Introducing … Greater Manchester Employer Coalition

1. Introducing … Greater Manchester Employer Coalition Colin Geering Commercial Director Greater Manchester Employer Coalition

2. Greater Manchester Employer Coalition is the only GM wide employer-led forum that focuses solely on helping those most disadvantaged in the labour market to • FIND • KEEP & • ADVANCE in work

3. Greater Manchester Employer Coalition is the local operational arm of the National Employment Panel • Employer led forum solely dedicated to helping disadvantaged groups find, keep and advance in work • We are an independent government advisory body, reporting into the Secretary of State for Department of Works and Pensions, the Minister for Skills, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer • We are funded by DWP, and are currently part of the DWP but soon will become a not-for-profit organisation

4. Our Employers • We work with around 300 employers each year • Sector representatives sit on our Board • Agencies on our Board bring their employer ‘voice’ and networks to the table too • Our sister Coalitions each have their employer networks which we utilise to identify good practice from across the country • The National Employment Panel channels employer input to the design, delivery and performance of the UK Government's labour market policies and programmes. The Panel is made up of 20 Chief Executives from a range of private and public sector organisations, the voluntary sector and trade unions.

5. Our Board • McGuire Associates • Bovis • Fujitsu • LSC • Road Haulage Association • NWTUC • ChamberLink • Wigan MBC • Connexions • Jobcentre Plus • Manchester Enterprises • NHS • Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce • Manchester City Centre Management company • BBC • GMPTE • One Parent Families • Oldham College • Yang Sing • Laing O’Rourke • GM Police • NWDA

6. Annual Awards and Conference • Provided support to 65 funded learning and employment providers to respond to employer needs • Provided intensive employer engagement support to 15 providers • Contacted 6,000 businesses for Award nominations • Received 120 high quality nominations • Engaged 220 strategic partners and employers into Awards evening • Received GM wide press coverage of employers that are making the difference

7. Why Change our Approach? 05/06 was a highly successful year for GMEC in terms of outcomes, profile and strategic impact but we would like to achieve more. Currently our approach tries to hit • 10 Local Authorities • 7 Industry Sectors • 3 core client groups • The strategic agendas of JCP, LSC, ME, AGMA, NWDA and others

8. Currently Our Approach Is… Strategic infrastructure Job Matching Strategic LAA Supporting JCP IOK New Training programme Provider Support Community Engagement HR Forum Employer Engagement

9. Sectorally Speaking … Workforce Development Strategic influence Hospitality Strategic influence Logistics Pre Employment training Influence employer behaviour Strategic influence Call Centre Retail Construction Pre Employment training Advisor IOK

10. The “Pipeline” Approach • Builds on the recommendations from NEP’s “Welfare to Workforce Development” and “Enterprising People, Enterprising Places” • Adopts and adapts the model being tested by “Fair Cities” • Fits with statutory agencies priorities • Places employer demand and labour market need as the driver of all supply side activity

11. Our Client Groups Our priority in terms of disadvantaged groups is set centrally by the NEP: • IB customer • Lone parents • BME customers • Ex-offenders Our ultimate customer is the employer

12. Employers Employers are engaged for 3 specific purposes: • To identify and articulate recruitment and skills needs • To support the evolution of their HR practices to allow them access to non-traditional pools of labour • To involve them in the design and delivery of welfare to workforce development Mirrors what is coming out of the Green Paper

13. Transport The status quo Jobseeker Support Childcare WBLA Next Steps Community Employer(s) Apprenticeships JC+ Outreach Brokerage New Deal NRF Train 2 Gain FE College ESF Regen Projects The current system is highly fragmented and the extent of employer leadership is very hit and miss

14. What is a “Pipeline?” Community Employer(s) Funded employment and learning support Employer Demand provides the pull and the impetuous to create the “Pipeline”

15. What is a “Pipeline?” • A highly focused and defined partnership that uses genuine employer demand to design clear routeways from community, to work and ongoing career development. • Its geographic and sector/occupational limitations are scoped from the outset. • It builds on existing employer, provider and community partnerships.

16. Pipeline Construction • Employer engagement & demand scoping • Community identification • Strategic buy-in obtained • Provider/Intermediary mapping and engagement • Pipeline design • Potential blockages identified policy/practice – employer, intermediary, community and strategic • Blockages removed or adjustments in pipeline made • Partnership agreements and referral mechanisms established • “Kick Start” mechanisms delivered

17. GMEC Activity 2006/2007 • Creation of 7 “Pipelines” • Initial employer, community, intermediary and strategic engagement • Delivery and coordination of “Kick Start” activity • “Honest Broker” • Benchmarking and evaluation • Promotion and upscaling this approach • Advising government agencies and departments on what more can be done

18. GMEC Activity 2006/2007 Proposed “Pipelines” • Trafford Centre Fair Employment Zone • Kingsway Business Park, Rochdale • Oldham LAA – IB Pipeline • Able to Work – Contact Centre • City Centre Hospitality – World Class Standards • North Manchester – Logistics • Moss Side – Multi Sector

19. Rationale for this approach • Shrinking resources • Opportunity to improve performance • A better deal for jobseekers/learners • A better deal for employers • Reduce duplication • Clarity – reduce the fragmentation • Cost effectiveness • Clear opportunities for replication/upscaling