All providers will deliver Response to Redundancy
provision, provision for the unemployed and the age related
apprenticeships grant – see below for further information.
Contracts will commence in May 2011 and end on 31
July 2012.
It is anticipated that Jobcentre Plus will play a
major role in working with providers to ensure:
·
Provision matches the local labour market demand
·
Referrals of eligible customers to provision
·
Links with employers to ensure there are actual jobs at
the end of the programmes
·
Synergy with other DWP provision in the local area.
(i) Support for the Unemployed and
Apprenticeship Support to Employers
The aim of this offer is to ensure that capacity is in place to provide
skills support to unemployed individuals who are claiming Jobseekers
Allowance (JSA) or Employment Support Allowance Work Related Activity
Group (ESA WRAG) benefits. The approach will ensure adults (aged 18 and
over) are given the right level of skills and employability support they
need to improve their chances of gaining employment or starting new
Apprenticeships.
The training and skills support should be flexible and tailored to
individual needs and may include the activities below:
(i)
Vocationally or occupationally specific skills training in sectors where
there are vacancies for those close to the labour market (known as
pre-employment training in Jobcentre Plus). This will include
supporting Service Academies and the delivery of Sector Employability
toolkit type provision dependant on local demand as identified by
employers, Jobcentre Plus and other stakeholders. This will also include
skills training appropriate for self-employment;
It is expected that this offer will predominantly be offered to JSA and
ESA (WRAG) claimants prior to their referral to the Work Programme.
Although those participating in the Work Programme are also eligible for
support provided that a full initial assessment has confirmed their need
for skills provision.
Providers will cover specific geographic areas – as set out in their
contracts. Close links with local Jobcentre Plus, Next Step and
employers are pre-requisites for the success of this programme.
Funding will be on the basis of guided learning hours delivered. Job
outcomes payments can be claimed where an individual starts employment
within 13 weeks of the end of the programme and once the individual has
been in employment for 16+ hours a week for at least 4 weeks.
Additional funding is available for SMEs to help
them support candidates through an Apprenticeship. This will take the
form of two grant payments up to a combined maximum of £2,500 for every
new Apprenticeship start (aged 18-24) and will be paid by the selected
provider to the employer.
(ii) Skills Support for Redundancy
The aim of this offer is to ensure that capacity is
in place to respond to redundancies within the present economic climate.
To provide support for public and private sector employers and training
opportunities for individuals who: are under consultation or notice of
redundancy; have been notified by their employer that they are likely to
be directly affected by downsizing or company closure locally; those
recently made unemployed and not yet claiming benefits, as well as those
who have recently started claiming JSA or ESA (WRAG) .
Support will be targeted at up-skilling or
re-skilling individuals to improve their employment opportunities
through the delivery of targeted careers advice and skills-based
interventions to meet the needs of employers offering recruitment
opportunities and those generated through the creation of new
Apprenticeships. The selected providers are expected to ensure that
activities are closely aligned with other public and private sector
investment programmes to ensure optimisation of growth opportunities
wherever possible.
The offer available for
learners should be tailored to individual needs and may include:
-
Training to update
skills needed for a specific employment sector, including
pre-employment training to provide skills to enter a different
occupation or sector where required;
-
Training in
preparation for self-employment;
-
Production of a
Training Needs Analysis and supporting Individual Learning Plan;
-
Skills for Life
diagnostics (including ICT) and delivery of Basic Skills training as
appropriate;
-
Access to or
provision of careers advice and individual learner support.
The successful providers
are expected to work effectively with a range of public and private
sector delivery partners to sign-post employers and individuals to other
organisations that can offer other services that cannot be covered under
this programme.
Providers will cover specific geographic areas – as set out in their
contracts. Close links to local employers, Jobcentre Plus and Next Step
are pre-requisites for the success of this programme.
Funding will be on the basis of guided learning hours delivered. Job
outcomes payments can be claimed where an individual starts employment
within 13 weeks of the end of the programme and once the individual has
been in employment for 16+ hours a week for at least 4 weeks.
For further information please contact:
Sue Ormiston
Email:
sue.ormiston@skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk
Mob: 07970 434917
To download a pdf copy of this page please click
here.
