PAPER NO 1: JCU STRATEGY BOARD 11th February 2014
NINE ELMS VAUXHALL –
DRAFT JOINT CO-ORDINATION UNIT MANAGERS REPORT
Working Group / Employment and Business Working Group
Sponsor / Chair of Working Group
Report Author / Phil de Montmorency
Recommen-dations: / It was asked at the last JCU Strategy Board whether the Manager’s Report was useful. It was agreed that it was. However, it was recommended that the report be shortened and used to highlight key activity in the quarter, therefore ensuring less overlap with subsequent items and fuller debate.
To note and acknowledge challenges, progress and success made in steps taken to address employer responsive supply side priorities such as pre-employment and development of caseloads.
Executive Summary
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. / The paper provides:-
1. An update on JCU Operational Progress
2. Working with contractors on Employment and Skills Plans.
3. Performance update (headlines)
4. NEV Skills Response Update & Training Partnership
5. Risk review (highlights)
JCU Operational Progress
The JCU continues to hold monthly Operational Group meetings to; inform planning, look at performance and to resolve operational needs and issues. Since the last meeting, the JCU / brokerages have progressed the following headline areas:-
· Determined the number of CSCS site ready candidates required by the brokerages until end 14/15 to meet demand and targets.
· Met with South Thames College, Lambeth College and brokerages to agree above.
· Undertaken meetings with Developers & Tier 1 contractors to help them profile 15/16 outcomes (incomplete)
· Met with St. James legal team to discuss our evidence gathering requirements and the need for monitoring returns to be caught up.
· Delivered a site visit and health & safety talk at Riverlight for trainees.
· Met with Cladding Sub-contractors at Lambeth College to develop kick start discussions on a pre-vocational training offer.
· Supporting a pilot on Queenstown for drylining.
· Delivered 3 out of 4 of the Mainport plant training courses
· Continued consultancy support for Central London Forward and development of construction brokerage (ongoing referrals).
· Further engagement with Major projects, AoC and LCCI / KMPG.
· Met with SFA to discuss funding support, NEV trade requirements, and engagement.
· The JCU held a successful celebration event for graduates from the pre-employment training at the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens ice rink on 26th November
Working with contractors
As per the previous update, in addition to our regular meetings with Tier 1 contractors, the JCU has opened up discussions with a number of subcontractors following requests to engage. We are focusing our efforts on those most advanced sites where most opportunity exists to fill labour opportunities.
Due to the specialist groundwork / formwork currently being undertaken on most of the developments (including BPS, Sky Gardens, Merano, Corniche and Sainsbury’s) there are limited opportunities available to our residents - other than logistics - until the developments reach the “fit out” stage where we will have access to more entry level opportunities. Therefore for these sites, logistics hires and general construction operatives positions are being filled.
The following provides a quick site by Site update:-
Riverlight – St James
Development Stage – Fit out
Update: To date there has been limited sub-contractor engagement. St James’ and JCU recently created a strategy to address the apprentice / job shortfall. The Construction Director has written to each of the main contractors and will arrange follow up meetings. James Burke (JB) will allocate at least 0.5 days a week to this development and will now be given direct access to contractors on site. (Have been behind on monthly returns)
Merano & Corniche – St James
Development Stage – In the ground
Update:Met with Morris Roe the main contractor on Merano. Positive meeting, worked with the contractor to form an action plan to meet their targets. They have agreed to take on two Formwork apprentices which will start on site in 6 weeks’ time. We have reviewed their schedule of work and will support them in recruiting formworkers, groundworkers, steel fixers, plant operators, slingers and labourers. This information has been passed onto to the brokerages and we are awaiting feedback. (Have been behind on monthly returns but have now caught up.)
Sky Gardens – Mace
Development Stage – In the ground
Update: Waiting for the Training & Employment plan to be agreed with Lambeth. Getjar have recently recruited one formwork apprentice who came through the JCU pre-employment cohort. Have set up a meeting with Mace Employment Co-ordinator to discuss future opportunities and to inform profiling of opportunities.
Sainsbury’s - Barratts
Development Stage – Formwork
Update: Only one main contractor on site. Have had good success filling labouring and Traffic Marshalling roles. Recently placed a pre-employment candidate into an Assistant Site Manager’s role. We are currently up-skilling a traffic marshal who will become a slinger; we will then back-fill the traffic marshal opportunity. Good communication with Barratts has meant that candidates referred by JCU are doing well.
Embassy Gardens – Ballymore
Development Stage – Fit out
Update: Since the start of the year Ballymore has organised a number of sub-contractor meetings to address their Training & Employment shortfall. JB will allocate at least 1 day a week to this development. JB has been tasked to arrange follow up meetings to establish contractor requirements. Meetings in the pipeline include; Electrical, Plumbing, Brickwork and Dry Lining. There are 2 Carpentry apprentices due to start on site in the next week or so. There are also 2 labouring opportunities which will be sent to the brokerages today. (Behind on monthly returns but work in progress and are catching up.)
BPS Phase 1 – Carrilion
Development Stage – Formwork
Update: Limited subcontractor engagement, one or two opportunities have been filtered through SkyBlue. Carillion have indicated that they will now hold meetings with subcontractors as they come onto site. The JCU have been invited to only one contractor meeting to date. SkyBlue has informed the JCU that the Logistic package will be going to tender, this gives us the opportunity to prepare some candidates for the opportunities which will become available ie. traffic marshal and hoist drivers.
