BRIDGES INTO WORK

John Woods

Group Manager: Libraries, Arts and Adult Community Learning Bridgend County Borough Council

WHAT IS BRIDGES INTO WORK?

European Convergence ESF Priority 2 Programme Six local authorities in SE Wales : Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen (Lead sponsor) “The project will engage, support and prepare the economically inactive, including those who are unemployed or on incapacity benefit, in the most deprived areas of the region, to acquire the appropriate skills to become job ready and to gain sustainable employment” 3-year programme, January 2009 – December 2011 (with possible extension to December 2014)

BUDGETS AND TARGETS

TOTAL PROGRAMME BUDGET : £19,113,901 TOTAL BENEFICIARIES : 17,548

BRIDGEND COUNTY BOROUGH ELEMENT:

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Total budget : £3,074,193

(Grant £1,696,601, Match £1,377,592) –

Total beneficiaries : 2562

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Number gaining qualifications : 1153

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Job outcomes : 512

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Funding per beneficiary : £1,200

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Funding per job outcome : £6,000

HOW IT WORKS (theory)

MATCH FUNDING:

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Bridgend Communities First £624,000 (Staff time - engagement)

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Bridgend Adult Community Learning £573,592 (Learning delivery)

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Other £180,000 (originally Language and Play)

GRANT:

funding of project team, accommodation, resources, etc.

“Engage, Support, Prepare” - Simplistically, Communities First ENGAGE project team SUPPORT, Adult Community Learning PREPARE.

CHALLENGES

Recession – engagement easier; job outcomes harder Communities First match funding reduced from £624K to £188K – engagement capacity greatly reduced Bridgend College proposal to cut whole of Adult Community Learning franchise funding Adult Community Learning have to switch from social learning to skills for work delivery – fail to meet learning outcomes in first year.

Alternative sources of match funding sought, but downsizing likely Autumn 2010.

LIBRARIES?

A major opportunity missed?

Despite proven success of Gateways to Learning and other local initiatives, libraries were not considered as partners for Bridges into Work during preparation of bid by Adult Community Learning and Regeneration Departments.

“Tackling Economic Inactivity through Libraries: Bridges into Work” – Katherine Hughes, November 2008 – “…libraries need to take immediate action

to position themselves in relation to (Bridges into Work) in each local authority…”

Libraries contribution would be to broaden engagement, support for basic skills / confidence building and job seeking.

Benefits of involvement with Bridges into Work (from Katherine Hughes’ report)

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Added capacity - this would give depth and dimension to the project

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Libraries taking a more active role in delivering the corporate plan

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Greater public awareness of libraries and enhanced community engagement

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Generate benefits for service users – through social inclusion

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Career development for staff

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Opportunity to work with other stakeholders within this field

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Improving the position of the library within the ‘learning industry’ Recommendation that library services secure a case worker from their local authority Bridges into Work team to support their contribution. However, generally too late for effective intervention.

BRIDGEND -

background

Bridgend’s element of Bridges into Work had been planned within the Communities (Regeneration) Directorate and relied heavily on Communities First development workers for beneficiary engagement (in the event not fully realised). It excluded libraries.

Basic Skills Strategy for Bridgend (Jan 2009) failed to mention libraries despite a recommendation that

“engagement and support (for basic skills) needs to be provided in non-threatening environments outside colleges and formal learning institutions”

Agencies working in deprived communities remained largely

“unconvinced that the library image and environment can add any value to their work or be attractive to their clientele”

BRIDGEND -

opportunities

Failure of elements of match funding for Bridges into Work provides a way in for libraries.

Library Service’s “Cyberlink” ICT training / Learn Direct service matched in – 40% of staff time.

January 2009 – ELIBS project developed and application prepared for CyMAL funding.

March 2009 – Bridges into Work transferred from Communities Directorate to Wellbeing Directorate and is managed by the Creative Living Service (Libraries, Arts, Adult Community Learning) Bridges into Work project team recruited to include development worker support for Library Service participation.

