5. Employability Update - Report
Renfrewshire Council · 27 August 2024
Back to Economy and Regeneration Policy Board — 27 August 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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___________________________________________________________________ To: Economy and Regeneration Policy Board On: 27 August 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Report by: Chief Executive ___________________________________________________________________ Heading: Employability Update ___________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1 This report provides the board with an update on current employability issues including: Final Scottish Government funding awards 2024-25 An overview of the Local Investment Plan for employability, 2024-25 An overview of 2023-24 performance Plans for Renfrewshire Employability Week ___________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Board: (i) Note the acceptance of Scottish Government grant by the Director of Finance awarded for the 2024/25 period of £2,182,000 under the banner of No-One Left Behind and the plans for the year ahead; (ii) Note the full grant claim against the 2023-24 grant offer and the outcomes achieved; (iii) Note the plans for Employability Week in Renfrewshire. ’ ________________________________________________________ 3. Background 3.1 Employability plays an essential role in delivering both Scottish and local government’s aims of tackling poverty, promoting inclusion and social justice and creating a fair and prosperous Scotland.
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It is a key component of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), contributing to delivering the vision for a strong economy where good, secure and well-paid jobs and growing businesses have driven a significant reduction in poverty and, in particular, child poverty. 3.2 Employability has been a key priority for Renfrewshire Council for many years. Securing employment changes lives, creates opportunity and can lift people from poverty. Many individuals face significant challenges and barriers to obtaining and sustaining work and there is a strong demand for employability support. 3.3 Collectively, Scottish and local government aim to build an employability system that tackles inequalities in Scotland’s labour market by creating a more responsive, joined up and aligned employability system that meets the needs of employers and local labour market and helps people of all ages achieve their potential. 3.4 No-One Left Behind promotes a partnership approach to employability at a local level where Scottish and local government are working together with public, private and third sector organisations to identify local needs and deliver a mixed economy of provision. Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) have been established in every local authority to design and deliver services that meet the needs of people and labour markets in their area. 3.5 Local Authorities manage funding on behalf of the Local Employability Partnership and are responsible for reporting on the use of funding, both in terms of data (in line with the Shared Measurement Framework) and qualitative narrative on delivery (aligned to Service Standards and policy intent). 4. Scottish Government Employability Grant Award 2023-24 4.1 It was previously reported (Economy and Regeneration Policy Board 28th May 2024) that the Council had accepted a partial Scottish Government grant award of £0.546M under the banner of No-One Left Behind and that a further funding allocation for the balance of funds and a separate award through the General Revenue Grant was anticipated in the next 2 months. 4.2 A revised grant offer of £2.182M was sent to Renfrewshire Council, Director of Finance, on 17th June 2024. 4.3 The grant is split into the two separate lines of: (a) All-Age Employability Support and (b) Tackling Child Poverty, on which both activity and spend must be reported separately. The allocations for each part of the overall grant fund are set out in the table below: Grant Commitment: £2,182,000 All‐Age Employability Support £942,000 Tackling Child Poverty (previously Parental Employability Support Fund) £1,240,000
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4.4 Flexibility of up to 15% is provided through the offer letter to ensure maximum utilisation of grant. Up to 15% of the All-Age Employability Support budget can be vired to the Tackling Child Poverty budget or up to 15% of the Tackling Child Poverty budget can be vired to the All-Age Employability Support budget. 4.5 Renfrewshire Council will vire 15% of the child poverty budget to the All Age Employability Support budget to ensure a more proportionate funding split. 4.6 As part of the acceptance of grant the Council are required to submit an Annual Investment Plan which sets out proposals for delivery of services and support in 2024-25. The Annual Investment Plan must take into account identification of local needs as evidenced by local statistical data and input from stakeholders and service users. The Plan should also include information regarding the Councils core internal funding input for employability support, the level of funding received from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and details of any other sources of funding for employability. 