1. DWP City Strategy Boyd Wood, Lynn Cooper City Strategy Team Areas Initiatives and Communities Division Department for Work and Pensions

2. The City Strategy Context: 2.5 million in work since 1997 Employment up in every region / country Biggest increases in cities and deprived neighbourhoods Employment rate for disadvantaged groups risen faster than anyone else Unemployment broadly flat, historically low UK employment rate highest in major industrial countries of the G7.

3. The City Strategy Worklessness is still a problem! Some people have disproportionately lower employment rates because they are inactive rather than seeking work:  Disabled  Lone parents  Minority Ethnic groups  Aged 50 and over  Those with no qualifications  Living in the 903 most deprived wards  People with low or no skills.

4. The City Strategy A new approach to help local partners to work together to tackle low employment rates. Aims to tackle localised pockets of disadvantage and reduce child poverty. The strategy will help to give workless people the skills needed by local employers

5. The City Strategy 15 Pathfinders chosen to test:  How best to combine the work of government agencies, local government and the private & Voluntary sectors in a combined partnership; and  whether local stakeholders can deliver more by combining and aligning their efforts. The strategy is based on 3 principles: Innovation, Improved Partnership; and alignment of funds.

6. City Strategy

7. The 15 Pathfinders are: Birmingham, Coventry & Black Country; Blackburn with Darwen; Dundee; Glasgow, East London; West London; Edinburgh; Heads of the Valley; Leicester; Greater Manchester; Nottingham; Rhyl; South Yorkshire; and Tyne & Wear.

8. City Strategy Targets Two standard targets agreed: To reduce numbers on out of work benefits, representing a 3% stretch over forecasts; and An equivalent increase in the local employment rate. Where high rates of ethnic minority worklessness Pathfinders have set targets to reduce numbers on ethnic minorities

9. Progress of The City Strategy. 15 Pathfinders went live in Summer 2007. Wales & Scotland have highlighted the challenges of working in a policy area that straddles. Learning Network ensuring good practices and challenge function:  Enabling measures  Pathfinders influencing development of policy – e.g. DWP Commissioning strategy

10. City Pathfinders – adding value! Raising worklessness as a priority Increased accountability Closer scrutiny of LSP performance Higher priority for the RDA More efficient and effective communication with mainstream agencies and government departments Improved understanding of national policy Providing focus for cross-thematic working & city-regional working

11. City Strategy – adding value! A number of key themes are emerging from Pathfinders in terms of adding value:  Disability / Health agenda  Local Employment Partnerships  Skills

12. Future of the City Strategy DWP commitment to support 15 Pathfinders until March 2009. We know there is a demand from Pathfinders to continue their work on tackling worklessness at a sub-regional level. A number of factors need to be considered……………………..

13. Future of the City Strategy Factors include… Communities & Local Government’s MAA framework Devolved administrations devolution agenda Other Government Departments support of the agenda

14. DWP City Strategy For further information please see: www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/ cities_strategy.asp.