Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report

 

            The purpose of this report is to:

 

·       Update members on progress with the work of the Belfast Inclusive Labour Market Partnership (LMP) and seek approval of the emerging priorities to be considered as part of the action plan for 2021/22.

 

2.0       Recommendations

 

            The members of the Committee are asked to recommend that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to:

 

·        Agree the high-level outline of the Belfast Labour Market Partnership strategic assessment and action plan, and agree that this is submitted to Department for Communities to access funding, for an initial 18-month period from September 2021.

 

3.0       Main report

 

3.1       Belfast Labour Market Partnership

 

            Members have previously been updated on the establishment of the Belfast Labour Market Partnership, under the banner of Employability NI.  The purpose of the partnership is to make employability and skills interventions more effective and support an inclusive approach to growth in the city. 

 

3.2       The partnership in Belfast is currently working on the 18 month action plan that is to be submitted to Department for Communities (DfC) by the end of June 2021 and will support activity through to March 2023.  Initial indications suggest that DfC and the Department for the Economy (DfE) will provide a financial contribution of around £1.45 million pa to Belfast to carry out a series of agreed activities, as set out in the action plan.   

 

3.3       The strategic assessment has now been completed.  This provides the intelligence to underpin decision-making and inform the priorities for action.  It takes cognisance of issues such as:

 

·        Supply-side perspective including an analysis of current structure and composition of labour market, taking account of short-term impacts arising from Covid-19 as well as long-term structural challenges around economic inactivity, long term unemployment and geo-spatial deprivation

·        An analysis of labour market demand including the short-term demand pinch-points (such as logistics, social care and construction), sectors experiencing a skills mismatch (such as digital) and opportunities that can be built upon (such as the green economy)

·        High-level mapping of provision including the performance of existing interventions and opportunities to improve outcomes for participants (more people into work; higher skills levels in vocationally-relevant areas) – including consider of how these interventions can support inclusive growth.

 

3.4       Based on our recent engagement with DfC – and taking account of the current challenges in the labour market - officers have identified priority target groups, key interventions and underpinning data and intelligence needs.  Our assessment suggests that this approach gives the best chance of seeing positive progress in the Belfast labour market over the 18-month period.

 

3.5       Priority target groups

 

            Based on the research and analysis, we have identified four priority target groups – detailed below.  We are in the process of considering the commensurate level of support for each of the groups, based on need.  We have categorised the groups as follows:

 

·        Quickly Back to Work: reducing the impact of Covid-19 on those whose employment

·        was disrupted

·        Enabling Access: ensuring barriers are removed and pathways created for those who are long-term unemployed and economically inactive

·        No-one Left Behind: creating pathways to employment for disadvantaged people and communities; and

·        Catching Up: improving skills and qualifications through skill escalators for those in lower-paid work who wish to gain a better job.

 

3.6       Key interventions

 

            Members will be aware that the council is already committed to a significant programme of investment in employability and skills, focusing on educational underachievement, economic inactivity and skills development in new growth areas.  The LMP will bring the existing programme of work together with activities being undertaken by partner organisations (FE college, DfE, DfC), looking at how these might be scaled up or how the effectiveness of their delivery might be improved. 

 

3.7       Some emerging interventions that have been proposed for consideration include:

 

·        Exploring transferable skills and employability ‘passports’ that are recognised by employers as an alternative to existing qualification requirements at recruitment

·        Creating better ‘bridges’ to jobs and skills for young people completing training and education

·        Ensuring intensive engagement and ‘levelling up’ support is effective for those further back in the labour market both in terms of employment and self-employment/business start-up; and creating joined-up employer engagement strategies to offer a ‘seamless’ package of support to employers

·        Enhanced, independent careers and education advice and guidance service for both adults and young people.

 

3.8       The research undertaken identifies priority sectors for employability interventions including:

 

·        Sustainable construction, green economy and technology

·        Logistics & transport

·        Health & social care

·        Opportunities generated by Anchor institutions and Community Planning partners

·        Technology and professional services, including digital and financial services.

 

3.9       Data and intelligence

 

            One of the emerging priorities is a commitment to establishing a Labour Market Observatory.  This will serve a number of functions, namely:

 

·        Tracking demand-side issues to ensure employment/workforce demand is identified and a co-ordinated approach is used to meet this demand; translating macro-economic data into better job matching

·        Tracking supply-side issues within the labour market such as the linkages between employment/unemployment and deprivation as well as barriers to accessing a job (e.g. childcare, skills) that will drive delivery and focus resources

·        Ensuring real-time intelligence on existing provision within the employability and skills ecosystem and creating solutions where gaps arise; using local level insights and engagement to make the delivery of existing interventions more effective

·        Reviewing progress of specific interventions on a regular basis to understand what is working and to share insights with partners

·        Co-designing interventions that can help move people back into work as quickly as possible – this will be particularly important for the ‘new unemployed’.

 

3.10      Given that work is still be finalised on the action plan, it is proposed that a report is brought back to the August meeting of the City Growth and Regeneration Committee in order to update members on the details of the approved plan and to set out a timeline and delivery approach for key interventions.  

 

3.11      Financial and resource implications

 

            No specific additional financial contribution required from the council at this point for Labour Market Partnerships.  DfC has confirmed that it will provide resource support for the management and administration of the partnerships, alongside budget for programme delivery.  Details of support available are currently being finalised.  In the interim, officers are working to re-focus existing staff resources to support this important programme of delivery.

 

3.12      Equality implications/rural needs assessment

 

            One of the key advantages of this approach is that it will enable us to target resources on specific groups, including those with particular access issues and barriers that currently prevent them from accessing training and employment opportunities.  Labour Market Partnerships will be established in all council areas.”

 

            The Senior Manager – Economy provided a presentation on the Belfast Local Inclusive Labour Market Partnership (LMP). She explained the emerging strategic priorities from the supply-side intelligence and highlighted that groups would focus on the following themes:

 

·        Quickly Back to Work - Reducing the impact of Covid-19;

·        Catching Up - Improving skills and qualifications;

·        No-one Left Behind - Disadvantaged people and communities; and

·        Increasing Opportunities - LTU and economic inactivity.

 

            She informed the Committee of the emerging sectoral focus from the demand-side intelligence and explained further the sectors offering potential.

 

            She summarised the issues with the current provision under each area of focus and described the emerging LMP priorities for the Year 1 Action Plan.  She advised that the next steps included:

 

·        A Draft action plan submitted to Department for Communities end June 2021;

·        A Department would review, evaluate and approve Summer 2021;

·        A more detailed Action Plan to be presented to August Committee;

·        A delivery timeframe to March 2023; and

·        Three year plans thereafter.

 

            In relation to a query which had been raised at last month’s Committee regarding the suggestions to add representatives to the Belfast partnership. The Director of Economic Development confirmed that DfC would look at the Membership of the Partnership after the initial development phase had been completed, in approximately 18 months.

 

            In response to a question by a Member, the Senior Manager – Economy advised that details of the Work Ready Employability Services contractors for Belfast would be circulated to the Committee.

 

            The Members of the Committee recommended that, in accordance with the Council decision of 4th May, the Chief Executive exercises her delegated authority to:

 

·        Agree the high-level outline of the Belfast Labour Market Partnership strategic assessment and action plan, and agree that this is submitted to Department for Communities to access funding, for an initial 18-month period from September 2021;

·        Note that DfC would examine Partnership membership after the initial development phase (18 months); and

·        Note that the 5 Belfast contractors in relation to the Work Ready Employability Services would be circulated to the Committee.