CCDG Annual Report 2013-14

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Annual
Career Choices Dewis Gyrfa
Careers Wales Gyrfa Cymru
Annual Report 2013 - 2014
Foreword
It is with great pleasure that I present the first annual report of Career Choices
Dewis Gyrfa Ltd (CCDG). Trading as Careers Wales, we are a wholly owned
subsidiary of the Welsh Government which was formed on the 1st April 2013
following the merger of seven careers companies. The overall focus for our
service is to help people secure the best possible career available to them
and to deliver the statutory careers service for young people in schools and
FE colleges. We provide support to help clients make effective decisions and
to become more independent in managing their own careers. This includes
making realistic career plans and ensuring successful progression and positive
outcomes for individuals, who we support to gain appropriate training, further
learning or employment.
In our first remit letter from the Welsh
Government we were charged with
delivering a revitalised, impartial and
independent, bilingual, all-age careers
service providing information, advice and
guidance. As you will read in this report, we
have worked with a wide range of partners
to make significant progress towards that
vision.
During 2013-14 we delivered 64,324 oneto-one guidance interviews and 5,651
group sessions to support school pupils and
college learners to help them understand
the labour market and be able to make
effective career decisions. Nearly all the
young people we supported (96%) believed
their Careers Adviser had helped them. A
total of 5,199 (or 81%) of unemployed young
people aged 16-18 working with Careers
Wales progressed into education, training
or employment and 489 (8%) were referred
to other agencies to address identified
personal barriers to progression. We
delivered 11,611 guidance interviews with
adults aged over 25, and 967 employability
group sessions through job clubs and clinics
2
with clients, aged 16 and over, seeking
entry to the labour market. In addition,
we delivered 8,948 interviews with adults
facing or having been made redundant and
supported 3,284 people in this situation
to access the Welsh Government’s ReAct
programme. Further details on the range of
services we delivered during the year are
set out in the report.
“
The creation of the new
organisation will also help us
develop and strengthen the
critically important Careers
Information Advice and
Guidance offered across all our
services and delivery channels
“
We have also taken huge strides to develop
the systems, policies and structures
required to underpin the new organisation.
We have worked collaboratively with
Welsh Government, local authorities, the
Youth Service and key partners to support
the development and implementation of
the Youth Engagement and Progression
Framework. We successfully merged six
different client record databases to produce
a coherent all-Wales system that has
enabled us to report to partners on the status
and whereabouts of all 16-18 year olds
through the 5-tier model of engagement,
helping a range of organisations to focus
their services on those in greatest need.
We modernised our delivery model and
successfully introduced Careers Wales
Connect, a new system which allows clients
to access Careers Wales services in ways
that are convenient to them, by telephone,
email, live chat and text phone (for people
3
who are hearing impaired). We introduced
and evaluated Career Check, an online
assessment and diagnostic tool which
provides efficiencies in the identification
of client needs and the subsequent
deployment of resources. We worked
collaboratively with Welsh Government,
schools, colleges and training providers to
introduce and pilot the online application
and Common Area Prospectus (CAP)
and, in partnership with Accenture Ltd, we
introduced the Skills to Succeed interactive
learning resource which enhances services
to clients in the labour market by improving
their employability skills. Further details on
these developments, and a wide range of
other collaborative achievements, are set
out in this report.
Underpinning our contribution to these
outcomes is a focus on delivering highquality and effective services centred
on the need of clients. To do this we will
support our staff, who are the key to our
success, through extensive training and
the development of our systems and
management information capability. We will
also implement a comprehensive evaluation
programme, disseminate good practice and
establish new approaches to measuring
impact and managing performance.
Looking forward, we have an exciting
role to play in relation to the Youth
Engagement and Progression Framework,
and other important Welsh Government
priorities. I am sure that being an all-Wales
organisation will help us make the most
of these opportunities. The creation of the
new organisation will also help us develop
and strengthen the critically important
Careers Information Advice and Guidance
offered across all our services and delivery
channels.
I would also like to take the opportunity to
express my sincere thanks to all the staff
employed by Careers Wales. The 2013-14
business year was another one of significant
change and challenge, which has been met
by dedication and professionalism. The
content of this report represents the tip of the
iceberg in relation to the achievements of
my colleagues throughout the organisation.
I am most grateful to our Board of Directors,
including my predecessor Trina Neilson, for
their vision and drive in creating the new
organisation and developing a responsive
and efficient careers service.
Richard Spear
Chief Executive
4
Contents
Page
Introduction\01
Delivering Service\02
to Clients in Education
Delivering Services\03
through the website, telephone (Careers Wales Connect)
and other media channels
6
11
19
22
26
Equal Opportunities and Social Inclusion\06
28
Environmental Sustainability\07
32
Welsh Language\08
33
Financial Statement and link to Audited Accounts\09
34
European Social Fund (ESF) Projects\10
35
by providing links between Employers and Educational Establishments
to Post Education Youth and Adult Clients
5
Introduction\01
This has been the first year, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh
Government, of working to a formal remit letter issued by Welsh Ministers,
underpinned by the Governance Framework Document agreed between the
Welsh Government and Careers Choices Dewis Gyrfa (CCDG), the Company’s
Articles of Association and the 2013-14 Annual Business Plan.