ELIBS

(Engaging Learners in Basic Skills)

Aim

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To consolidate the position of the Bridgend Library and Information Service as an agent for engagement, support and delivery in the field of basic skills learning and particularly in communities with higher levels of deprivation.

Objectives

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Establish links into the Priority 2 Convergence Programme “Bridges into Work”

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Develop capacity to address basic skills needs that the Library Service’s Cyberlink project has identified in its learners and for which no satisfactory provision currently exists.

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Promote and market the Library Service’s strengths as an agent for engagement and support of basic skills learners and establish partnerships with other agencies, particularly those engaged in developing disadvantaged communities.

ELIBS –

Implementation (1)

Employment of a Development Worker to:

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To act as a champion for libraries as agents for basic skills engagement, support and delivery within the BiW programme and the wider learning provider community in Bridgend

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To develop the engagement of those with basic skills needs through libraries and ensure that they are signposted to the most appropriate learning providers according to their needs

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To ensure that front-line library service staff are fully involved in the learner engagement process.

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In conjunction with the Cyberlink Project Team, facilitate enrolment and delivery of LearnDirect basic skills courses through libraries

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To identify, select and create collections of appropriate support materials that can be used by BiW case workers.

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Support learners attending the basic skills learning facility and seek to develop a “learning club” environment in which learners support each other.

CYMAL Inspiring Learning grant funding of £20,000 approved April 2009 as part funding for Development Worker (total cost £29,000). Development Worker appointed June 2009 (secondment)

ELIBS –

Implementation (2) TON PENTRE SUITE

Establishment of a venue that will offer a relaxed, supportive environment designed to attract those with basic skills needs who are nervous of more formal learning processes

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Achieved by refurbishing two rooms at Pyle Life Centre:

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To create an informal environment to engage and support adults with basic skills needs and serve as a focus for community (as opposed to College) based basic skills and confidence building training in Bridgend County Borough.

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To provide a base for the ELIBS Development Worker and for Bridges into Work development workers

CyMAL Community Learning Libraries Capital Development Programme funding of £38,170 approved April 2009 – Ton Pentre Suite opened September 2009 (total cost £58,413)

ELIBS –

Operation

CyMAL Inspiring Learning Grant and BCBC contribution to Development Worker salary matched in full into Bridges into Work Ton Pentre Suite open 9.00 – 5.00 five days a week.

Used as base for ELIBS Development Worker, Bridges into Work Development Worker and learning delivery Informal drop-in support plus formal classes in basic skills and confidence building. Referral through all libraries established and delivery of courses now starting at other library venues Reading Group established and Six Book Challenge run for new readers.

Fully linked in to Bridges into Work programme

ELIBS –

Performance

Total number of people supported through ELIBS at Pyle (Sept 2009 – April 2010) - 263 Numbers of beneficiaries referred into the Bridges into Work programme – 160 Referrals to Learn Direct courses - 73 Total number of Basic Skills assessments carried out – 148 Total number of enrolments onto Basic Skills courses - 123 ELIBS has to date contributed 22% of referrals into Bridges into Work although it only supplies 6% of the match funding – a performance well in excess of all other partners.

ELIBS –

Future

Year-two funding awarded for ELIBS Development Worker, April 2010 – expansion of engagement programme planned Workings Skills for Adults European Priority 3 ESF Convergence Programme approved by WEFO March 2010 – sister programme to Bridges into Work Adult Social Care Localised Centre to be established at Pyle Life Centre adjacent to ELIBS project by March 2011 Bridges into Work to be assessed for three-year extension Autumn 2010.

Library budgets under pressure

TON PENTRE SUITE - LOUNGE

TON PENTRE SUITE – LEARNING ROOM

BASIC SKILLS SESSION

COFFEE TIME

READING GROUP

SIX BOOK CHALLENGE WINNER

SHANE & ALAN

QUESTIONS?

John Woods Group Manager: Libraries, Arts and Adult Community Learning Bridgend County Borough Council [email protected]

Tel 01656 754801