice. A monthly calendar of CV, Job Search and Managing Employer Expectations workshops is in place, delivered by National Career Service Partners and the Jobs Hub Project Manager. So far, 8 have taken place during July and August, supporting approximately 50 customers. A Jobs, Skills and Enterprise Fair is scheduled for 18th September. A Back to Work event (part of a UK Tour) for 100 delegates with the inspirational speaker Des McCabe is scheduled for 6th December. Specialist Advice Surgeries Bedford Borough Council is delivering a Housing Advice surgery and Jobcentre Plus is delivering a Benefits Advice surgery. 4 have taken place so far. Bedford training and Assessment Centre (BTAC) are offering one-to-one advice sessions
on childcare careers. JHP and the British Army attend the Jobs Hub regularly to recruit apprentices and provide information about enlisting with the Army. Enterprise Support Exemplas are running Can you give yourself a job workshops on a monthly basis - 2 have been delivered so far with 16 clients attending. WENTA are delivering one-to-one advice sessions for people interested in setting up their own business. Guidance around tax and National Insurance: HMRC have a digital online service to assist people in business start-up. We have completed the paperwork to access the E learning tutorial for starting your own business. HMRC will also be delivering one-to-one sessions and workshops when the demand for this service is identified. Mentoring and Work Experience Progress has also been made on individual mentoring (Project Manager is working with clients indentified by advisers). We are now seeking local mentors who could help develop this service. Offers of work experience: Arranging a work experience placement at the Jobs Hub through Jobcentre Plus. Working with the Jobcentre and employers to obtain work experience opportunities for clients. 4.0 PERFORMANCE AGAINST TARGETS Project Aim and Objectives The aim of this project was to establish a Jobs Hub in Bedford Town Centre. The objective was to engage with 4500 customers during the project lifetime (1500 per year), by December 2015. Of which, 2500 will receive support and 500 will return to employment, training or enterprise. Performance To Date - As at 30 th August The Jobs Hub launched 3 rd July 2012. Client footfall as at 31st Aug 2012 was 1210 (average 28 clients per day), made up of 659 13-18 year olds and 551 customers aged 19 plus. The service is now working intensively with over 97 clients referred by Jobcentre Plus. After an initial interview with a Jobs Hub adviser, approximately 200 customers have been referred to partner services and 100 customers have attended a group workshop. 16 job outcomes: 5 job outcomes; 1 retail apprenticeship; and 10 clients recruited to preapprenticeship training schemes with De Vere Academy (7) and Waitrose (3).
5.0 PRIORITIES FOR NEXT QUARTER A formal launch event on 6 September to celebrate the launch and its early progress. Finalise recruitment for the Project Officer (24 hours per week). Focus on follow-up support and client tracking to realise employment outcomes for those customers already registered with the Jobs Hub. Deliver a Jobs, Skills and Enterprise Fair at the Harpur Suite on 18 September, in partnership with Jobcentre Plus, targeting 300 people of all working age groups. Develop involvement with stakeholders who have pledged support to be involved. Continue to develop employer engagement to identify additional opportunities for young people and adults. Finalise referral procedures to partner services, including specialist welfare advice services, redundancy support and the DWP ESF Families Programme. 6.0 FINANCIAL PROFILE Project Expenditure Spend to Date 30/08/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Total Capital 24,725 36,500 2,500 2,500 500 42,000 Revenue 8,289 74,050 78,244 77,243 71,150 300,687 Total Expenditure 33,014 110,550 80,744 79,743 71,650 342,687 Income Funding Sources to Date 30/08/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 Total BBPB 32,942 65,874 65,864 65,864 49,398 247,000 Jobcentre Plus 14,616 95,687 95,687 Total Funding Sources 47,558 161,561 65,864 65,864 49,398 342,687 7.0 RISKS & CHALLENGES / OPPORTUNITIES The project delivery model is complex, managing a core staff team and multi agency partnership arrangement. There is currently a resource risk arising from larger than predicted client demand, although the Project Officer will help to relieve this pressure. The Hub has not had access to an online National Careers Service booking system, which has caused delays in making client appointments. However, this will now be in place for September.
8.0 SUCCESSES & CELEBRATIONS Within its first few weeks of opening, the Hub is now delivering a real, tangible difference in the town centre and is already delivering positive outcomes for Bedford Borough residents. The Jobs Hub has had a successful launch: it has opened on target, within budget and is serving a far higher footfall than anticipated with very good initial feedback from customers. The integration of Connexions to offer an all age service has particularly worked well, allowing the Hub to support employers with their recruitment needs, regardless of whether they seek a young school leaver or experienced adult. This project would not be possible without the commitment and support from partners, who are all pulling together to offer their funded services under one roof, making it far easier for customers to access a broad range of employment, skills and enterprise support services. There is a huge opportunity going forward to continue to build the Hub offer and work in partnership to support the Borough s wider community, including outreach services, employer engagement and developing a high profile calendar of events and activities.