The remit letter for 2013/14 was set in the context of the following Welsh Government policy
documents:
>
P
rogramme for Government which sets out a plan of action for making a difference to
the lives of people in Wales - healthy people living productive lives in a more prosperous
and innovative economy; safer and more cohesive communities; with lower levels of
poverty and greater equality; a resilient environment with more sustainable use of our
natural resources and a society with a vital sense of its own culture and heritage.
>
Together with several of the key recommendations which were
accepted from the Ministerially commissioned independent report
“Future Ambitions: Developing careers services in Wales”, published in 2010.
6
In this context CCDG was required to deliver a revitalised, impartial and independent,
bilingual, all-age careers service providing information, advice and guidance, where:
>Individuals make well informed realistic decisions about progression and their future
career
>There is clear prioritisation and different methods of delivery, including web-based
services
>
There is active employer engagement and an effective facilitation of the Careers and
World of Work programme in schools/colleges
>CCDG and all other relevant parties work effectively and efficiently to ensure vulnerable
young people receive appropriate services and support
Welsh Government recognises the key role that CCDG has, as part of the wider ‘careers
family’, in supporting the engagement and progression of young people, particularly those
who are disengaged or at risk of disengagement. The aim is to reduce the number of young
people under the age of 25 who are disengaged from employment, education or training. It
is recognised that in order to achieve this, effective partnerships are required to ensure that
there are collaborative processes in place to support the effective progression
of young people.
In order to deliver the remit and provide the service within budget, CCDG has developed
tools and effective partnerships to enable the prioritisation of people in need of careers
information, advice and guidance. The service has been further improved to promote and
deliver information and advice through careerswales.com, web-chat and telephone services.
As part of the remit letter Welsh Government set 3 Key Performance Indicators to be piloted
during 2013-14.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
1
Sustained
progression of young
people through
education and
into employment
or further training/
education
2
R
eductions in
the number of
young people
who are outside
the Education,
Employment and
Training system
3
W
ide scale and
effective programme
of employer
engagement
which is shown
to improve the
learning outcomes
from Careers and
the World of Work
Curriculum delivery
7
Reports from evaluations conducted between April 2013 and March 14 found that
Careers Wales achieved these KPIs:g progression through the transition
a.Improvements in young people sustaining progression through the transition from
full-time education
A comparison of the all Wales destination data for Year 11 pupils found that:
>The number of Year 11 pupils entering full-time education post-16 increased by 1.81%
in 2013-14 (86.41% of year 11 population) in comparison to the previous year (84.6% of
year 11 population)
>Slightly fewer learners left full-time education prematurely in 2013-14 (2.90%) than
in 2012-13 (2.95%)
>Between October 2013 and March 2014 numbers of clients in employment and training
rose by 2.67% (from 2839 to 3798). This was 0.85% higher than the same period
in 2012-13 (1.82%)
>More young people leaving their initial destinations in October 2013 (full time education)
had entered employment and training by March 2014 (2.67%)
b.Careers Wales makes a significant contribution to the reduction in school leavers
becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training)
>School leaver destination reports identified a drop of 311 young people who were NEET
in October 2013, compared to the previous year. The total reduction of school leavers
becoming NEET in the five years to October 2013 was 1220.
>In 2013-14, a total of 5199 (or 81%) of unemployed young people aged 16-18 working
with Careers Wales progressed into education, training or employment and 489 (8%) of
these were referred to other agencies to address identified personal barriers
to progression.
8
c. E
mployer participation in school careers and world of work programmes improves young
people’s awareness of the labour market
In a 2014 study1 of education-business link programmes facilitated by Careers Wales,
researchers found that over 90% of the schools and employers surveyed felt that the
learning objectives had been met.
>The impact of the activities on a wide variety of students’ skills, knowledge and
understanding was generally well received. The majority of both employers and schools
believed that the objectives had been very well or fairly well achieved
>Improving job interview technique and awareness of the job interview process were
particularly well received by students
>All of the following ‘soft’ skills were seen as being achieved by more than 9 in 10
employers and schools and included around 6 in 10 who believed they had been very
well achieved: Improving students’ confidence and communication skills, awareness of
the importance of a positive self-image and an understanding of the skills and personal
qualities that employers want
d. Awareness of Careers Wales’ services has improved
In the February 2014 an independent research company2 conducted a survey of clients’
awareness of the Careers Wales brand. Results were compared to a similar survey
conducted in 2006 and found that:
>Three-quarters (76%) of the 2014 sample were aware of Careers Wales; a considerable
increase from 2006 (63%), highlighting an increased brand presence
>Awareness and use of the website careerswales.com has increased significantly since
2006. In 2014 approaching half of the target audience were aware of our website and
around a quarter had used it
1
Beaufort Research (2014)”Research Report “Impact of World of Work Activities: Careers Wales KPI 3”, Cardiff July 2014.
