EXECUTIVE SUMMARY / In one short paragraph please describe this project and what it has achieved.
We will use this in any future publicity material.
This project is part of CityBuilding’s strategic response to target the most disadvantaged young people within the City of Glasgow by providing them with the opportunity to participate in training that will bring them into the labour market. Working in partnership with Glasgow Community Planning Partnership and the Local Community Planning Partnerships, CityBuilding successfully delivered an additional 47 craft apprenticeship places to unemployed people from local communities who were far removed from the labour market.
PLANNING / · a clear rationale, defined processes and focus on stakeholder needs
· contributes to organisation’s goals, community plan and SOA, and national policy context
CityBuilding has a long history of supporting and empowering local communities. We train more apprentices than any other building company in Scotland and actively encourage people from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential. Indeed, CityBuilding’s mission statement reads: “…Our unique social ethos will continue to underpin everything we do and will drive the creation of training and employment opportunities for a diverse range of people, including minority and other under-represented groups, across Glasgow and beyond.”
The Community Planning Youth Apprenticeship project is part of CityBuilding’s strategic response to target the most disadvantaged young people within the City by providing them with training that will bring them into the labour market. Currently, CityBuilding receives over 1,400 applications for an average 70 apprenticeship places per year. The aim of this project was to expand the current apprenticeship programme by providing additional places in 2008/09. This project created 47 full SVQ Level 3 four year Craft Apprenticeships in Joinery and Painting.
At CityBuilding, we are aware that no single organisation can solve the problems faced by the communities in which it delivers services. Therefore, we have forged strategic partnerships with the Local Community Planning Partnerships and the Local Regeneration Agencies. This approach ensures that the maximum benefit of the physical development of the City is felt and experienced by local residents in the local areas, as well as providing them with employment and training opportunities that they would previously have been excluded from due to multiple barriers.
We had already secured funding from Glasgow Community Planning Partnership to provide an additional 50 apprenticeship places in September 2008 and so were looking to extend the project to the Local Community Planning Partnerships (LCPPs)to provide a further 47 full additional craft apprenticeships for individuals from their local areas. This would allow the LCPPs to allocate funding to directly target the youths in their local areas and would provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for a full construction craft apprenticeship and the resulting employment potential that this brings.
Working together with the LCPPs, we identified the target group as youths from the Glasgow area and, specifically, from the Areas of the LCPPs. These young people had become disengaged from the labour market or school, due to poor self esteem, communication or employability skills, with some also having social or behavourial problems. The target group included members from each or all of the undenoted groups: -
- Young people within the MCMC group
- Young people lacking basic employability skills
- Young people with no or low qualifications
- Targeting lowest 15% Data Zones
DELIVERING / · implemented in all relevant areas and across all the required stakeholders
· carried out in a structured and logical way , using robust and sustainable methods
The recruitment process for this project took a different approach, with the emphasis placed on enthusiasm for the trade chosen and an assessment of the practical and academic skills at the heart of the SVQ Level 3 qualification required to successfully complete the course. Here, achieving Standard Grades does not guarantee that an applicant will have the resolve to complete an apprenticeship over four years, due to the physical and environmental demands of the work and on-site conditions. Indeed, an analysis of CityBuilding’s 2008 recruits showed that 33% did not have any Standard Grades. (However, we do have a consistent apprenticeship completion rate in excess of 95%, compared to the industry average of around 60 %.)
A series of presentations were carried out to the Local Community Planning Partnerships about the value of a full SVQ Level 3 apprenticeship programme, in terms of economic growth for the individuals and their local areas. As a result,nine of the LCPPs committed to funding anything from 1 to 10 apprentices each, based on available funds.
The three-stage recruitment process involved the LCPPs and the Local Regeneration Agencies(LRAs) identifying a number of candidates, in proportion to the number of places available. These were interviewed by both the LRA and CityBuilding, to ensure that each applicant was given an interview. It also allowed the LRA staff to support their candidates during the process.
The second stage involved a computer-based numeracy and literacy test, based on the skills required to complete the Level 3 qualification for the particular trade. This was completed in conjunction with a practical test, to determine the candidate’s hand skills, ability to work to instruction, working with others andworking safely.
The third stage comprised a final interview with senior training and operational staff in the trade being selected. This stage was based on the candidate’s aptitude, knowledge and understanding for the trade. The final decision made was based on the outcome of this interview.
The 47 successful candidates were offered full employment as craft apprentices with CityBuilding and are currently following a four year craft apprenticeship funded by their local LCPPs.
