Agenda item

DurhamWorks Programme - Youth Employment Initiative

(i)     Report of the Corporate Director of Children and Young People’s Services.

(ii)    Presentation by the Strategic Manager, Progression and Learning, Children and Young People’s Services.

 

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning, Linda Bailey, who was in attendance to provide the Committee with an update presentation in relation to the DurhamWorks Programme - Youth Employment Initiative (for copy see file of minutes).

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning referred Members to the slides within the agenda pack and noted that DurhamWorks programme had been operating since December 2015, a £29 million programme funded through the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), European Social Fund (ESF), Durham County Council (DCC), and match funding from external Delivery Partners.  She explained the aim was to support 9,303 young people who were unemployed, aged 16-24, into education, employment, and training.  She noted delivery was in local communities within the County with the programme due to end in December 2021.

 

The Committee were informed that the DurhamWorks model focussed on the individual, targeting those with additional vulnerabilities and that the Council and its Partners provided one-to-one individualised support, over the long-term if necessary.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted there was a range of activities to help young people develop their confidence, emotional resilience, and employability skills.  She noted the importance of working with employers to create employment and work experience opportunities and also Sector Routeways.  Members were asked to note a slide setting out a list of delivery partners and it was explained there was also a number of sub-contractors delivering activities for the programme.

 

The Committee were referred to a video highlighting the positive support and assistance ten young people had received from the DurhamWorks programme.

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning explained the impact of COVID-19 on the employment prospects and wellbeing of young people had been well documented.  She noted that in County Durham there had been 4,290 young people aged 18-24 claiming Universal Credit in January 2021, an increase from 2,865 in January 2020.  She added that the vast majority of support had been provided virtually during the pandemic, with DurhamWorks advisors providing support via the telephone, text, e-mail, WhatsApp, Zoom.  She noted some social-distanced doorstep visits and limited face-to-face activity with some highly vulnerable young people. 

 

Members learned that Sector Routeways had continued to be delivered in warehousing, construction, ICT and the health and wellbeing sectors.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted the use of podcasts and blogs to help keep young people engaged and positive.

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted the work with JobCentre Plus (JCP) and the National Careers Service in support of the Government’s Plan for Jobs that was launched in July 2020, delivering intensive youth support on behalf of JCP and establishing virtual youth hubs involving JCP and other partners from within the county.  Members were asked to note the Kickstart Gateway, the creation of six month job opportunities for young people.

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted that despite the efforts of the Council and its partners, the willingness of young people to engage during lockdown had been impacted and their wellbeing had been badly affected.  She added therefore there had been a significant decline in the number of young people joining DurhamWorks.  She highlighted that, since the end of 2020, it had been more difficult to reach out to young people and this had then had an impact in terms of performance and the progression of young people into employment.  She explained that as a result of that impact, a project change request was submitted to the Department of Work and Pension (DWP) to reduce the targets for the programme.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted the Council had been reluctant to do so, wishing to help as many young people as possible, however, she felt the revised targets were conservative, with the target to support 9,303 young people into employment, of which 83 percent would complete the programme and of those 74 percent were projected to progress.  She added the conservative approached was to ensure no financial impacts upon the programme and reminded Members of the high progression rate into employment of those that had completed the programme, currently at 68 percent.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted the 568 grants provided by DurhamWorks to employers to encourage them to take on a DurhamWorks young person.  She added the grants could be used to pay for up to 50 percent of a young person’s salary cost and added the grants would be available up until the end of April 2021.

 

The Committee were reminded of the significance of the DurhamWorks programme, ending in December 2021, and the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning highlighted the additional funding in place to support unemployed young people following the end of the main DurhamWorks programme.  She noted that £10 million additional ESF monies had been attracted and would support around 6,300 young people aged 15-24 who are at risk of NEET, with this programme running up to the end of 2023.  She added that the programme would operate within County Durham schools.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted work with around 900 young people age 15-16 supporting their transition into education following leaving school. 

 

She explained that after the end of the DurhamWorks main programme, the Council would utilise that funding to operate a programme that would be similar to the main programme, however, less intensive in terms of the support that could be offered due to the reduced level of funding available.

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning explained that the Council had been successful in securing £3.6 million of ESF funding to create a supported employment service in County Durham.  She noted the aim was to support 900 young people, aged 18 and over, with significant learning, physical and mental health difficulties with that programme planned to run up to December 2023.

 

Members were asked to note the Council was awaiting information as regards the results of two further bids, one for a further £4 million of ESF funding.  It was added that the Council had reached the third stage of the Youth Futures Foundation bid for £4 million of funding to support a very specific cohort of young people on employment pathways with this programme, should the bid be successful, running up to 2025.

 

In relation to priorities and next steps, the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted the Council was awaiting the next stage of the DurhamWorks evaluation, with an interim report due shortly and the final report due November 2021.  She noted importance of offering as many employment opportunities for young people as possible in the last nine months of the programme with the creation of new Employer Engagement team, marketing campaign, delivery of Kickstart, and development of new Employment Hubs.

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning concluded the presentation by referring Members to a video illustrating the story of a young person who contacted DurhamWorks, worked with the RAW IT academy and had successfully secured an apprenticeship.

 

The Chair thanked the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning and asked Members for the comments and questions.

