(9480) Schemes run by the department under back-to-work funding

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1240/5(9480)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BY DEPUTY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 14TH JUNE 2016

Question

Will the Minister detail for members the schemes which have been run by her department under back-to- work funding since 2010, including the period for which each scheme operated, the sector targeted, the number of clients supported, the level of support provided to the employer and trainee, the total cost of the scheme, how success was measured in each case, and the numbers of clients of each scheme who went on to find permanent employment?

Answer

Unemployment rapidly increased in 2011 as a result of world recession which hit Jersey hard: the finance industry shrank, shops closed and the fulfilment industry virtually disappeared. In early 2012 the Council of Ministers stated, "Our most urgent priority is to get unemployed Islanders working."

Back to Work was formed at the beginning of 2012 and significant additional funding was allocated to strengthen existing employment support teams and develop new initiatives.

Unemployment reached historic highs of 2,050 by the end of March 2013. The graph below shows the success Back to Work has had in tackling registered unemployment levels, which could have risen significantly higher without the input of the Back to Work. Such is the success of the programme that in the last 18 months it has been able to extend its scope and enable more Income Support claimants to benefit from the support Back to Work offer and move into employment. Over 400 individuals including parents of nursery age children, self-employed individuals and some Long Term Incapacity Allowance claimants have been added to the actively seeking work register in addition to the existing jobseeker groups. This has kept registered unemployment higher than it would otherwise have been, but offered a route into employment for many who may not otherwise have looked for work.

Job starts

Each year there are typically around 5,000 individuals who are, at some point, registered with the department to find work. Back to Work focus their support on jobseekers who need help finding work and therefore the job start figures quoted below only represent supported job starts – they do not include those who found work quickly by themselves.

Between January 2012 and the end of May 2016, 7,980 job starts were supported by Back to Work, of which, 3,650 were for permanent positions.

Back to Work is committed to supporting jobseekers move into sustainable employment. This is often achieved through an initial temporary role which can give candidates an excellent foot in the door' to progress from as well as helping those with more barriers to employment to become more employable by giving them training, skills and professionalism they need, and by helping them to build confidence.

Back to Work also supports a number of people move from not working at all, to having part time work. This provides individuals with the opportunity to develop skills, experience and contacts. The part time worker continues to receive Back to Work support until a full time position is secured. The graph below shows the significant rise in ASW clients who are engaged in some form of paid employment and classified as underemployed'.

As of May 2016, 520 people (38%) of the 1380 people registered as Actively Seeking Work are classed as underemployed' with part time work.

Schemes

Back to Work is made up of a number of core schemes who support customers in their jobseeking, through coaching and mentoring and providing suitable training. The core schemes are outlined below.

Advance to Work

Formed in 2009 by the Education department, ATW became part of Back to Work in September 2012. It helps young people looking for work make the transition between education and employment. It provides an individualised programme of general and vocational training, personal advisor support and work experience with local employers. The team's target age group is 16 to 24.

Advance Plus

Formed in 2010 by the Education department, Advance Plus became part of Back to Work in September 2012. Advance Plus runs 10-week industry-specific schemes for motivated jobseekers aged 20 and over. Schemes are focussed on areas such as Retail, Finance, Care, Construction, IT & Coding, Business Administration and Gardening, The scheme combines intensive training, a five-week work placement and advisor support to improve delegates' opportunities for work.  

Work Right

Work Right is a dedicated team to support jobseekers with a range of barriers to employment, including those who have been actively seeking work for over 12 months. Prior to Work Right, this client group was supported by the Long Term Unemployment Unit and Work Wise.

Work Zone and Ready for Work

These teams are for jobseekers who are more work ready', and do not require the specialist support offered by the other schemes. They provide advisers who offer wide-ranging guidance on job-seeking and training to help clients step into the workplace.

Projects

Back to Work collaborates with employers to run targeted projects and specific recruitment drives which use innovative initiatives to tackle unemployment. Each project is evaluated to enable Back to Work to continue to enhance its existing provision to provide a swift and flexible response to the needs of both jobseekers and employers. Key projects that have been run by Back to Work are outlined below – customers taking part in these projects will also receive support from one of the core' employment teams above.

