Agenda item

Lela Kogbara, Assistant Chief Executive, Strategy and Community Partnerships was present and introduced two witnesses who gave evidence to the Committee about their recent assistance from the BEST team in finding employment.

Nicky Freeling, Business Engagement and Employment Support Manager also gave evidence to the Committee.

During consideration of the witness evidence the following main points were made –

·         The witnesses stated that they had both received excellent support from the BEST team in assisting them in finding employment and one now had s positive apprenticeship performance. The other witness stated that initially he had been employed on a zero hours contract however he now had a full time job with a contract and the whole experience had been good

·         In response to a question as to whether the Council could improve the process it was stated that in future the Council could look to building stronger relationships with employers who work on Council schemes

·         The witnesses stated that they had been treated well by their employers and that they had received appropriate training opportunities

·         It was stated that all contractors should be paying the LLW by 01/04/2015

·         Previously the BEST team did not have a client facing role and focused on finding employers without a known client base.

·         The BEST team had placed a number of lone parents with SUBWAY

·         There had been 787 residents placed in sustained employment and 534 of these were under 24. 78% of these were unemployed for a year or less

·         The Council has now established and iWork team which would be more client facing and also deal with employers

·         One of the recommendations of the Employment Commission is to get the long term unemployed into sustained employment and this was now a focus for the new service

·         Whilst 10% of the total figure that had gained employment were disabled there was a need to increase this, 46% of those found employment were from the BME

·         In response to a question it was stated that the ‘new service’ would be better at preventing people ‘falling through the cracks’

·         Reference was made to the fact that the Council were now employing and training apprentices in order that they can, after a year, move onto businesses and links were being made with employers so that they would employ them after the first year

·         Work is being undertaken with the City of London to ensure that apprenticeships are meaningful

·         The view was expressed that schools should be discussing and planning apprenticeship opportunities with young people

·         In response to a question it was stated that courses were being run for the over 50’s and that a number or employers, such as B&Q and Asda were seeing the benefits and looking to recruit older people and discussions were taking place in this regard

·         Work is also going on in schools so that young people are aware that employers were looking for motivated people

·         The Chair stated that young people had informed him of the bad experiences that they had had dealing with JCP, and enquired whether the Council could have referred to the BEST team. It was stated that there was an issue of capacity to deal with cases that would be referred, the JCP team had 133 staff whereas the Council team only had 15 staff and there were 24000 unemployed residents

·         In response to a question it was stated that discussions were taking place to see if some of the functions of the JCP could be linked with the iWork team and disability would have an increased focus in the future

·         It was stated that given the large number of construction projects in the borough there should be opportunities for apprenticeships and work placements, especially for women,  given the shortage of females in the construction industry

·         Concern was expressed that the employment being  found is low skilled and low paid and enquired whether this was in fact the case and whether any higher paid jobs were available. It was stated that initially there had been a focus on low level entry jobs but where there is S106 monies available there is an opportunity to create more jobs across the salary range and the job brokerage will now be more suited to matching people with particular jobs

·         Tailored work is also being undertaken with the PRU to identify job opportunities

·         It was noted that over 50% of lone parents had not been in work for over 2 years and Members requested that the average age of these parents be circulated

·         Members were informed that the recommendations of the Employment Commission set out a clear strategy to assist residents who needed help most and that a partnership approach is being developed to assist those who need it most

The Chair thanked Nicky Freeling, Lela Kogbara and the two witnesses for attending