BPS Phase 2 - Skanska
Development Stage – In the ground
Update: Have had some initial meetings with Skanska to discuss their targets and to inform their ESP targets. Skanska have indicated they will start contractor meetings in the next week or so.
NEV Skills Response Update & Training Partnership
Phase 1 - Pre-employment
The pilot has been mainstreamed by both FE colleges with the undertaking that all construction learners will now receive this support. At the same time we have other 3rd party CSCS providers for adhoc or non-timetabled provision.
Both FE Colleges are working with us to share their learners with the JCU & brokerages to help build caseload and for us to help embed construction employability supporting the curriculum. This is a significant WIN.
Outcome of FE pilots to date:-
20 Lambeth: 11 Wandsworth residents
29 CSCS received
6 NEV Jobs
8 Non-NEV Jobs
3 awaiting interviews
3 pipeline jobs
1 work placement
This represents a 72% positive outcome to date and there is further job brokerage follow up to come.
Phase 2 – pre-vocational training
· Mainport Plant training funded by JCP South Flexible Support Fund Pilot
Training commenced early December with the majority of referrals through JCP. Pre-screening took place at a number of Lambeth JCP offices with 90 candidates screened in total. Approximately 60 candidates each received construction AIG in the referral process and 30 were referred to Plant Training.
The table below shows that of the 30 referred to Mainport 7 have undertaken the training; 4 dropped out either before or during the training in some cases due to finding work. The one candidate who failed did so on the theory test only and has been invited to re-sit when he feels ready (at no additional cost).
On Thursday 5th Feb we met with the 7 who have been through training, to review CV’s, collect feedback, and assist in finding work. Next cohort to commence early Feb.
The following tables show progress:-
FSF targets
Total number of individuals to involve / Total to receive
Construction AIG / Target to receive Plant operative training / Minimum in work within 12 weeks
100 / 60 / 30 / Applicable from April 1
Results so far
Total pre- screened to date (Dec 2014) / Total to date received construction AIG / Total referred for Plant training / Total completed Plant training to date / Total scheduled but did not complete training. / Total scheduled & awaiting training
90 / 40 / 30 / 7
Failed (1),
Passed (6) / 9
dropped out (4)
found work (4)
Not suitable (1) / 14
Other training in development :-
· Queenstown Livetrain / QUEST Drylining pilot
· Flexible Support Fund JCP West – Astins drylining
· NEV Cladding /Fenestration pilot with Lambeth College
Supply side analysis of FE provision - headlines
Analysis was undertaken by QTS for Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham as well as three local colleges; Southwark & Lewisham, Lambeth & South Thames College. The report highlights that there is a significant skills mismatch with the NEV Top 10 trades on which it focused. Across the 3 FE colleges there is £7.7m spent, an annual intake of 1,266 candidates onto Construction relevant training courses with only 10% of candidates’ progress into relevant Construction opportunities after FE College courses. Current local apprenticeship provision only meets 10% of the skills gap and there is much capacity building needed to support business development. Adapting provision to better meet NEV requirements is therefore an important longer term goal.
There is further work to do to discuss the implications of this work.
However, the JCU and Borough Officers have recently met again with the SFA to see how this can happen given that we now know the extent of the skills mismatch.
A development process will be put into place and fleshed out with milestones which seek to identify:-
1. Review of Top 10 trades against QTS report on supply.
2. where existing apprenticeship frameworks can be used / tweaked
3. where there are new Standards available and which can be adopted by a local provider (or sub-contracted).
4. where there are gaps and we need to bring employers together to develop new standards (target trades and development period to be identified)
The Training Partnership will be re-convened to look at the progress made to date on Phase 1 and Phase 2 priorities and to discuss how we address the above for Phase 3.
Risk Review (Highlights)
- Staffing – Request for extra Employer Engagement resource to be in place by end March 2015. Committee paper submitted by WBC for extra resources (to be matched by LBL)
- Sub-contractor recruitment - Active site presence on most busy sites; Pilot sub-contractor engagement with BPS phase 1 and 2. Meeting JCU now part of Induction for new sub-contractors.
- Lack of appropriate funded provision - Bring sub-contractors together to develop pre-vocational offer, e.g. cladding sub-contractors. A wider Construction Training Provider Network needs to be held to capacity build and signal to the market gaps in supply.
- Availability of apprenticeship frameworks /standards- Meetings held with SFA to identify process to develop a locally responsive offer.
- Not enough people from target boroughs interested in construction - Jobs Fairs; Agencies; JCP engagement for referrals; JCP secondment; work with Careers advisors / BEST events; CLF brokerage publicity budget; links with LB education; April to Sept school / FE college – engagement / publicity plan; SEIF funding
Conclusion
The JCU has been fully staffed since September 2014. We have made good progress in establishing a foundation for 15/16 and beyond.
Phase 1 - We have made good inroads into the phase 1 pre-employment offer by developing an FE offer that is to be delivered as standard. We also have market flexibility as regards to relationships with other 3rd party providers.
Phase 2 - The pre-vocational training offer is subject to the good will and involvement of the industry where there is no local offer. As well as trying to meet in-demand trade areas where no provision exists, we will explore how we can amend vocational training courses, where existing provision exists, to make it more employer bespoke and to create better routeways.
Phase 3 –There remains particular concerns re: available fit for purpose apprenticeship frameworks (now standards) and fixing these remains a longer term objective. It should be recognised that this is not within the capacity and scope of the JCU, though it seeks to support change. The commitment of employers; further support from SFA; and resource on the supply side will be important as we will have to identify available new standards and the resources for these to be developed with employers leading.
Paper 1: JCU Manager’s Report Page 7