Engage, Deliver, Sustain:a blueprint for employability services

Welfare to Work Convention 30 June 2011

Neville Cavendish

Department for Work and Pensions

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What I will cover

• Background and challenge

• Why demand-led?

• Engage, Deliver, Sustain: the blueprint for employability

• Feedback from the frontline

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The London Employer Accord

• Project sponsored by DWP and co-funded by LDA & JCP

• A pathfinder of the then London Skills and Employment Board

• Through innovative partnership working…– 180 employer relationships facilitated– 2000 individuals supported into employment– 3000 individuals up-skilled

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The London Employer Accord

• Employer led: Employer Accord Advisory Group and Skills for London Ambassador Network

• Innovation through partnerships: a test-bed for various models of employer led delivery

• Increasing employability: 2000 people supported into employment

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A good sounding Board…

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The challenge…

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Taking a demand-led approach increases employability

“Our services and programmes are shaped by, and

responsive to, the demand-side of the labour market.”

(Working Ventures UK, 2008)

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250 frontline staff said…

Demand led is about:

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Supply driven vs. demand led

Supply Driven Demand LedPre-employment support determined by a programme’s funding criteria

Pre-employment support customised to meet the employer’s needs

Focusing on the needs of particular jobseekers and client groups

Marketing the qualities and effectiveness of your job-matching service

Cold calling employers to get access to any available vacancies

Providing an account manager as a single point of contact

Appealing to an employer’s social responsibility

Evidencing the business benefit to the employer

Regarding employers as recipients of your service

Engaging employers in the design and delivery of your service

Payment for inputs   Payment on results

Recruiting for any job   Recruiting people for sustainable employment

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The ‘blueprint’ (not an annual report…)

Engage, Deliver, Sustain

The blueprint demonstrates lessons learnt about Developing effective employability services and employer engagement across London’s employment and skills system. The booklet is based on results of partnership projects undertaken by the then London Employer Accord team in collaboration with business, Jobcentre Plus, the London Development Agency, and a range of training and welfare to work organisations.

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Blueprint principles

1. Employers lead the way

2. Engage, Deliver, Sustain

3. Innovative partnerships

4. Increasing employability

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What people wanted

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Embedding the lessons

• 180 employer-facing staff ‘trained’• 20+ events• 30+ employers involved in delivery• Interactive sessions• Based on principles of Engage, Deliver, Sustain• 1000 copies of blueprint sent to delivery organisations• Networking and relationship building…

Neville CavendishDepartment for Work and Pensions

e. neville.cavendish@dwp.gsi.gov.ukm.07825 082 460

t. 020 7449 5053

Engage, Deliver, Sustain (the blueprint), and case studies from the London Employer Accord are available on the

London Skills and Employment Observatory:

www.lseo.org.uk