2
Beaufort Research (2014) “Research Report Careers Wales Brand Awareness”: Cardiff, July 2014
9
e. Careers Wales helps to improve young people’s awareness of the labour market
A survey conducted by a research company3 in 2013 with Year 11 pupils found that:
>Nearly all (96%) of the students claim to have taken into account Labour Market
Information (LMI) to some extent when deciding on their next step, with around a quarter
(26%) claiming to have used it a ‘great deal’
>Furthermore, usage of LMI in future planning (beyond the immediate post Year 11) looks
set to increase, with over four in five planning to use it either a great deal (44%) or to
some extent (39%)
>Respondents cited Individual interviews with Careers Advisers (84%) and careerswales.
com (81%) as the most used ‘formal’ source of LMI, and interviews with a Careers
Adviser the most ‘useful’ source of LMI
3
Beaufort Research (2013) “Careers Wales: Labour Market Information Survey: Year 11 Clients”: Cardiff, July 2013
10
Delivering Service\02
to Clients in Education
The Welsh Government’s remit letter required CCDG to identify client needs and to prioritise
the service accordingly based on the categories below:
i)
Young people with statements of Special Education Needs (SEN) or equivalent
ii) Potential NEETS and Labour Market Entrants (LMEs)
iii)Learners requiring career planning and management support
iv) Young people ‘educated otherwise’ than at school
v) Those in need of assessment for the Jobs Growth Wales programme
Over the past 30 plus years, school staff, clients and parents alike have come to expect that
a face-to-face careers guidance interview is a ‘norm’ and that learners at all key transition
points will be offered them. Looking back over the year, it is apparent that good progress
has been made in changing from this ‘norm’ and developing differing approaches to the work
with clients.
(i) Young people with statements of Special Educational Needs (SEN)
or equivalent
There already existed well-established relationships with key professionals so that young
peoples’ needs were assessed jointly with Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators
(SENCOs), parents, educational psychologists, counsellors, and health professionals.
All learners with statements of SEN have been supported during the year, with particular
help focused on Year 9 (Transition Planning) and years 11, 12 and 13+ for annual reviews,
Learning and Skills Plans and Further Education (FE) residential funding applications.
Achievements during 2013 -14 have included:
>
Setting out the service offer to those with additional learning needs (ALN)
>
Ensuring that Careers Wales has delivered this service appropriately
>
Working more closely with Welsh Government’s Support for Learners Division
>Further developing network opportunities with other professionals and agencies
involved in this field of work
11
The service was designed to ensure that Careers Wales fulfils its role in contributing
to each client’s transition planning, in line with the requirements laid down
in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice; this includes:
>
Face-to-face interviews with the pupil (and parent / guardian as appropriate)
>
Further interactions with pupils and/or parent /guardian as required
(face-to-face, telephone, email)
>
Attendance at Transition / Annual Reviews
>
Providing ‘Moving Forward Plans’ and relevant information
>
Group sessions as appropriate
>A Learning and Skills Plan for those entering further education, higher education
specialist college provision and work-based learning
>
Submitting Specialist Funding Applications where appropriate
During 2013-14 our lead managers in this area have contributed to the design, testing
and delivery of professional development workshops to Careers Advisers to support their
compiling of Learning and Skills Plans. As part of this development we have revised and
reissued our:
>
Standards for Learning and Skills Plans
>
Learning and Skills Plan Template
>
Specialist Funding Application Guidelines
As a result of working closely with the Welsh Government’s Support for Learners Division
and the Careers Policy Branch, Careers Wales has contributed to the Welsh Government’s
Knowledge and Analytical Services-sponsored ‘Research into Employment Outcomes for
Young People with Autistic Spectrum Disorders’. Contact with organisations including RNIB
Cymru and Contact a Family Cymru has been initiated to discuss the respective service
offers and to identify where there might be opportunities for collaboration.
12
High Impact events for young people with Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
In October 2013 the annual ‘What Next’ careers convention for students with ALN was
held in Merthyr Tydfil. In total, 365 students attended the event from over 25 special and
mainstream schools from the surrounding local authorities. Activities on offer included
bricklaying, carpentry, catering, hair and beauty, panel beating, child care, art and craft,
first aid, animal care and sport. Neville Southall, ex Wales and Everton goalkeeper, also
attended and ran a penalty shoot-out.
Evaluation of the event was extremely positive, comments included:
“Great for
networking, meeting
lots of people who
were really keen
to have a go”
“It was
awesome”
(provider)
“It was well
planned and
set out.
A good range of
“A fantastic
activities – an enjoyable experience for pupils” event for children
with ALN”
(school)
(school)
(student)
13
(ii) Potential NEETS and Labour Market Entrants (LMEs)
Identifying this group was done in partnership with the particular local authority/ school.
