NLAO – Active Inclusion of Young People

15 November 2010Birmingham

Apprenticeship Scheme (BAS)

Graham Edwards, WNF Strategy & Implementation Manager

Janet Chisholm, BAS Project Manager

The project addresses Birmingham’s strategic priority:

• “Preventing young people becoming the long term unemployed of the future”

Birmingham Background:

• Young people 16 - 18 Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEETs):

• 2005 – 14.3%• 2009 – 7.7%

• However, in areas of deprivation currently ranges from 13.5% - 25%

• Not available for the labour market – 14.7%

• 18 -24’s unemployed – 13,380 – 21.6% of the working age population

3 Main NEET Categories Open to learning, positive experience of school,

optimistic about the future (41%)

Undecided about education and training, no significant barriers, dissatisfied with opportunities available to them

(22%)

Sustained for 6 months+, negative experience at school, left with few or no qualifications, likely to have unemployed family members, barriers to entering learning (38%)

Being NEET is Costly:• Long term effects of being NEET on young men:• 4 x more likely to be out of work (cost of benefits and

loss of tax revenue)• 5 x more likely to have a criminal record (cost to the

criminal justice system)• 6 x less likely to have qualifications (lower potential

earnings and loss of tax revenue)• 3x more likely to have depression (cost to the National Health Service)

Important to note:

• 75% of young people nationally never experience not being in employment,

education or training

BAS Project Summary• Aims:• To increase both the range of sectors and the

range of employers, primarily SME’s, engaging with

apprenticeships • To increase Birmingham’s competitiveness and

productivity through up skilling• 150 Apprenticeships for young people from

deprived areas• 16 – 24 year old target group

Achievements to date:

• 119 - Obtaining a job and starting an apprenticeship

• 93% – retention rate (8 left before their mentor was in place)

• 9 due to start during November• 100 Workplace job mentor/coaches in training• 80 employers engaged

Apprenticeships being delivered:

• Engineering• Production• Hospitality and

Catering• Customer Services• Advice and Guidance• Teaching Assistant• Information Technology• Health and Social Care

• Sport and Leisure• Accounting• Sports Coaching• Plumbing• Construction• Business

Administration• Butchery• Childcare

The Project requires that:

• Employers sign a contract with BCC to employ the apprentice for 2 years

• The employer defines an appropriate staff member as job mentor/coach to participate in a programme over

a 6 month period• The mentoring is focused on the Employability Essentials to provide the apprentice with a good

start in their working life• The apprentice participates in a full apprenticeship

to receive a nationally recognised qualification

Employability Essentials – are caught not taught

Motivation

Self reliance

Self-confiden

ce

Positive mental attitude

In return the project provides:

• Wage subsidy up to 1 year at minimum wage for 30

– 40 hours per week• Apprentices with some specialist equipment

they require to do their job• Mentoring and Coaching training for the in-

company employee to support the apprentice• Enhanced employability essentials for the young

person

Mentoring and Coaching Programme

• Aligned to National Occupational Standards• Workshops – 1 full day + 4 x ½ days over 6

months– Practical– Workbased– Set in context– Experiential– Supported with a toolkit and logbooks

Essential Skills for Coach/MentorsRapport and trust Asking insightful

questions

Providing feedbackencourage action

Active listening

The job mentor/coach must have:

the ability to act as a positive role model, demonstrating the Employability Essentials in the workplace

the ability to promote discovery for the apprentice

Thank you

Q&A