Great Careers Start HereThis is my College

An Evaluation of the OCEANS 14 Project 2014-2015

EVALUATION REPORT

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 2Executive Summary 3Background 4Methodology 5Findings 6 - 9Conclusions 10Recommendations 11

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

On behalf of Southern Regional College, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the OCEANS 14 project to make it possible and to make it the success it was.My sincere thanks also go to those community representatives who assisted with the promotion of the project and to the participants who successfully completed the training programme and returned their questionnaires, providing valuable feedback to the OCEANS 14 team. Hopefully you will find the effort was worthwhile and that the outcomes from this report will help influence the future provision of education and training in the Southern Region.

I would like to thank the Department for Social Development (DSD) for funding this programme.

David Vint Assistant Director for Community, School Partnerships and External Funding

The OCEANS 14 project was developed by Southern Regional College in consultation with local community groups, as a response to the education and skills needs within the Armagh, Craigavon and Newry NR Areas.

The programme sought to respond to the identified needs which were highlighted in the research findings of ‘A STUDY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NEEDS AND BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL AREA OF ARMAGH’, ‘A STUDY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING NEEDS AND BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION IN NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL AREAS OF NEWRY’ and earlier training programmes; ‘Building Your Path to Success’ in Armagh, ‘Newry Education and Training Towards Equality’ (NEATTE) and the Training and Employment Opportunities Programme (TOPs Newry and Craigavon).

Strong links with community representatives assisted in recruiting the hard to reach participants.

The aim of the OCEANS 14 project was to provide 25 residents who live in NRAs of Armagh, Craigavon and Newry with training in essential skills, literacy, numeracy or IT and provide a gateway to employability in the offshore industry. The project provided residents with the BOSIET qualification (Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training), a mandatory qualification essential to gaining work in the offshore industry.

Over and above the initial aim of the project residents who completed the BOSIET were offered the opportunity to complete a further offshore qualification. The MIST (Minimum Industry Safety Training) was delivered as an additional strand to the OCEANS 14 project and covered further health and safety training required for employment in the offshore industry.

Throughout the project residents were supported by a mentor and expert training providers. Residents were provided with information on how to apply for jobs in the offshore industry, other offshore training opportunities and qualifications available.

The skills, qualifications and support offered in the OCEANS 14 project were crucial in enabling people to find employment or to facilitate everyday life at work or in education.

As a direct result of the project;

• 26 residents completed and successfully passed essential skills training

• Of these, 23 residents gained a City & Guilds Level 2 qualification

• 3 residents gained a City & Guilds Level 1 qualification

• 24 residents completed and successfully passed the BOSIET residential training. The successful residents were offered the MIST as an additional qualification

• 18 residents partook in this training and all 18 completed and passed.

• The OCEANS 14 project had a 100% pass rate in all areas of training. Every resident who participated in a training strand passed.

Since completing the OCEANS 14 project 12 residents have reported they have gained employment and a further 1 resident has progressed within their current employment.

2 residents have completed and successfully passed the medical required for work in the offshore industry.

On the basis of our findings we believe more training programmes similar to this will provide local people from the NRAs with skills making them job ready and contributing to their communities.

The Department of Social Development’s (DSD) Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy electoral wards designated as Neighbourhood Renewal Areas (NRAs) qualified for special funding administered by DSD. Southern Regional College is one of a number of statutory agencies represented on the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Boards (NRPB) that were set up to manage the regeneration projects. NRPB’s allow local community representatives to have meaningful input to the decision making process on which interventions is most likely to produce positive benefits for their areas.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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BACKGROUND

Under the Department for Social Development’s (DSD) Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, electoral wards designated as Neighbourhood Renewal Areas (NRAs) qualify for special funding administered by DSD.Southern Regional College (SRC) is one of a number of statutory agencies represented on the Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Boards (NRPBs) which allow local community representatives to have meaningful input to the decision making process on which interventions are most likely to produce positive benefits for their areas.

OCEANS 14 was developed by SRC in consultation with local community groups, as a response to the education and skills needs within the Armagh, Craigavon and Newry NR Areas. Key activists from the local community indicated their support in helping to promote the programme, identify participants, and assist with the on-going monitoring of the programme.

SRC proposed a dual stranded OCEANS 14 project which aimed to ensure that everyone living in NRAs had the opportunity, ability and confidence to access employment in the offshore industry and that local people gained valuable skills and qualifications. The project

provided accredited training in essential skills, literacy, numeracy or ICT and also training specific to the offshore industry. The BOSIET (Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training) and MIST (Minimum Industry Safety Training) are mandatory qualifications for entry to employment in the offshore industry.

OCEANS 14 provided training that worked in partnership with industry and which opened pathways to employment traditionally excluded to residents living in NRAs. This provided residents with qualifications and life skills enhancing their career prospects and life opportunities.