4.7 The Investment Plan provides a breakdown of all provision and also the funding and volumes breakdown below: The financial breakdown below relates to all participants (around 1,800), not just those supported by Scottish Government funding. NO ONE LEFT BEHIND ‐ VOLUME PROFILES ‐ 2024/25 (SG Funding Only) Local Authority ‐ The table below records how many individual participants will access NOLB services each quarter. Input required in white cells ONLY please TARGET GROUP Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS All Age Employability ‐ Excluding Parents 250 250 250 250 1000 Tackling Child Poverty ‐ Parents 75 75 75 75 300 TOTAL PARTICIPANTS 325 325 325 325 1300 Renfrewshire Budget Lines Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 TOTAL All Age Employability (SG funding) £200,000 £200,000 £242,000 £300,000 £942,000 All Age Employability (LG Core) £250,000 £250,000 £250,000 £250,000 £1,000,000 All Age Employability (UK SPF) £300,000 £300,000 £300,000 £300,000 £1,200,000 All Age Employability (Other) £75,000 £75,000 £150,000 All Age Employability Total £825,000 £750,000 £867,000 £850,000 £3,292,000 Tackling Child Poverty (SG Funding) £300,000 £300,000 £300,000 £340,000 £1,240,000 Tackling Child Poverty (LG Core) £0 Tackling Child Poverty (UK SPF) £0 Tackling Child Poverty (Other) £50,000 £50,000 £50,000 £50,000 £200,000 Tackling Child Poverty Total £350,000 £350,000 £350,000 £390,000 £1,440,000 Total Funding (SG Funding) £500,000 £500,000 £542,000 £640,000 £2,182,000 Total Funding (LG Core) £250,000 £250,000 £250,000 £250,000 £1,000,000 Total Funding (UK SPF) £300,000 £300,000 £300,000 £300,000 £1,200,000 Total Funding (Other) £125,000 £50,000 £125,000 £50,000 £350,000 Employability Funding Total £1,175,000 £1,100,000 £1,217,000 £1,240,000 £4,732,000
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5. 2023-24 Performance 5.1 Renfrewshire Council claimed 100% of the £2.1M 2023-24 Scottish Government grant Award for Employability. 5.2 Overall 2,079 people received employability support through the Employability Service of which 1,813 were supported in some way through NOLB funds. 1,188 (of the 1,813) were new to the service during 2023-24 with around 400 people joining in 22-23 and still receiving support and another 200 or so who had re- engaged from previous years. The 1,813 people break down as follows: Male Female Other Prefer not to Say TOTAL 1137 668 4 4 1813 Age 16‐24 Age 25‐67 TOTAL 756 1057 1813 5.3 During 2023-24 588 people moved into employment with the support of employability services of which 387 were supported through NOLB. Of the 387 the breakdown is as follows: Male Female Other Prefer not to Say TOTAL 214 173 0 0 387 Age 16‐24 Age 25‐67 TOTAL 119 268 387 5.4 During 2023-24, 352 NOLB supported people secured qualifications through the employability service, this is broken down as follows: Accredited Training qualification achieved and Level Totals % No. Achieved 352 100% Not recorded 8 2% SCQF Level 1-4 (Access 1,2,3,4/National 1,2,3,4/Skills for Work/Intermediate 1,/General Standard Grade - SVQ1 - ISCED Level 2) 186 53% SCQF Level 4 (National 4/Intermediate 1/General Standard Grade - SVQ1 - ISCED Level 2) 86 24% SCQF Level 5 - National 5/Intermediate 2/Credit Standard Grade - SVQ2 - ISCED Level 3) 30 9% SCQF Level 6 (Higher - SVQ3 - ISCED Level 3) 5 1% SCQF Level 7 - Advanced Higher - ISCED Level 3) 1 0% 8 0 0% TOTAL 352 100%
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6. Renfrewshire Employability Week 6.1 Renfrewshire Employability Week is a Local Employability Partnership initiative running from 2-6th September 2024 which aims to raise the profile of local employability services and to promote local awareness of current and future job opportunities and skill requirements across all sections of the community. 6.2 The week will involve offering a range of key events, conferences, information sessions, employer visits, sectoral awareness sessions and open-door workshops to anyone interested in local employment. 6.3 Renfrewshire Council and partner agencies and local businesses will organise, or be involved, in activities throughout the week that will appeal to any employability group - school pupils, young people and their parents, particular target groups, or just people of any age and from any part of the community. Some events are aimed also at those looking to change career. Activities provide an insight into local service and opportunities, or career paths within local organisations / employers, or raise awareness of a particular job sector and the range of jobs within. 6.4 While the week of activities is not yet finalised (at time of submitting this report) the event plan will be shared with members at the Board meeting. If successful it is intended to become an annual event. Implications of the Report 1. Financial -the report provides information on Scottish Government employability funding for the current financial year and reports a full 100% claim on the previous year grant award. 2. HR & Organisational Development – employability funding supports a range of council posts and these are secured again until end March 2025. HR have been consulted / informed. 3. Community/Council Planning – Our Renfrewshire is thriving – 588 people were supported into work last year through participating in employability services. Reshaping our place, our economy and our future – employability plays a major role in the local economy, supporting people to get into work. Tackling inequality, ensuring opportunities for all – NOLB specifically ensures that those most disadvantaged are not left behind. Working together to improve outcomes – the Renfrewshire Local Employability Partnership is an excellent example of joint working amongst local partners with the aim of improving outcomes and opportunities.
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4. Legal – None. 5. Property/Assets – None. 6. Information Technology – None. 7. Equality & Human Rights - (a) The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report because it is for noting only. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health & Safety – None. 9. Procurement – None. 10. Risk – None. 11. Privacy Impact – None. 12. Childrens Rights – None. 13. Cosla Policy Position – Not applicable. 14. Climate Risk – Not applicable. _________________________________________________________ List of Background Papers Economy and Regeneration Board, 28th May 2024, Scottish Government Employability Grant Award 2024-25 ___________________________________________________________________ Author: Ruth Cooper, Economic Development Manager, ruth.cooper@renfrewshire.gov.uk