FOCUS ON BASINGSTOKE

Basingstoke and Deane Population: 171,900 Basingstoke: 103,000 Rest of district: 68,900 Size: 634 km² Urban areas: 20% Rural areas: 80%

Key statistics Unemployment: 4.6% Youth unemployment: 1.7% Educational attainment: o no qualification at all: 3.4% o level 3 qualification: 58.4% o level 4 qualification: 38.5%

Key statistics Number of businesses: (89.7% have less than 10 employees) Number of jobs: 92,000 Main sectors of employment: o Financial and business services: 21% o Retail: 20% o Education and health: 20% o Manufacturing: 9% o ICT: 6%

Key challenges Skills shortage in STEM sector Long-term unemployment Lack of employability skills Careers advice and guidance

Basingstoke Employment and Skills Zone Local partnership set up in 2013 Brings together 15 local organisations working in the field of skills and employment

BESZ - structure Steering Committee Promoting Employment sub-group Promoting School Engagement and Employability sub-group Promoting STEM sub-group

Steering Committee Role : o Overall strategic coordination of the BESZ o Effective communication o Identification of cross- working projects Brings together chairs of each sub-group Meets quartely

Promoting Employment Purpose: to support local residents who are currently out of work in accessing the relevant services to facilitate their access or return to sustainable employment. Priorities: o Job search support o Digital inclusion o Work readiness

Current actions (1) Work experience scheme o intra-partnership scheme o placements for local unemployed people of up to 8 weeks o real world of work exposure, employability skills and confidence building

Current actions (2) E-news bulletin o E-news bulletin distributed to over 50 local organisations linked to skills and employment o Bulletin provides information on vacancies, training opportunities, events, economic and employment data, etc. o All partners contribute to bulletin

Current actions (3) Careers Fair o Event for people looking for work or career change o Employers, employment support agencies and training providers o Job search support, workshops and recruitment

Current actions (4) Developer contributions o New developments to provide opportunities for skills and employment o Construction skills (apprenticeships, work placements, school visits) o Cash contribution to support wider skills initiatives o Commercial development - pre-employment training

School engagement and employability Purpose: promote stronger links between education and business Priorities: o Awareness of real world of work o Employability skills o Careers advice and guidance

Current actions (1) Skillstree Programme o Skills and aspirations of young people o Education and business cooperation o Employability and awareness

Current actions (1) Skillstree Programme: leading by example – Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council o Issues young people are facing o Why we got involved? o How we have helped o Benefits

20% Basingstoke Consortium 3/4 Did you know?

Issues Unable to ‘sell themselves’ positively General lack of understanding of expectations Poor written communication ‘Blasé’ or not interested/motivated in an interview Unable to stand out The disconnect between young people and employers

Why we got involved?

How we have helped Mock interviews Employability sessions ‘Words for Works’ with Brighton Hill School Work experience Careers fair Employability skills workshop

Benefits

Current actions (2) Information and guidance training for youth workers o Access to effective advice and guidance in schools varies o Young people may prefer less formal context o Youth workers and leaders have informal direct access to young people

Current actions (3) Employability skills passport o Support young people in identifying employability skills o Provide mechanism to capture and articulate skills

Promoting STEM Purpose: improve image of STEM studies and careers and raise awareness of employment opportunities in STEM sector Priorities: o Expose young people to real world of STEM sector o Provide opportunities for interaction between STEM businesses and education o Raise awareness of teachers of STEM sector

Current actions (1) TeenTech - Inspiring tomorrow’s innovators o One-day event that exposes young people to real engineers and scientists o Hands-on activities and challenges

Current actions (2) Supporting advisors and teachers o Continuous professional development o Exposure to industry o STEM resources

Conclusions and next steps Partnership fully established but still early days Further consolidation of joint working required – move partners out of comfort zone and ensure contribution from all Balancing workload and requirements of BESZ Priorities identified – focus on delivery Monitoring and review

ANY QUESTIONS? Tack! Gràcies! Köszönöm! Multumesc! Thank you!

Question time! Overall, what do you think of the actions we presented today? Do you they seem relevant? Do you think they will have an impact? What do you think of the structure of the BESZ? What changes would you make?

Question time! Do you organise work experience for people looking for work in your cities? How do you “sell” this to your employers? Do you organise careers fairs in your cities? What format do they have? How do you achieve employer engagement?

Question time! What do you think of the “Skills passport” idea? Do you think it could work? How would you run such a scheme? What format would you give it? Given the issues surrounding access to careers advice and guidance, what suggestions do you have to reach a maximum number of young people?

Question time! Based on what you know of the TeenTech event, what sort of follow up activities would you organise? Do you have examples of Continuous Professional Development for primary and secondary school teachers in your cities? How is this delivered?