This work is undertaken at the end of the summer term so that young peoples’ needs are
understood and resources are allocated in readiness for the start of the new academic year
in September.
Careers Wales has also worked closely with the Welsh Government to gain a better
understanding of and approach to the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework and
to use data alongside professional discussion with teachers and other partners in identifying
young people who are at risk for disengaging from education, training or employment.
To assist with the ‘case loading’ of these young people, amendments have been made to
the company client database making it easier for the Careers Adviser to keep track of this
priority group.
Discussions have been held with Wales Principal Youth Officers Group with the purpose
of enhancing working relationships and identifying areas where each of the services
complement and augment each other.
This year, refreshed agreements with individual schools, closer collaboration with careers
family colleagues, and a revised approach have meant that we have seen a broader range
of activities in support of potential labour-market entrants in schools.
14
Examples of good practice include:
Open Days for school leavers at Careers Centres: Difficulties in gaining regular access to
potential labour-market entrants in schools during the run-up to examinations has meant that
we needed to find alternative methods of engaging with this group of young people outside
of the school environment. Opportunities Open Days at a number of Careers Centres have
been organised and held throughout the year. Parents and pupils are invited by letter and a
range of activities organised during the day; Learning Providers are present to inform clients
of opportunities in work based learning (WBL) and demonstrations are provided during the
sessions with assistance in completing applications for the Apprentice Matching Service
(AMS) and Jobs Growth Wales (JGW) opportunities.
Employer-led engagement sessions: Oystercatcher in Anglesey is a local restaurant that
has a training kitchen, run on the same principle as Jamie Oliver’s ‘Fifteen’, and offers
opportunities for young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET)
or at risk of becoming NEET. Careers Advisers supported events with the restaurant to
highlight aspects of the Hospitality and Catering industry.
Transition Event in Bridgend: working with schools to identify and arrange transport for
learners, and using hired leisure centres, we put on an event to support the transition of
young people from school to work and training. 148 young people attended the event from
mainstream schools, Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), Educated Other That at School (EOTAS)
provision and special schools. A range of external providers participated, including ACT,
ITEC, Bridgend College, Neath Port Talbot College, Coleg Y Cymoedd, MPTC, Just Ask
Youth Service, PreVent, Bridgend Business Forum, ISA, XR Training, BAVO and Elite
Supported Employment.
Over 78% of learners evaluating the event rated it at 7/10 or better, with nearly a
quarter (24%) rating it at 10/10. 100% of the staff who completed an evaluation form
said that the event had helped their pupils with their future plans and that they would
bring pupils to similar events in the future. 100% of exhibitors said that they would be
prepared to take part in similar events in the future.
15
(iii) Learners requiring career planning and management support
‘Career Check’ is used to identify how well learners are developing their career management
skills and the barriers they may have which, will affect their ability to make effective decisions
at key transition points. Along with other identification processes, it allows the Careers
Adviser to make a professional judgement on the type of interaction that will be appropriate
for the client. Approaches include vocational group sessions, diagnostic clinics, identification
of appropriate employer interactions, and /or referral for other support.
This tool sits alongside a range of other methods for assessing client need. These include
early identification tools developed by local authorities (e.g. RONI in Torfaen, VAP in Cardiff,
Swansea and Neath Port Talbot) which help to identify those clients who are priority on the
basis of being “at risk of NEET”. Professional conversations with key school staff also lead
to a richer knowledge of the priority clients within the cohort.
The appointment of Engagement & Progression Coordinators (EPC) by local authorities has
made the task of identifying potential NEETS significantly easier and more robust.
For example:
>The existing ‘Early Identification’ tool used by Careers Wales and the City and County of
Swansea afforded a level of sophistication in identifying support needs and in mapping
providers/provision.
>In Neath Port Talbot, the seconded EPC from Careers Wales was able to devise and
introduce an effective early identification tool which was used in 100% of schools in
the Borough to ensure that careers (and other) support was resourced appropriately in
accordance with the needs of the learners.
>An increasing engagement with partners is helping to ensure that those clients with
priority needs are identified over time, and not limited to one point in time. For example,
the VAP (Vulnerability Assessment Panels) in Cardiff continue to provide a rich source
of data which school advisory teams are using to better understand the needs of young
people in a more systematic way and to help predict the number of potential labour
market entrants.
16
>The education team in Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) local authority undertook a provision
audit mapped against the Careers Wales 5-tier model which led to an agreement to
refocus the work of their transition workers from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and resourcing a course
aimed at addressing personal barriers to progression called ‘Your Future First’. This is
in addition to the agreement of an Information Sharing Protocol (ISP), the use of a full
vulnerability index that helped identify 54% of Year 11 for support because of their ‘at
risk’ indicators, and the signing of a placement agreement that supports cross-referral
and the access to Careers Wales’ client record database for transition workers.
The proportion of the Year 11 cohort identified as having high support needs was around
40%, whilst the proportion of learners identified as having high or medium support needs
was 66%. Arrangements for supporting these clients varied depending on existing schoolbased provision and the complexity of the needs identified. All clients deemed to have
‘high support’ needs were offered a minimum of one face-to face guidance interview, with
additional support interactions as required. Clients with medium support needs received
information and advice interactions, group sessions etc., and clients deemed to have low
support needs were offered support via clinics or targeted group sessions as agreed with
the school.
At the end of the summer term (July 14), around 66% of the Year 11 cohort had received
a face-to-face interaction, most of this work was completed before the end of March as
advisers concentrated their work on those needing the most support.
17
Key Stage 5 (17-18 year olds) in schools: The work with clients in Years 12 and 13 this year
has been targeted at learners likely to drop-out of learning, those on one-year courses and
learners not progressing to higher education.
In order to reinforce the support for potential early leavers, vacancies notice boards were set
up within schools and assembly-announcements arranged to more widely publicise them
and the support Careers Wales can offer to learners who need help with their learning and
career decisions.
This year face-to-face interviews have been carried out with around 20% of the Key Stage 5
cohort in schools. Analysis of data would support the view that a focus on client need at Key
Stage 5 is necessary, as historically data suggests the risk of dropping out actually increases
with age despite the client being engaged in continuing learning. This is a particular risk area
at Year 12 and in the first year of Further Education provision. To this end, for example,
the new Skills to Succeed job-search resource was piloted with a group of sixth formers
not planning to enter higher education.The feedback has been very positive from staff and
clients alike and we plan to extend this provision.
By working more closely with the staff in Further Education Institutions (FEI) establishments
a more effective process of identifying priority clients has become established. Learners are
still able to self-refer for interviews with Careers Advisers in college. A number of FEI have
provided monthly (weekly in some cases) lists of clients who are in danger of dropping out
of courses. At least one college also includes clients whose attendance drops below 60% in
these lists. This has made it easier to ensure that the right people are supported in a timely
manner.
Further Education
This year, support focussed on FE clients who were:
> Previously in receipt of a statement of special education needs
> On one-year courses and who may therefore need support with transition
> On courses with previously low-rates of transition into education, employment
or training
> Not planning to progress to higher education on completion of two year courses
> In danger of disengaging
> Early leavers (dropping out or wanting to change courses mid-year)
18
through the website, telephone (Careers Wales Connect)
and other media channels
During this first year the focus has been in setting up a completely new
computerised telephone service for clients (0800 028 4844) and businesses/
suppliers etc. (0300 123 3833). This involved staff training and a marketing
exercise to publicise the phone numbers.
It has also become more usual for clients to be contacted by email or text which
has been particularly useful for vacancy and event notifications. Clients have
responded positively and have been eager to provide us with email and mobile
phone contacts.
1.
Website
Throughout the website the different channels by which clients can access our services are
promoted including web chat, email and a new text phone number (for clients with hearing
impairment).
The majority of work, from a technical
perspective, has focussed on the security
of the site, moving the infrastructure onto its
robust current platform. To keep the website
information fresh, the features carousel is
changed regularly and used to promote
features contained in the website as well as
events and Welsh Government campaigns.
Careers Advisers have contributed to
creating articles and sourcing images
together with other web links on topics
including; Year 9 Options, Work Experience,
facing redundancy, National Apprenticeship
week and National Science and Engineering
week.
A video presentation (‘I am’) has been added
to the home page for first time users, giving
an overview of the site and how it might
support them in their career research. An
interview coaching video is being produced
that will support people preparing for job
interviews.
In order to ensure that the website contains up to date information presented in a user friendly
manner, an EU procurement exercise was completed between January and March 2104 to
buy an Interest Guide and suite of occupational information to complement and update the
website content. At the same time a framework of Welsh translators was procured to ensure
19
that these products could be displayed in both languages; this project will go ‘live’ by the
end of December 2014. As part of this development the Welsh Government has provided
funding towards the development of quick reference icons so users can see LMI at a glance,
including, for example, the salary range and qualifications needed. These will be displayed
on the Careers Search results page.
Table illustrating the usage of the various parts of the site
Total
Overall numbers of visits (sessions) to the website
1,790,838
No. of Unique visitors to the website
819,062
No. of users of AMS/JGW
346,999
No. of Registered accounts/users
81,684
No. of uses of Courses in Wales
66,026
No. of users of Work Experience Database
65,080
Careers Wales has had a presence on Twitter since April 2012. In March 2103 two additional
Careers Wales Twitter streams (Welsh & English) were launched to specifically promote
the vacancies held on careers wales.com including Apprentice Matching Service and Jobs
Growth Wales. Advisers have been informing young people of these services and the
numbers following have been steadily increasing over the 12 months with approximately
2,000 followers by the end of March 2014.
20
2.