OCEANS 14 promoted training opportunities for adults from the Neighbourhood Renewal Areas which sought to respond to the identified needs which were highlighted in the research findings of the Social Renewal Educational ‘Training Needs Analysis’ in Armagh and ‘A Study of Education and Training Needs and Barriers to Participation in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas of Newry’.

The research revealed some major barriers to residents in the NRAs;

• The level of qualifications• employment profile• income• poor access to transport

preventing job opportunities.

OCEANS 14 was created from this research, the earlier training programmes and the recent TOPs programmes. The programme was developed following consultation with a wide range of organisations, including community groups, resident associations and statutory organisations in the Armagh, Craigavon and Newry areas.

METHODOLOGY

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Evaluation forms were completed by residents, these were then collected as part of the college’s normal quality assurance process. As in the case of programme development, the College employed a collaborative approach to programme evaluation by involving local community representatives. To ensure as comprehensive an evaluation as possible, the

College decided to use a varied source of data on which to base its evaluation, this included:

• Data collated from one-to-one meetings with community representatives

• Oral feedback from students and members of

Resident Associations• SRC enrolment records

and MIS data• Training evaluation forms

which are collected as part of the college’s normal quality assurance procedures

Launch of the Oceans 14 Project Pictured are David Vint, SRC Assistant Director for Community, Schools Partnerships and External Funding, Brian Doran, SRC Chief Executive, Conor Murphy, MP, Nelson McCausland, Minister Department for Social Development, Lord Mayor of Armagh Cathy Rafferty and John Quinn, SRC Director, Business Engagement & External Relations.

FINDINGS

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It is only through funding from DSD collaboration and partnership with the Armagh, Craigavon and Newry Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership Boards, support organisations and our other statutory partners, that we are able to deliver projects.The current Neighbourhood Renewal strategy has ended in March 2015. Under the new devolved functions of the super councils we are unsure what the future holds for the partnership; however the work for the area must continue.

The OCEANs 14 project focused on providing specialist training for 25 residents interested in a career in the offshore industry. Providing this industry specific training allowed residents to complete required qualifications breaking down barriers to access which they previously would have experienced such as financing training and accessing employment opportunities. The

project also provided training in essential skills in Literacy, Numeracy and IT which are crucial to secure employment in all industries.

The completion of the BOSIET (Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training) and MIST (Minimum Industry Safety Training) meant that participants were job ready with a greater capacity to find employment in the offshore industry.

In the NRAs due to the current economic downturn there is a need for men and women to reconsider their current situations and this programme provided them with an opportunity to

consider new career paths or steps for progression to employment.

Participant’s employability was further complemented by the provision of essential skills training in Literacy, Numeracy or IT. This training enabled participants to secure accredited GCSE equivalent qualifications which they previously did not hold and in turn provided access to many employment opportunities as these Level 2 qualifications are deemed as an essential for many job roles.

FINDINGS

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FINDINGS

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Feedback on the essential skills training highlighted that 100% of those who participated rated their tutor style as “good” or higher with 80% rating their tutor as “excellent” and all residents reporting that they were well supported by their mentor.

All residents on the programme were asked to complete evaluation forms to demonstrate what they thought of the project and how it could be improved. Of the 18 evaluations which were returned,

• 18 or 100% rated the overall quality of the OCEANS 14 project as “very good” or “excellent”,

• 18 or 100% gave the same rate for the quality of support they received on the OCEANS 14 project

John King from Craigavon stated “The OCEANS 14 project was a great experience; it has provided me with the skills to work offshore. I have also leaned a lot and made new friends from participating on the course. I would recommend the OCEANS project to everyone”

Mark Gilmore also from Craigavon said “I think the OCEANS 14 project was an excellent programme and has benefited me by providing the opportunity to try and further my career and to try to have a better life for my family and also to try out new opportunities in the workplace.” Barry Maginess from Armagh commented “Since completing the OCEANS 14 project I have been more focused on getting a good stable job and I have a far better outlook on life, the future looks bright.”

Participants’ comments on the quality of the programme were very positive. One Armagh resident commented “The BOSIET and MIST courses were excellent, I enjoyed all parts of the training and the instructors were very helpful and gave me plenty of encouragement”. Another resident said that “Although I found the underwater training daunting the instructors put me an ease and helped me gain the confidence to go for it. I passed the training successfully”

Residents were asked what their reasons were for enrolling onto the OCEANS 14 project. The majority selected more than one reason with 100% stating that the wanted to improve their chances of getting a job.

NRA Armagh Craigavon Newry Total

Total number of residents enrolled 6 14 6 26

Number of residents who completed Essential Skills Training 6 14 6 26

Total passed 6 14 6 26

% passed 100% 100% 100% 100%

Table 1: Breakdown of the number of residents from Armagh, Craigavon & Newry NRAs and the percentage achieving an Essential Skills Qualification in Literacy, Numeracy or IT

NRA Armagh Craigavon Newry Total

Total number of residents enrolled 6 13 6 25

Number of residents who completed BOSIET 6 12 6 24

Total passed 6 12 6 24

% passed 100% 100% 100% 100%

Table 2: Breakdown of the number of residents from Armagh, Craigavon and Newry NRAs and the percentage achieving the BOSIET qualification (Basic Offshore Safety Induction & Emergency Training)

NRA Armagh Craigavon Newry Total

Total number of residents enrolled 6 8 4 18

Number of residents who completed MIST 6 8 4 18

Total passed 6 18 4 18

% passed 100% 100% 100% 100%

Table 3: Breakdown of the number of residents from Armagh, Craigavon and Newry NRAs and the percentage achieving the MIST qualification (Minimum Industry Safety Training)

FINDINGS

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Resident’s reasons for enrolling onto the OCEANS 14 project

66% of residents who completed the OCEANS 14 project stated that they would not have been able to afford to pay for the cost of the BOSIET or MIST qualifications required to access the offshore industry. If DSD funding had not been available the programme would not have happened and residents would not have gained employment or had to opportunity to enhance their employability.

OCEANS 14 provided specialised training and opened new possibilities of employment to individuals who otherwise would not have been in a position to cover the cost themselves. The skills provided through the OCEANS 14 training although specific for the offshore industry are also transferable to many other job roles. The essential skills training provided residents with basic qualifications required for most jobs today opening doors to employment in many sectors.

Feedback from the current OCEANS 14 project illustrates that soft skills such as self esteem, personal confidence, communication and interpersonal skills have been enhanced in the residents who participated in the programme. One resident stated “I have more confidence in myself and my chances of getting a better job’” while another stated that as well as gaining practical skills “I have learned a lot and made new friends from participating in the course”

It is important to note that the target set by DSD was to develop and provide accredited training programmes for those residents who were economically inactive or those low paid workers wishing to obtain new qualifications to further their career opportunities. The OCEANS 14 project was a successful programme, evidenced by the 100% pass rate in all qualifications undertaken through the project and the number of residents securing employment.

On completion of the OCEANS 14 project residents reported on their employment status;

• 38% stated that they were now in full time employment

• 12% stated that they were now in part time employment.

• Twelve residents reported securing either full or part time employment since completion of the project.

• One participant who gained part time employment also continued with further training within SRC.

• Two residents reported that they have gone on to complete the medical required for the offshore industry and are also aiming to complete role specific training to work in the rigging section of an oil rig.

• The remainder have reported increased opportunities when applying for jobs.

Chart 3: Resident’s reasons for enrolling onto the OCEANS 14 Project

Chart 1: Residents feedback on the quality of the OCEANS 14 programme overall

Chart 4: Breakdown of participants employment status on completion of project

Chart 2: Residents feedback on the quality of support they received on the OCEANS 14 project

100

98

96

94

92

90

88

86

84

82

Gain a Qualification 89%

Improved Chances of Getting Job 100%

Get a Better Job 14%

Earn More Money 94%

Full Time Employment 38%

Part Time Employment 12%

Further Training 4%

Wider Employment Opportunities 46%

Excellent Very Good

Excellent Very Good

89%

11%

89%

11%

CONCLUSIONS

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• The current Neighbourhood Renewal strategy will come to end in March 2015.

• The OCEANS 14 project was a success as targets were met.

• 100% of residents who completed Essential Skills training achieved an Essential Skills qualification.

• 100% of residents who completed the BOSIET training achieved their BOSIET qualification.

• 100% of residents who completed the MIST training achieved their MIST qualification.

• SRC provided a high quality training programme and residents reported that the help and support they received throughout the project from the training providers and project mentor was extremely helpful and supportive resulting in an excellent pass rate.

• The project has been successful in breaking a cycle of unemployment in the neighbourhood renewal areas as some participants now in work had previously been long term unemployed.

• 50% of residents who completed the OCEANS 14 project are now in employment.

• The major benefits, in the view of participants related to gaining new skills and therefore widening employment opportunities.

• The OCEANS 14 project provided specialised training, opening a new pathway to employment in the offshore industry which would previously have been deemed inaccessible to residents in NR Areas.

• SRC is regarded as a key driver of social inclusion in the Armagh, Craigavon and Newry areas.

• The success of this programme can be attributed to the effective partnerships between SRC, DSD officials and NRA residents who are members of the local Partnership Boards.

Residents completing helicopter evacuation training as part of the BOSIET Qualification

RECOMMENDATIONS

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• SRC should continue to offer courses in community venues.

• Local government should work in partnership with FE and the NRPBs to ensure that the work undertaken to date with DSD funding should continue post April 2015.

• Courses should be offered at times to meet the needs of individual learners.

• Specific employability-focused courses designed to attract young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) should be offered by SRC in partnership with locally-based community and voluntary groups.

Residents preparing for Life Raft launch during training at the National Maritime College of Ireland

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