LCR Taskforce and Youth Offer

The LCR Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) and DWP convened a meeting last week to set out its plans to support the city region’s young people aged 18+ who are unemployed or who are facing redundancy

As shown in our recent research and national studies too, younger people are most likely to be impacted by the downturn, especially 16 to 25-year-olds.

Accordingly, the LCR MCA and DWP want to help the 18-24 age group access appropriate information, advice and guidance. They wish to establish a network of physical hubs (across the LCR) to enable easy access, a virtual hub offering access to remote services and to produce a digital calendar of IAG activities.

They would like to know if members can assist by playing a role in

  • Encouraging young people to get involved with design and delivery by promoting the MMYAG?
  • Joining the LCR Youth Employment Task Force?
  • Delivering a virtual event for young people?
  • Promoting the Youth Offer once it is up and running?
  • Offering space that could host a physical youth hub regularly?
  • Providing staff that could work on an outreach basis from a youth hub?

They are also keen to pull together the digital calendar of IAG events to promote to young people. If you have any relevant activities planned, please complete the youth offer template and return it to [email protected] by Friday 17th July. It is the intention, I understand, to update this regularly and publicise the opportunities on a new LCRCA Youth Offer Portal. Hopefully, there will be an official launch on Monday 27th July.

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7
Jul, 2020

Traineeship funding boost for providers and employers

GMLPF members will no doubt have read about the recent statement from the Treasury announcing funding for an extra 30,000 traineeships from September. The story featured yesterday in FE News, on the BBC website and various other media outlets.

Financial incentive

The package includes a £1000 financial incentive for employers to offer a traineeship place and a 55% boost in provider payment for 19-24-year-olds on the programme. Also, unlike previously, the scheme will now be open to those with level 3 qualifications. The details of the proposal are to be released tomorrow as part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s economic plan for recovery post-COVID.

Concerns

Of course, GMLPF welcomes the announcement of Government investment in the skills sector as a method for tackling the inevitable increase in unemployment. We will be supporting members to understand how the additional funding can be accessed. However, we recognise also that there will be some legitimate concerns to raise and consider. These include:

  • The inevitable negative impact on 16-18-year-olds who are suitable for traineeships but do not attract the new employer incentive for 19 to 24-year-olds
  • We welcome the limits on payments per employer but need to know more about safeguards to ensure public money is spent appropriately and delivers strong social value and value for money
  • Traineeships are designed to lead to apprenticeships and employment; in the current economic climate, there is a real danger that these positions will not be available to trainees once they complete their placements.
  • Many are suggesting that funding would best be spent incentivising employers to engage with apprenticeships.
  • Traineeships are designed to lead to apprenticeships, but the scheme will now be open to those with level 3 qualifications.
  • Arguments that the focus on traineeships will impact on the take-up of T-Levels

We will be considering the implications in more depth following the full announcement tomorrow, in preparation for a consultation with members.

ESFA Provider Recovery Scheme: Round Two

The ESFA launched its Provider Relief Scheme late last week. To be eligible to receive support from the scheme you must hold a direct contract that was procured as a service under Public Contract Regulations 2015. This applies to apprenticeship contracts for services that commenced in January 2018, for delivery to smaller employers that do not pay the levy (non-levy), and adult education budget contracts for services that commenced in November 2017.

The Provider Relief Scheme will provide financial support over the period July to October 2020. Organisations who were unsuccessful in bidding into the scheme in Round 1 may still be eligible for support.

Eligibility Criteria

In addition to holding an eligible contract you will be required to meet the following conditions:

  • 2018 to 2019 qualification achievement rates which are above 40%. However, providers with rates below that can submit an exceptional case that they are a critical supplier based on niche provision. Further information on the criteria for exception cases can be found in the application guidance
  • Have submitted their latest financial accounts to the ESFA where these are due by 19 June 2020
  • Not been judged by Ofsted as making insufficient progress as a result of a new provider monitoring visit which resulted in a suspension on new starts
  • Delivered under the contract prior to April 2020
  • Continue to plan to deliver learning under the contract in July, August, September and October 2020, and demonstrate the ability to continue to deliver without additional support from November
  • You have not furloughed the staff required to deliver the contract (you are eligible to apply to the Relief Scheme if staff are fully or partially withdrawn from any claim for furlough if such a claim has been made when they return to work); and
  • Not received a notice of termination from the ESFA either terminate the provider’s AEB or non-levy contract
  • Training providers who are delivering deliver apprenticeships to smaller employers (non-levy) and who have a contract with ESFA, must also be listed on the register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) as a main provider.

Only training providers who meet the scheme criteria will be eligible to receive support under the Relief Scheme. If a training provider in receipt of support from the Relief Scheme no longer meets the criteria, they will cease to be eligible.

Providers will need to demonstrate that they have a need for the funding requested in order to maintain capacity within their organisations to support learners and respond to economic recovery. They will also need to explain how they are going to update and change delivery models to operate without further relief from November 2020.

Please note: the deadline for applications is midnight 9th July.

GMLPF will review the documentation provide and run a short webinar as we did with Round 1 on Wednesday 1st July at 2pm. To attend this webinar, please join from the link within the GMLPF e-bulletin sent on 29th June.

 

View additional information on the scheme on Government website

 

 

Recovery Planning Workshops slides

GMLPF ran three recovery planning workshops recently. The purpose of the workshops was to raise awareness of the LCR Recovery Plan, its themes and priorities, and to consult with members on how the plans might be improved. The workshops were themed on Apprenticeships, NEET & young people, and unemployed & adults in work. Members can download slides from the workshop below

Apprenticeships

NEET & young people 

Unemployed & adults in work

29
Jun, 2020
All systems go

GMLPF launch All Systems Go campaign to boost regional apprenticeship growth

This week, GMLPF will launch a Liverpool City Region apprenticeships awareness campaign Apprenticeships: All Systems Go primarily targeting employers and school leavers. The campaign uses the concept of a rocket launch, with visuals in GMLPF colours executed in 1950s-style design. Key messages provide an anchor to the design concept, encouraging employers to use apprenticeships to launch their recovery, and school leavers to use apprenticeships to launch their career.

Aims of All Systems Go Apprenticeship campaign 

The campaign aims to:

  1. Reassure employers, individuals, parents and intermediaries that apprenticeship providers are open and geared up to recruiting and delivering in line with Government Covid-safe guidelines
  2. Promote apprenticeships as an ideal tool for helping businesses recover post lockdown
  3. Promote apprenticeships as viable a career option as ever at 16 and beyond
  4. Encourage intermediaries to promote apprenticeships
Apprenticeships All Systems Go campaign components

The campaign consists of digital posters, social media activity, and web content including promotion of current apprenticeship vacancies, and apprenticeship case studies. We will also be distributing material to intermediaries including schools, careers advisors and other agencies, encouraging them to participate in the campaign.

This campaign is primarily an awareness-raising campaign, not a lead generation campaign. It has been designed to provide a context and support any tailored promotional campaigns being run by individual providers. We invite all GMLPF members and partners to make the most of the campaign as follows:

  • Download posters and share digitally, or print and display
  • Share GMLPF posts on your own social media platforms using hashtags: #Apprenticeships #AllSystemsGo and the following key messages: Launch Your Recovery with Apprenticeships (for employers), and Launch Your Career with Apprenticeships (for school leavers and other individuals)
  • Provide GMLPF with examples of case studies and any good news stories we can share as part of the campaign eg apprentices undertaking key work during lockdown; apprenticeship recruitment drives etc
Call to action

GMLPF CEO Ian Lomas marks the launch of the campaign with an invitation to regional businesses to embrace apprenticeships as a key tool for a post-lockdown recovery in Liverpool City Region:

Apprenticeship providers in Liverpool City Region are open for business and fully equipped to help firms recruit and train apprentices both virtually and face-to-face, in line with Government safety guidelines. As we know, Apprenticeships embed new skills and efficiency into business, and are therefore a key tool for boosting recovery in the region. I urge employers to factor apprentice recruitment into their recovery plans – now is the time to recruit and work with the wealth of talent available through the Apprenticeship programme!

The call to action for the campaign is to find out more about apprenticeships through usual Government channels. Messaging on social media will encourage audiences to contact their local apprenticeship provider. The campaign will continue for four weeks. We urge providers to make the most of the campaign by undertaking their own marketing activity during this period.

Downloads

Download digital employer poster

Download digital school leaver poster

Download twitter school leaver graphic

Download twitter employer graphic

Download FB/Instagram school leaver graphic

Download FB/Instagram employer graphic

8
Jun, 2020

Careers Connect and marketing training offers

Career Connect plays a valuable role at a local level, working with LAs and Schools, to work with those who are NEET or at risk of becoming NEET. They remain a useful vehicle for promoting programmes such as Study Programme, Traineeships and Apprenticeships.

It is clear that, even with resources such as LCR Learn, they are not as familiar as they might be with the range of providers and provision that exist locally. Also, they do not always possess information on who is the best person to talk to within a provider. To that end, and to ensure that Career Connect, have current information on providers and leads within the organisation, I am proposing to draft a provider and lead person list that can be used by Career Connect in conjunction with LCR Learn to help them provide advice on the range of providers and provision and, by extension, opportunities, that exist locally.

If you would like your organisation’s information to be shared with Career Connect then please send me details of a lead person within your organisation (name, phone and e-mail details) along with a statement confirming your consent to share this information with Career Connect only. This is to ensure compliance with GDPR  rules. This will help them ensure that any referrals are channelled to the right person in a timely fashion.

This Career Connect NCS Update may be of interest to members who are working with or come across, individuals who require advice and guidance that you might not be able to offer at the moment

8
Jun, 2020

Covid 19: Returning to Learning Practical Health & Safety Considerations

GMLPF Member Webinar: Tuesday 9th June 2.00pm to 3.30pm

In connection with returning to working or learning and being Covid-19 secure, GMLPF has engaged a specialist Health and Safety Consultancy, DTD Training who has a good background in the education sector to run a members’ webinar next week. Tudor Williams of DTD will be running the session.

The webinar will be of interest to owners and senior managers, Health and Safety and Safeguarding Leads who wish to ensure that their premises are safe for working and learning. The webinar will focus on the practical steps of ensuring Covid-19 security and will also involve the opportunity for members to ask questions and get advice. As with the recent Ofsted webinar if you have any questions in advance that you’d like answering please send them to [email protected]

To join this FREE webinar, please email [email protected] to request the link.

5
May, 2020

GMLPF Infographic: Impact of COVID-19 on Apprentices

In the week commencing 20th April 2020, GMLPF undertook research into the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the employment and training status of apprentices in the Liverpool City Region. As part of our suite of COVID-19 communication materials, we have produced an information sheet illustrating the findings of this research.

These figures on this infographic are approximate and based on assumptions drawn from research with a sample of GMLPF members. This information is intended to provide an insight only into emerging trends. These figures and trends may change as more providers respond.

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22
Apr, 2020

GMLPF infosheet: Putting Apprentices on Furlough

As part of our suite of COVID-19 communication materials, we have produced an information sheet about apprenticeships and furloughing. The information sheet targets employers and aims to raise the awareness of furloughing as an option for employers to consider before making apprentices redundant. It also points out the disadvantages of breaks in learning.

We encourage members to share this with their employers.

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