Telephone
On May 7th 2013 a new free phone (0800 028 48 44) bilingual telephone service was
launched for clients and partner organisations to contact Careers Wales. The service was
designed to handle information enquiries and have Careers Advisers available at the time
of the call or on a call-back basis to provide full careers guidance interactions. As this was a
new approach to our service offer a marketing campaign was launched simultaneously which
included; credit card style cards given to all clients in Years 11, 12 and Further Education
Institutions, advertisements on buses, and a radio commercial broadcast across Wales.
In the period July and the end of September 2013 over 10,000 calls to the free phone
number have been handled. In the six months until the end of March, the numbers of calls
has increased to over 4,000 per month, with a total of 27,461 received over the year.
3.
Other Media
Web chat was launched officially in
April 2013 and has developed to be an
increasingly popular channel for clients to
request information and advice. Clients are
able to access chat through the website,
careerswales.com and this facility is actively
being promoted by staff and marketing
materials.
With very little advertising of this service,
other than on the website, there has been a
total of nearly 4,500 web chats in the year.
Greater use of texting and emailing are also
being made by Careers Advisers and Careers
Assistants to engage with and provide clients
with information such as dates for open days,
reminders of actions to take, follow-ups on
progress. During the year nearly 107,000
emails were sent and over 7,000 received
and over 41,000 SMS text messages were
sent with nearly 9,000 received.
21
by providing links between Employers and educational establishments
A significant element of our work in schools is based on the “prevention” model
to ensure that young people are appropriately supported to make an effective
transition into further learning or employment. This required CCDG to create
and maintain effective partnerships with the schools and a range of other
organisations including employers to support the delivery of the Careers and
the World of Work Framework and opportunities for work experience, including
the achievement by schools of the Careers Wales Mark.
During 2013/14 CCDG worked closely with Welsh Government to develop an online common
area prospectus (CAP) to enable young people in year 11 to view all the post-16 courses
available in their area. The aim in the next 2 years is to develop an application process
so young people can select and apply for their subject/courses as one process. A pilot
programme was established with schools and FEIs in North Wales and West Wales the
achievements included:
>
Testing of the CAP prototype in schools in Neath Port Talbot and Denbighshire
>
Fixes and refinements identified and built into a development plan for CAP
>Invited schools and colleges in North and West (including Powys) regions to join an
extended CAP pilot project and trained and supported those school staff who came
forward
>Invited a second wave of 11-16 schools throughout Wales to take part in a training
programme to use CAP
>Worked with work based learning representatives on the presentation of their offer
through CAP
>Worked with Welsh Government officials to action plan the further development of CAP
into a Youth Guarantee Prospectus
During 2013-14, in respect of education-business partnership activity, we embarked on a
significant change in approach from one focused on delivering activities in schools, to one
which concentrates on engaging employer support and for schools themselves to sustain
those partnerships.
22
Education Business Partnership has passed the following milestones:
>A memorandum of understanding with Business in the Community has been agreed
detailing (a) a shared approach to setting up and running employer panels in each
region and (b) a shared approach to implementing the Business Class programme
and the Careers Wales EBP service to schools. To date there are 2 Business Class
programmes being developed as pilots.
>
Introduced a formal ‘Brokerage Agreement’ that:
i)Lists the type of support that an employer can offer to a school, a description of
their skills and experience together with their expectations of working within a school
setting.
ii)States the commitment of the school/college to providing the employer with:
>
Appropriate notice of any request for support
>
Prior information concerning the class, subject area and level
>
Directions to the school and a welcome on arrival
>
Any resources agreed in advance
>
Support of a teacher throughout the visit
>
Constructive feedback
Early indications are that the Employer Brokerage Agreement is making a positive difference
to the ‘communication of expectations’ between schools and employers.
>
Devise and trial Class Acts programme
After discussions with Futures First we are exploring the options to offer each state secondary school and college with a thriving, engaged alumni community. These alumni have an affinity with the young people who study in the years after them and are
a part of the same community. Future First’s vision is for school volunteers, e-mentors and role models, all helping to equip young people with the support, aspiration and information they need to succeed.
23
>
Review and standardise the Business Ambassadors training programme
At the close of 2013-14 business year the Business Ambassadors training resource has
been standardised. Working with University of Wales Trinity St David a set of presentations
and tutorials, available in both English and Welsh, have been developed aimed at preparing an inexperienced business volunteer to deliver an engaging presentation to young people.
This resource is issued on memory stick to Ambassadors on completion of their training.
The resource includes:
>An introduction to the education system in Wales - information on the range and
levels of qualifications, how schools are structured e.g. Key Stages, Year Groups,
Mixed ability groups etc
>Tips on presenting to young people and structuring the presentation to fit an
hour’s lesson
> Recognising and accommodating different learning styles
> Using technology e.g. interactive whiteboard
>During 2013-14 Careers Wales Mark resources have been updated and uploaded to
careerswales.com website. Of the 95 establishments that who have already achieved
the Mark, a further 61 establishments are being supported in working towards its
achievement.
>By forming partnerships with the Sector Skills Council, in particular the Financial
and Legal Services Partnership, information sharing and networking has identified
opportunities where resources such as career information and videos can be shared,
teacher and work experience placements undertaken, and the opportunity to address
employer groups.
>To support the development of careers in STEM subjects Careers Wales organised
a meeting of partner organisations linked to the Energy Island developments and
the Enterprise Zone in Deeside, including Techniquest, CITB, EESW, STEMnet, and
Energy island with the purpose of developing better partnership working and to avoid
duplication of effort. A strategy has also been developed with Airbus to better support
them in their recruitment of higher level apprenticeships.
24
During the year refresher training on the National Work Experience Database, has been
delivered for staff in schools across Wales. The team remain flexible to training requests
and continue to carry out ad-hoc training sessions if requested. Support is also provided
to schools, parents and students by telephone. Over 21,000 employers are registered on
the database providing over 30,784 placements. In the year, nearly 23,000 students in KS4,
Year 12 and Year 13 organised their placements through the database. In order to maintain
the availability of these placements on the database, nearly 6,000 health and safety vetting
visits were completed on employers’ premises.
25
to Post Education Youth and Adult Clients
The Welsh Government Remit letter identified priority groups of people to receive services
from Careers Wales. These included:
>
Unemployed young people aged 16 and 17
>
Unemployed young people aged 18-24 not accessing the Job Centre Plus Work Programme
>
Young people in the Youth Justice system
>
Adults made, or likely to be made, redundant
In order to achieve a service to meet the information, advice and guidance needs, Careers
Wales has worked with Welsh Government officials in the preparation of ‘Early Identification
– effective practice guidance’, a document that is primarily for local authority use, but, in
the context of the Youth Engagement and Progression Framework, relevant to all who
support young people to engage and progress into employment, education or training. The
document sets out Careers Wales’ approach to working with schools, local authorities and
others to identify and provide a service to young people who may be at risk of not entering
employment, education or training. The document ‘Working with Careers Wales’ sets out our
position on:
>
The use of Vulnerability Assessment Profiles and equivalent approaches
>Approaches to planning our service in conjunction with adjacent provision such as Youth
Service support
>Our role in working with local partners and opportunity providers to facilitate each
learner’s transition into an appropriate and sustainable post-16 pathway
Careers Wales has played an active role in Welsh Government’s Youth Engagement
Delivery Group; presenting and participating in the inaugural round of Youth Engagement
regional meetings and collaborating with the DfES marketing and information team on YEPF
stakeholder engagement and communications.
From October 2013, the 5 Tier Model data was made available to all local authorities on a
monthly basis. Whilst work continues to refine the reports and to adjust the data analysis,
feedback from partners has been positive with the findings being discussed and analysed in
NEET multi-agency and inclusion meetings in all local authorities.
26
The Youth Engagement Progression Framework (YEPF) identifies Careers Wales’ staff as
the lead workers for young people in Tier 3. During the period April 2013 to March 2014,
8074 young people were in Tier 3; 6923 entering for the first time (86%). During the year
6427 young people left Tier 3 of whom, 5199 (81%) left to a positive outcome into Tier 4 or
5 a further 631 (10%) left into an unknown destination into Tier 1 and 489 (8%) joined Tier
2 as not able or not ready to enter employment education or training, and 108 (1%) moved
away from Wales.
A 5-Tier model handbook has been developed and shared with each local authority. This will
help to assure consistency of support in the way Careers Wales staff case load, manage,
support and signpost clients within the Tier system, as well as, managing the expectations
of each local authority.
A key component of this service is the development of an effective case loading model.
A full review of Careers Wales’ case loading model for clients in the labour market was
undertaken with staff in October 2013 identifying good practice and areas for development.
The updated guidelines have been shared with staff and implemented. A key feature of the
guidelines is that all clients aged 16, 17 and those who are 18 in the 5 Tier report have an
allocated a Careers Wales member of staff responsible for tracking, keeping in touch and
providing CIAG support as required.
The 5 Tier model provides a solid foundation for partnership work to support the sustained
progression of young people in employment, education and training. Practitioners groups,
whose role it is “Keeping in Touch” (KIT) with clients who are not in employment, education
or training, are now in place in most local authorities. Information Sharing Protocols (ISPs)
are being agreed to protect young people’s personal information and to ensure they are
accounted for and given the opportunity to engage. Although it is still early days this
framework has encouraged a more open system for working together and the avoidance of
the duplication of services.
As a result of this collaborative work the retention rates on Work-based Learning (WBL),
particularly on Engagement programme traineeships, has improved this year. As a
consequence fewer trainees are dropping out and returning to Tier 3 than in previous years.
During 2013 Accenture made their Skills to Succeed programme available to Careers Wales
for use with clients wishing to go into employment. This job search skills resource is used
in group settings as well as in coaching individuals with a specific need (e.g. developing
interview skills) and early feedback indicates that the resource is of benefit to users.
