A Local Response to 50 Plus Unemployment

1. A Local Response to 50 Plus Unemployment Elizabeth Taylor Chief Executive Bootstrap Enterprises Janet Doolan Employment and Skills Manager Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council

2. 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

3. 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

4. 50+ Claimant Count - Rate of Change Source: Nomis

5. 50+ Claimant Count - Over 6 Months Source: Nomis

6. 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

7. Barriers to employment for those over 50 • External barriers • Structural economic change • Gender and age • Skills and experience • Education & re-skilling • Remuneration • Age discrimination • Ethnicity and age

8. Barriers to employment for those over 50 • Internal barriers • Confidence • Pride • Adaptability • Caring • Motivation • Impact of illness and poor health

9. Action Learning Set - Objectives • 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

10. 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+

12. 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

13. 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

14. WARNING • 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. What was on offer: • 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

19. Initial Action Plan to identify and agree: • 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

20. 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%

21. 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 • Working in the Care Sector • Working in Retail • Connecting with Customers • IT and administration • Increasing confidence and competences in the use of IT Succeeded

22. 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

23. 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