IMPROVING +EVALUATING / ·evidence of leading practice and innovation being achieved
·appropriate measurement and learning,and how this has led to continuous improvement
The 47 successful candidates are currently following a four year craft apprenticeship funded by their local LCPPs. In addition to the core trade skills, apprentices also develop employability skills and follow Healthy Living and Citizenship modules, in conjunction with GlasgowMetropolitanCollege and the Old Firm clubs, to encourage lifelong, positive choices and giving back to the Community.
CityBuilding’s award-winning, SQA-approved Queenslie Training Centre delivers a workshop-based programme, with the main emphasis on developing the hand and technical skills of the apprentices, while still fulfilling all other elements of the qualification. This is highlighted by the achievement rates for our 2008 apprentices, who demonstrated an impressive 98% achievement rate. These figures compare wellwith the industry average of 55-65% achieving the apprenticeship and qualification (other elements are not measured) and demonstrate how City Building’s combination of skilled instructors, college-based learning and variety of on-site experience equip our apprentices with the best possible apprenticeship training, to enable them to make a positive contribution to the local economy on completion of their training.
Performance of the participants is monitored via achievement on a quarterly basis, with formal training and workplace performance reviewed on a continual basis. In addition, regular reports are sent back to the Scottish Building Apprenticeship Training Council at their quarterly meetings. The qualification has been structured to enable the achievement of specific outcomes by a set time, so it is possible to measure an individual’s achievement at any given stage. All apprentices are also assessed quarterly, as part of CityBuilding’s wider apprentice assessments.
Trainees are assessed to occupational standards throughout their formal training at CityBuilding’s Queenslie Training Centre. The course is spilt into Technical Units, Generic Units Core Skills, Health and Safety and Workplace evidence, to ensure that all trainees develop the correct level of competence, both in a formal training environment and in the workplace.
Trainees gather evidence of achievement for the SVQ Level 3 qualification in a portfolio. This is assessed by their instructor at Queenslie Training Centre and then internally verified. After this process, SQA then sends an external verifier to ensure the quality is in line with the national occupational standards for the chosen trades.
Within a workplace context, trainees are assessed using a quarterly monitoring procedure, which takes into account quality of work, confidence, timekeeping and general good working practices. Trainees are marked on a numeric scoring system and then attend a meeting with their Training Officer to discuss their progress against the set standards. Trainees are also asked to give feedback, outlining how they feel they are performing and to determine if they require additional support.
Feedback is provided to the LCPP both formally and informally and the apprentices are regularly featured in the LRA updates.
RESULTS + IMPACT / · a convincing mix of customer perception and internal performance measures
· clear line of sight to the delivery of the Single Outcome Agreement
· a full range of relevant results showing improvement over time
47 new apprenticeships have been created within construction trades for young people who may otherwise be excluded from such an opportunity, due to their multiple barriers to employment.
The outcome of the programme is that all participants will have gained fully-transferrable skills and competencies required by industry, thus enabling them to access the construction labour market. They will also have gained an SVQ Level 3 qualification, as well as core and life skills, to enable them to make a tangible contribution to their local communities and the wider City of Glasgow on completion of their training.
This project is a demonstration of local democracy in action, where the local Community Planning Partnerships determined that the returns on investment for apprenticeships met the needs of the Local Communities in a positive way. The Local Regeneration Agencies were ideally suited to facilitate the recruitment process with local young people and to provide additional support and mentoring for the recruitment process.
CityBuilding has now taken over the support and mentoring of these young people, who have already demonstrated that the investment in them by the LCPPs will pay dividends. By assisting these young people into employment and allowing them to break the cycle of low paid employment or unemployment, the overall benefit to the economy, based on a figure of 46young people entering full time employment, could be as much as £1.47 million pounds.
Economic Benefits / £000’s
Trainees per annum / 47
Job Outcomes / 46
Increase in average disposable income / 10
Tangible Base Economic Benefit to Glasgow p.a. / 460
Deduct Net annual running costs / (70)
Net base economic Benefit to Glasgow p.a. / 390
Economic Mutiplier Effect / 2
Multiplier Economic Benefit to Glasgow / 780
Reduction in Benefits / 690
Positive effect on Scottish Economy p.a. / 1,470
COSLA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2010Page | 1
THE COSLA CHAIR’S AWARDThis category is awarded at the discretion of the Chair and is open to submissions under any of the seven categories. It is awarded to those submissions of exceptional standards or merit demonstrating achievements above the limits stipulated in the assessment/judging criteria for the relevant category. Alternatively, submissions can be considered which can demonstrate being conducted in exceptional circumstances.
Do you wish your submission to be considered for the Chair’s Award? / YES/NO
In about 300 words, please highlight the reasons why this submission should be considered for the Chair’s Award: