The Government wants the European Social Fund (ESF) to support its vision of a prosperous economy and inclusive society in which all people are able to fulfil their potential. It believes ESF should contribute to this vision by extending employment opportunities and by developing a skilled and adaptable workforce in every region of England.

This Operational Programme establishes the priorities for spending ESF money in line with the Lisbon agenda and the Government’s employment and skills strategies. Within the framework of national priorities, ESF will address distinctive regional, sub-regional and local needs. Each region has developed its own regional ESF strategy to inform the delivery of the programme.

For more information please go to: www.esf.gov.uk

West Midlands European Social Fund

Regional Strategic Framework 2007 – 2010

The document has been developed in consultation with a wide partnership in the West Midlands Region and sets the strategic framework against which ESF funded activity will be delivered in the region. The Regional Skills Partnership has consulted partners at various stages throughout the process. Importantly it should be noted that all stakeholders are by definition members of the Regional Skills Partnership.

For further information on composition of the Regional Skills Partnership please see the website:

www.wmskillspartnership.org.uk

The process has been driven by a small group of Regional Skills Partnership members since early 2006 (the ESF Strategy Group). The group has met on average every month or when required. Represented for the majority of the process have been Advantage West Midlands, Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus, Local Authorities, Higher Education, and the Third Sector. Participation in this group was widened in early 2007 to include employer representatives from the Sector Skills Councils and Chambers of Commerce as well as an additional Local Authority member.

You can download the framework by clicking below:

http://www.wmskillspartnership.org.uk/regional-esf-framework-2007---2010.pdf

It is WMEN's role to provide advice and guidance on all matters concerning the WM Structural Funds programmes. Given our strategic role in the development of the new programme, WMEN will provide information on the strategies, priorities and processes for the new ESF programme in the West Midlands.

Please click on the hyperlinks below to access relevant documents including:

Leitch Review - Prosperity for all in the global economy - world class skills.

Final Report December 2006

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/leitch_review/review_leitch_index.cfm

Freud Report - Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work

March 2007

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/freud_report.asp

In work, better off. Next steps to full employment

July 2007

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/in-work-better-off/

Opportunity, Employment and Progression:making skills work

November 2007

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/making-skills-work.pdf

Update

LSC & WMLGA ESF Co financing Tendering

Introduction
The West Midlands has been awarded £246 million for the period 2007-2013.  The current LSC tendering round is for the first part of the period 2007-2010.

In this round there are two ESF priorities:

Priority 1 is ‘extending employment opportunities’.  It supports projects to tackle the ‘barriers’ that unemployed and disadvantaged people face in finding work.  This will account for 62% of the funds.

Priority 2 is ‘developing a skilled and adaptable workforce’.  It supports projects to train people who do not have the basic skills and qualifications needed in the workplace.  It will account for 34% of the budget.

The timetable for the current round of tendering is as follows:

PRIORITY 1

Youth Tender 1 : Pre 16 NEET Prevention
Supports engagement and progression pathways at years 10 and 11, ideally to provide a focus for those that haven’t received a post-16 offer of learning.  The program must tackle specific barriers to learning and progression.  Looking for active collaboration/consortia.  Funding £3,721,862 for 2100 starts and 1050 progressions.

Youth Tender 2 : Post 16 NEET Provision
Supporting engagement and progression for 16,17 and 18 year olds.  Provision is for tailored packages which involve active collaboration and consortium approaches.  Funding £14,194,448 for 3442 starts and 1550 progressions.

Adult Tender 1 : Skills for Jobs – Client Engagement
In the case of all of the Skills for Jobs tenders they are aimed at people who have been unemployed for 12 months plus.  The first tender is to engage clients and assess their individual needs and barriers to getting back into employment.  A local presence is important for all of these tenders, and they are not for blanket coverage of the West Midlands but ward specific.  Funding £4.9 million to engage 11000.

Adult Tender 2 : Skills for Jobs – Client Interventions
This has to be responsive to the individual, it is geared towards bespoke training, it must be partnership based can’t be provided by one single provider.  The funding is to be responsive to the employer and is to be used outside of mainstream activity to fill in the gaps.  Funding £12 million to engage with 12000.

Adult Tender 3 : Skills for Jobs – Employer Engagement
This tender is to engage with local employers that have between 1 and 15 vacancies, it is to match local people to local jobs linking with city strategy and Train to Gain.  Funding £8 million to create or fill 16000 jobs.

Adult Tender 4 : Skills for Jobs – Skills for Life
This tender is for pre-entry literacy and numeracy with progression to level 1 delivered particularly in a vocational context, with the aim of the learners to progress onto other LSC or Job Centre Plus Provision.  Funding £3 million to engage with 3000.

Other Tender 1 : Grant Co-ordinating Bodies
Tender for Grant Co-ordinating Bodies to deliver community grants to small 3rd sector organisations in the West Midlands, to assist the disadvantaged or excluded to move closer to the labour market.  This focuses more on progression rather than achievement of qualifications.  £505,910 available for Black Country. Maximum grant to any one 3rd sector organisation will be £12,000.

Other Tender 2 : Skills for Jobs – Offender Learning and Skills
This tender is to work with Offenders and achieve progression into jobs and skills.  There will be three forms of activity included learning support, self employment and employability and Train to Gain level 2.  It will be linked to Job Centre Plus but it can’t duplicate already existing provision instead it must complement.  Funding £4 million to engage with 3400.

PRIORITY 2

Employer Tender 1 : Engaging Employers to develop a Skilled and Adaptable Workforce
This tender is to appoint an organisation to oversee and provide region-wide skills brokerage activity.  To support employer to identify and fill skills gaps, to support the delivery of Train to Gain and to improve the skills base and adaptability of the labour force.  Funding £1 million to carry out 2500 Organisational Needs Analyses and refer 12500 employees to Train to Gain.

Employer Tender 2 : Developing a Skilled and Adaptable Workforce
Appoint a training provider to use that same methodology as Train to Gain to deliver fully accredited level 2 qualifications to individuals who already have a level 2, who want to develop their skills into a new vocational area or update their skills.  Funding £20 million to engage with 15300.

Employer Tender 3 : Workforce Skills – Employer/Employee Skills for Life Support
Appoint a training provider who will use the same methodology as Train to Gain to raise the regional Skills for Life levels.  To provide entry level 1, 2 and 3 Skills for Life literacy and numeracy for employees with below entry level 3 skills.  Funding  £7 million to engage with 7160 and support 1575 companies.

Employer Tender 4: Technical Workforce Skills – Level 4
To appoint training providers who will use the Train to Gain methodology to deliver NVQ Level 4 qualifications.  Funding £2 million to engage with 800 people and support 104 companies.

Employee Tender 5 : Sector Redundancy Redeployment Package
To appoint an organisation to manage the delivery of a redundancy strategy for the West Midlands, assisting individuals made redundant or under threat of redundancy back into work.  Funding £2,750,000 to assist 3588 people.

Employee Tender 6 : Train to Gain Capacity Building
Appoint an organisation who will build the capacity of providers to deliver vocational qualifications as part of Train to Gain to employers in the West Midlands.  The project will address NVQ assessor capacity and NVQ verifier capacity.  £750,00 to assist 375 people.

Employee Tender 7 : Train to Gain Tutor Capacity Building (Skills for Life)
Appoint an organisation who will build the capacity of providers to deliver Skills for Life qualifications in the West Midlands, this project will assist workplace skills for life tutor capacity, numeracy skills for workplace skills for life tutors and vocational tutor understanding of Skills for life.  Funding £750,000 to assist 450 people.

Employee Tender 8 : Developing a Skilled and Adaptable Workforce
Appoint Providers who will use the Train to Gain methodology to deliver full NVQ level 1 qualifications.  £4.6 million to engage with 5740 people.

All tenders and further information are available at the bravo solutions portal from the LSC website.