Transcript 50+ Research – CLES findings

A Local Response to 50 Plus
Unemployment
Elizabeth Taylor
Chief Executive
Bootstrap Enterprises
Janet Doolan
Employment and Skills Manager
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Why 50 Forward?
• A pilot targeting people over 50
• To fill a gap in provision – specific and targeted
employment support for the over 50s
• Provide dedicated provision
• Based on the Research Study Report by
C.L.E.S. on behalf of the Blackburn with Darwen
LSP and 50+ Partnership
What we hoped to achieve:
• Reduce number of 50+ JSA claimants
• Provide role models to dispel the myth that
over 50 you cannot find employment
• Focus the provision on the needs and gaps
in the local labour market
• Retrain individuals for future proof careers
• Increase confidence and competences in the
use of IT
50+ Claimant Count - Rate of Change
April 2012
Bw D 580
Penn Lancs 1,840
North West 29,920
England 212,120
240
200
180
160
Nov 2007
Bw D 290
Penn Lancs 810
North West 14,320
England 107,105
England
North West
Pennine Lancashire-5
Blackburn with Darwen
140
120
100
1
No
v11
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ar
-1
2
Ju
l-1
0
No
v10
M
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1
Ju
l-1
9
No
v09
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0
Ju
l-0
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8
No
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80
No
v07
M
ar
-0
8
100 = November 2007
220
Source: Nomis
50+ Claimant Count - Over 6 Months
April 2012
Bw D 295
Penn Lancs 835
North West 14,750
England 108,330
350
250
200
150
100
50
0
Nov 2007
Bw D 120
Penn Lancs 280
North West 6,815
England 52,135
England
North West
Pennine Lancashire-5
Blackburn with Darwen
No
v07
M
ar
-0
8
Ju
l-0
8
No
v08
M
ar
-0
9
Ju
l-0
9
No
v09
M
ar
-1
0
Ju
l-1
0
No
v10
M
ar
-1
1
Ju
l-1
1
No
v11
M
ar
-1
2
100 = November 2007
300
Source: Nomis
Research – February 2011
‘I didn’t do GCSE’s! they were ‘O levels’ in my day, so how can they expect
me to have an NVQ?’
‘They don’t want to give me the job because they think I’ll be after their job
in a few months.’
‘Employers think you will be off when things pick up.’
‘Age discrimination is rife, it’s obvious, just go in the shop and look
around...people just accept it.’
‘It takes 2 days to fill in the form, any mistake and that’s it, you get cut from
the list.’
‘I have applied for over 100 jobs and had no feedback… it’s demoralising.’
http://bwd50plus.org.uk/what-we-do/barriers.html
Barriers to employment for those over 50
External barriers
o Structural economic change
o Gender and age
o Skills and experience
o Education & re-skilling
o Remuneration
o Age discrimination
o Ethnicity and age
Barriers to employment for those over 50
Internal barriers
o Confidence
o Pride
o Adaptability
o Caring
o Motivation
o Impact of illness and poor health
Action Learning Set - Objectives
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To work together with local partners on a single issue
and develop a workable solution to it
To use the input from the Young Foundation and other
authorities to help shape a solution and look for
something really innovative
To use the programme as a catalyst for getting a solution
in place and operational locally
To build our own skills and confidence in a range of
creative methods for coming up with new ideas, action
planning, influencing and pitching
Ageing Well – Action Learning Set
The issue we want to solve is:
…dispel the myth that people over 50 will not be able to get
a job
Success would look like:
An increase in the employment rate for those aged 50+
Action Learning Set – How did it go?
Made great progress - at the evaluation stage
Its become clear that older people:
• Not confident in using IT based job searching
• Surprised that JCP did not have jobs to share
with customers when they sign on
• Not aware of the labour market demands/type
of work available
Government will soon be concerned about 50+ unemployment
Our bid to Flexible Support Fund
The project was to support over 50s JSA
customers (pre Work Programme) to secure
and sustain employment through:
• Acquiring new skills, knowledge and
experience
• Overall aim of increasing the number of over 50s
in employment or economically active
• We intended to recruit with Age UK
WARNING
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The project was local
Only 209 participants
All chosen and referred by Jobcentre Plus
Short period of time Jan to end March
2012, with some joining in final weeks
• Job outcomes don’t reflect what we could
have done if we had worked with the 209
for a longer period
50 Forward
• Delivered to JSA 50 plus prior to the Work
Programme
• Referrals from Jobcentre Plus, 209, some
felt mandated to attend, some chose not to
participate
• Gender breakdown: 154 male, 55 female
• In first year of claiming, or new to JSA
Bootstrap offered tailored packages
to individuals to provide
• Motivational and aspiration focus and
encouragement
• Employability skills
• Work experience
• and practical assistance to secure and
sustain employment
The 50 Forward delivery was
based on:
• Engagement (envisaged Age UK would
recruit but JCP referred)
• Diagnostics
• Learning and development
• Employer links
• and sustaining employment support
What was on offer:
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Advice & Guidance
Employability skills
Motivational packages
Work experience
Volunteering opportunities
Vocational training
Qualifications
Job search
Application and interview support
Benefits to wage transition support
Advice and support in the first period of employment
Initial Action Plan to identify and
agree:
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Job ready
Job ready but required confidence building
Wanted to work but not sure about what to apply for
Know job goal but needed confidence building, skills
updating and some work experience
Needed work experience
Needed work experience and on the job training
Required an up to date qualification
Has other barriers that must be addressed
What we discovered from the
Action Plans:
• Job ready, very few, but did referrals determine this?
• Job ready but required confidence building, majority
• Wanted to work but not sure about what to apply for
60%
• Know job goal but needed confidence building, skills
updating and some work experience 30%
• Needed work experience 40%
• Needed work experience and on the job training 20%
• Required an up to date qualification 60%
• Has other barriers that must be addressed 40%
What we hoped to achieve:
• Reducing number of 50+ JSA claimants
•
Out of 209 referrals in a three month period 23 moved into paid work during the
pilot, others moved into paid work once back on a JCP advisor caseload, 51
• Providing role models to dismiss the myth that over 50 you
cant find employment Succeeded
• Focusing the provision on the needs and gaps in the local
labour market In particular the care sector
• Retraining individuals for future proof careers
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Working in the Care Sector
Working in Retail
Connecting with Customers
IT and administration
• Increasing confidence and competences in the use of IT
Succeeded
What we learnt
• Designated provision for 50 plus was
welcomed by the majority of participants
• Focusing on finding vacancies and getting
a job was welcomed
• Demand for training in IT skills
• Need for Job Search Skills
• Need for Interview Techniques
Recommendations
• Prevention
– JCP flexible support fund – local projects
– Early entry to Work Programme
– Utilisation of ESF Families Programme
– Adult Skills Budget/Community Learning Fund
– Joined up work across Age UK, providers, Councils
& JCP
• Targeted interventions
– Big Lottery/ESF
– SFA/DWP Payment by results – Older People’s
Jobs Fund