• Hospitality: The Hospitality Programme has continued to evolve since it first ran in 2012 based on regular evaluation and extensive feedback from industry and partnership working with JHA. The current initiative gives Islanders who have not worked in the industry before the chance to train on the job. It also gives employers the opportunity to recruit and train locally-qualified jobseekers with financial support from Back to Work. As well as giving candidates the opportunity to gain practical skills in a hospitality environment, Back to Work also provide trainees with the opportunity to secure relevant certificated qualifications such as health and food safety, responsible alcohol retailing, and customer service.
• Construction: A number of construction initiatives have been run by Back to Work over the last 3 years. They include a training building site at the Waterfront run in partnership with the Jersey Construction Council and local employers, specific window fitting training responding to industry demand, bespoke summer school' in dry lining and plastering, and the current initiative of paid training – enabling employers to train individuals on the job' for up to 12 weeks.
• JobsFest: launched in 2013, is centred on an employer incentive that helps locally qualified jobseekers find paid work during October and November. Up to eight weeks' wages and social security contributions are paid to employers that hire locally qualified jobseekers who have been registered as actively seeking work throughout that year. In addition there is a festival' of daily training events that are available to inspire and skill up jobseekers (including those not on the incentive programme).
• The Community Jobs Fund was launched in 2013 and provides up to six months' wages for young or long-term jobseekers employed by a charity or organisation that can provide a role offering a clear, additional benefit to the community.
• Foundations was launched in 2014 and is designed to support registered jobseekers who are furthest from employment. It aims to bring clients closer to employment by offering them paid work on projects to act as a stepping stone towards more open employment. Foundations projects involve work on community benefit projects on various sites across Jersey such as various Island Games venues and the, Railway Walk. All work undertaken benefits the community, and is maintenance that would not otherwise have been undertaken. It provides workers with experience of work, and improves their general employability in areas such as attendance, positive attitude, teamwork and motivation to work.

• Self- Employed – In 2015 Back to Work added 70 people to the ASW register and supports self- employed customers whose income is not sufficient for them to be considered full time employed equivalent'. This involves dedicated advisor support and training on business development topics.

Employment Incentive

Some jobseekers have barriers to employment which minimise their chances of being recruited in open recruitment – but given the chance to get a foot in the door', an employer can have the opportunity to employ candidates they may not previously have considered, and have greater flexibility to allow additional training time to get their new recruit fully up to speed. Back to Work have offered different financial incentives over the last 3 years including the Employment Grant and Youth Incentive which have now been replaced with the Employment Incentive. This incentives offers 6 months' salary at minimum wage for an employer who hires a long term unemployed jobseeker into a permanent role. The structure, scope and value of employment incentives has changed into our current offering as a result of evaluation and feedback from employers.

Back to Work Recruitment  

The Back to Work Recruitment team act in a similar capacity to a recruitment agency, matching job-seekers to employers' requirements. This includes assisting employers with their recruitment process, from the pre- selection of candidates to providing interview feedback.

They can help with everything from recruitment campaigns to ongoing training once the position has been filled:

• candidate search and selection
• job trials, vocational training, and work placements for candidates
• job match events
• shortlisting, interviewing and feedback
• tailored industry or company-specific recruitment campaigns

Support provided for employer and trainee

Back to Work's key aim is very much to help keep someone in a job, not just get them into a job. Once a jobseeker has been supported into finding employment, their Back to Work advisor will continue to keep in touch and provide In Work Support for the employee for the first six months of their employment as well as keeping in touch with the employer (if required). This In Work Support plays a crucial role in helping employees with some of the challenges of starting a new job and supports employers with any issues that may arise. The aim is to ensure the employee moves from unemployed into the workforce smoothly and stays in work longer. This In Work Support is offered across all areas of Back to Work.

Measures of success

BTW measures success in terms of outcomes and progress made. Key outcomes are around number of job starts, type of job start as well as sustainability, that is, 6 months in work. Additionally, while jobseekers are on one of the BTW schemes we measure participation in activities that bring jobseekers closer to employment, for example attending training or job club, or carrying out a work placement. Back to Work also monitors progress made by jobseekers in terms of readiness for work as well as skills they may have improved or gained through training.

Across the range of BTW services, nearly 8,000 job starts have been recorded since Jan 2012. This table includes the number who were offered a job on a permanent contract. The total number includes contracts that began temporary or seasonal work – their contract type may change as their employment progresses.

NB. All job starts are rounded to the nearest 10.

As outlined above, Back to Work recognise that sustainable work (whether achieved through a permanent or temporary contract) is important, and the number of permanent contracts to jobseekers has increased year on year. As the Back to Work programme has developed, there has been increasing success at supporting individuals into a permanent contract from the outset.

Total costs

Although Back to Work started in 2012, Advance to Work and Advance Plus, which are now a significant part of the programme, were part of the Education, Sport and Culture Department until September 2012 and therefore the funding below excludes these initiatives until they joined Social Security.