 

Mrs R Morris asked as regards the DurhamWorks interim evaluation report and whether a copy could be forwarded to the Committee.  She referred to paragraph 22 of the report in terms of employment opportunity areas and asked how the list of areas was arrived at, and how confident the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning was in terms of those areas being ‘jobs of the future’.  Mrs R Morris noted the reference to the employer engagement group and emphasised the importance of DurhamWorks being ‘joined up’ in terms schools, employers, and apprenticeships.  She asked if there was a group that had all of those areas represented and involved so that the transition to work was much more secure. 

 

 

Mrs R Morris explained she was very pleased with the several references within the Durham Plan to impartial careers advice from an early age and noted she appreciated the difficulties faced over the last year and added she valued the work that had been delivered.  The Chair suggested that the Committee request a copy of the Stage 2 Interim Evaluation report and asked the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning if that could be arranged. 

 

The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted she would share the evaluation report once available.  She noted that in terms of sector routeways and the employment opportunities there was a strategic group, which oversaw the operation of DurhamWorks and included a range of partners such as Business Durham, the County Durham Economic Partnership, JCP, the Careers Service and the voluntary sector.  She added that the sectors were determined through both the COVID-19 response within DCC and informed by members of the strategic group, many of which were working with businesses in the county.  She added that sector routeways were only paid for through DurhamWorks when utilised and there was a range of activities, and those areas that were not successful would not be progressed.

 

Mrs R Morris noted sales and retail as perhaps areas that may not be a secure path in the future and noted that employers were not mentioned in terms of the strategic group.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning explained that while employers were not on the strategic group directly, Business Durham was on the group and she added that there was lots of work with employers including with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the North East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) to understand what opportunities were available and to promote DurhamWorks.  She added that DurhamWorks continued to work with many of the 600 businesses that received grants and that helped in being able to understand demand.  She noted an example of one employer, Tiny Tots who had contacted DurhamWorks eight times to help in the recruit process by identifying suitable young people.

 

The Chair noted the lower targets as a result of COVID-19 and asked when the target would be reviewed and whether there was an aspiration to have numbers return to the previous target levels.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted the programme had been on track and there was a desire to help as many young people as possible.  She added that there were quarterly submissions to the DWP, and performance was reviewed against profile on a monthly basis.  She explained she was hopeful that as the economy picked up, DurhamWorks would be able to share more opportunities with young people.  She noted there may be success in getting more young people on to the programme, especially with initiatives such as the Kickstart Programme facilitating six month paid work for young people and the youth hubs activities.

 

 

In response to a question from Councillor E Adam relating to the impact on performance of the programme as a result of young people lacking access to IT equipment and broadband, the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted that DurhamWorks were able to buy Chromebook laptop computers, with appropriate safeguards, and deliver them to young people during the pandemic.

 

She noted there had been some delays, however, equipment was being delivered to young people and added that internet dongles had also been provided to help young people engage with the service.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted that there were around 80 laptops on order, with the team all working to get the required resources out to the young people.

 

Councillor I Jewell asked as regards maximising and measuring progress and the long-term monitoring of young people moving into employment.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning explained that in terms of challenging performance, a monthly performance group looked at area based targets, team and advisor targets and progress was also reviewed in terms of interventions.  She added that a team of Contract Officers worked to ensure sub-contractors’ and delivery partners’ performance was in line with expectations and confirmed that the performance management system in place was rigorous and had been refined and enhanced throughout the operation of DurhamWorks.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted in respect of long-term monitoring, DurhamWorks tried very hard to keep in touch with young people when they had progressed into employment, university, or a long-term education programme, however, it was not always possible.  She noted that during the first phase of DurhamWorks, of those young people supported by DurhamWorks grants and were subsequently tracked, 73 percent were still in employment one year after the grant had ended.  She explained that was considered to be a success and added that the DurhamWorks programme had been subject to national evaluation and it had been noted that YEI programmes had higher sustained employment outputs than any other ESF funded programme. 

 

Councillor J Charlton asked as regards the sustainability of the grant funded opportunities, whether employers would look to take on young people into employment once the grant period had ended.  She noted that in areas such as retail many of the positions were part-time and asked if employers were using young people as cheap labour and whether the jobs at the end of the grant periods were full-time or part-time.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted she shared the concerns as regards sustainability and noted measures to prevent employers who were already going to employ a young person from accessing the grant.  She noted that if an employer approached DurhamWorks with an opportunity, or a member of the employer engagement team identified an opportunity, then they would work with the employer to identify a DurhamWorks participant who suited the requirements of the employer and needed that opportunity. 

She added that employment could end at the end of a grant, however, she reiterated the data as regards those young people who had sustained their employment and suggested there was evidence that there was sustained employment.  The Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted that an area she had asked to be included within the evaluation was the additionality that the grant was bringing in terms of employment prospects for young people. 

 

In terms of young people moving on to be employed full-time or part-time, the Strategic Manager - Progression and Learning noted it was usually 30 hours or more, though she would look to provide some additional information for Members in that regard.

 

Resolved:

 

(i)        That the information provided in the report and presentation be noted.

(ii)       That the Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee includes a further progress report on the remaining DurhamWorks Programmes in its 2021/22 work programme for December 2021 together with the key findings from the final Phase 2 Evaluation Report of the YEI DurhamWorks Programme.

(iii)     That the Economy and Enterprise Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a copy of the Phase 2 Interim Evaluation Report of the YEI DurhamWorks Programme.

 

Supporting documents: