1. Salford Futures 2013/14 Evaluation John Reehill Dave Timperley

2. Overview Salford Futures 2013-14 is based on two core elements which add value to existing mainstream support for unemployed residents & employers: Residents: –Work Experience and Traineeships with Salford City Council and partners –Comprises of structured skills development support (accredited training, employability advice, careers guidance, financial awareness) –Available to all unemployed / NEET working age residents Employers: –A grant equivalent to 13 weeks salary (paid a 13 weeks) –Paid to employers that can provide any unemployed / NEET resident with an Apprenticeship or job with recognised training paid at National Minimum Wage (NMW) or higher –Opportunities must be for a minimum period of six months (one year if Apprenticeship) –Part funded with support from the GM Commitment to Youth Employment initiative

3. Purpose Capture and evaluate the outcomes, progressions and transitions into work and apprenticeships for those participants involved in the scheme, Capture the impact in relation to non work related destinations i.e. further education, skills development, college courses and training for those participants involved in the scheme, Capture and evaluate labour market experiences with a view to gaining a wider understanding of individuals working in the modern workplace i.e. temporary work, part-time work, zero-hours contracts etc, Provide an understanding of how the performance of the Salford Futures programme compares to performance achieved in other areas / programmes and nationally, Assess whether the Salford Futures programme provides value for money, Make recommendations for the improvement of the research methodology and for the conduct of similar research in the future

4. Methodology This report presents the findings of a survey carried out between November 2014 and March 2015 to inform the evaluation of the Salford Futures Programme 2013- 14, The survey was designed to capture the employment history of former participants since leaving the programme, their current employment status and their work destinations, 122 participants were involved in the Salford Futures Programme during the period April 2013 to March 2014. All of the participants were included in the survey population therefore it was not necessary to select a survey sample, The survey was designed by the City Council with assistance from University of Salford Business School (student intern), The programme is far exceeding similar programmes both within GM and nationally in terms of the number of candidates moving into paid employment and sustaining employment over a 12 month period.

5. Response A total of 55 responses were returned from a total survey population of 122 This equates to a total response rate of 45% Population Structure Age BandPopulationRespondents 16-1811%5% 19-2434%33% 25-3430%27% 35-4410%16% 45-548%7% 55-646%11% Unknown1%- Total100%

6. Response (Cont) 42 survey respondents (76% of all respondents) were in employment at the time of the survey. Of those 42 who were in employment: –12 (29% of respondents in work) were employer grant recipients only, –16 (38%) were work experience recipients only, and –14 (33%) were employer grant AND work experience recipients –Overall, there where: –18 (43%) respondents in work aged under 25 –14 (33%) respondents in work aged 25-44, and –8 (19%) respondents in work aged 45-65. –The work experience only group had a slightly older age profile than the other two groups.

7. Key Findings 76% of respondents were in employment at the time of survey Of the respondents who were in work at the time of survey: 88% had been in work for at least 6 months and 52% had been in work for 12 months or longer, 71% were in full-time employment and 24% in part-time employment (5% unknown), 19% held temporary / fixed term contracts, Relatively large proportions were engaged in business administration (29%), manual occupations (19%) and health or care work (17%), 60% were employed in roles that were different from their Salford Futures roles, More work experience recipients had moved into new roles than employer grant recipients, Only 5% (2 respondents) held more than one job, Of those respondents who had been in work since leaving Salford Futures: 85% had held one job and 15% had held two or more.

8. Key Findings (Cont) 15% of all respondents had not worked since leaving Salford Futures, however a total of 56% had experienced at least one period of worklessness. Of those: –About half had been unemployed for 6 months or less and –About a third had been unemployed for a year or more, including 8 (15%) who had not worked at all. –Periods of unemployment since leaving Salford Futures were proportionally fewer amongst recipients of employer grant only, and more prevalent amongst work experience recipients. The potential social value of the Salford Futures programme 2013/14 is £294,400 with £251,600 attributable to the work experience element and a further £42,800 attributable to the employer grant element

9. Key Recommendations Develop distance travelled methodology and tools to measure skills, personal development and wellbeing e.g. increased confidence via Outcome Star, Surveys with service users and stakeholders (6 months and 12 months intervals following Salford Futures activity / support), Undertake (CBA) for each participant involved in Salford Futures to measure value for money related to ‘cost avoidance’ and ‘social and economic’ outcomes, Continue to benchmark against comparable local and National initiatives, Opportunity to scale-up the Salford Futures programme for increased participation and social / economic outcomes: –Corporate commitment to support work experience and traineeships –Training and support for managers to host placements i.e. mentoring training linked to management qualifications Increased participation of young people in Salford Futures, particularly 16-18yr olds and ‘vulnerable groups’ i.e. LAC, SEN and those at risk of homelessness, Currently the Salford Futures grant element has been financially supported by GM Commitment to Youth Employment. This year it is solely supported by GMC, however this financial contribution will end in March 2016.