27
Equal Opportunities
and Social Inclusion\06
Considerable effort is made to ensure that the services are delivered to
individuals in a way that promotes equality and social inclusion. The tables
below illustrate the percentage of clients accessing the service categorised by,
age, gender, ethnicity, qualifications, employment status and disability.
AGE
Overall the majority of clients accessing
the service (45.6%) are post statutory
education
i.e. between 16-24 years of age. This is in line
with the Careers Wales remit for 2013-14.
%
Year 11 Statutory Education
43.2%
15-17 Post Statutory Education
27.8%
18-24
17.8%
25-60+
11.2%
GENDER - the percentage of males and females accessing Careers Wales services
The 2011 Census statistics shows the overall population of Wales as 3.06 million with a
breakdown of 49% male to 51% female. The Careers Wales client figures across all age
categories illustrate that more males than females are accessing our services. This is
reflected throughout Wales with an increased differential between males and females for
the 25-60+ age category.
The overall male/female split is in line
however with the economic activity
rate for 16 - 64 year olds which was
recorded in December 2012 as higher
for males (83%) than females (71%).
Male %
Female %
Year 11 Statutory Education
51.7
48.3
15-17 Post Statutory Education
52.1
47.9
18-24
56.5
43.5
25-60+
60
40
28
Ethnicity
The largest percentage of clients who access Careers Wales services identified themselves as
‘White British’; this is reflected throughout each of our operational regions and across all age
categories. Our teams covering the South East of Wales recorded having the largest percentage
of clients (across all age groups) who identified themselves as other ethnic groups.
This is reflected in the Local Labour Force Survey/Annual Population Survey
Ethnicity, by local authority (ethnicity type, local authority) reports that the percentage of people
identifying themselves as from a non-white background are:
Percentage of population
from a non-white
background
4.2%
Wales
1.9%
North
2.8%
West
Source : Local Labour force survey/Annual population survey. Last update 21 March 2013
1.7%
South Central
5.6%
South East
29
Proportionately the number of people receiving services from Careers Wales from a non- white
background is slightly lower than that recorded for each of the regions.
Clients
in Statutory Education
WALES %
North %
West %
South
East %
South
Central %
White Welsh/English
Scottish/N. Irish/British
36.7
40
40.2
32.6
35.3
White Irish or Other
0.73
0.7
0.66
0.8
0.8
Other Ethnic Groups
1.9
0.89
1.87
3.8
0.67
No information on ethnicity
3.9
4.22
1.84
1.65
8.1
WALES %
North %
West %
South
East %
South
Central %
White
24.5
22.9
26.7
23
24.6
0.7
1.5
0.4
0.67
0.5
Other Ethnic Groups
1.36
0.6
1.1
3.1
0.45
1.26
2
0.5
0.73
2
16 - 17 Post
Statutory Education
30
WALES %
North %
West %
South
East %
South
Central %
White
15.5
13.2
15.5
17.4
15.3
0.7
1.34
0.4
0.65
0.64
Other Ethnic Groups
1
0.36
0.62
2.6
0.26
0.6
0.68
0.51
0.61
0.63
WALES %
North %
West %
South
East %
South
Central %
White
8.6
13.2
7.19
9.2
8.7
0.98
1.34
1.1
7.6
0.71
Other Ethnic Groups
0.53
0.36
0.24
1.19
0.26
1.02
0.68
1.13
1.13
0.88
18 - 24 Years Old
25 - 60+ Years Old
Disability
Just over 35% of 18-24 year olds accessing Careers Wales services declared themselves
as disabled.
WALES %
North %
West %
South
East %
South
Central %
Year 11 Statutory
Education
16.15
27.12
19.91
12.29
3.48
15-17 Post Statutory
Education.
25.53
30.29
36.74
20.3
4.2
18-24 years old
35.68
32.28
34.45
43.37
35.06
25-60+ years old
22.64
10.32
8.91
24.03
57.17
31
Environmental Sustainability\07
CCDG actively pursues polices and initiatives that seek to reduce the impact its
operations have on the environment, the main delivery being achieved via the
Green Dragon Environmental Standard.
In July 2013, CCDG was awarded Level Two accreditation of the Green Dragon Standard.
The main sustainable practices used throughout CCDG are as follows:
> The use of video and telephone conference facilities to reduce the number of individuals
travelling to events
> Old ICT equipment, paper, toner cartridges, bottles, batteries and cans are collected
and recycled
> Photocopiers are used for printing instead of printers
> There are recycling stations throughout all offices
Additionally CCDG has closed two offices and re-located staff to existing offices.
CCDG has recognised a need to bring a more consistent approach to sustainability
and has implemented a Corporate Environment Policy which will guide the organisation
in its future actions.
32
Welsh Language\08
Prior to CCDG the six regional Careers Companies and Careers Wales
Association had Welsh Language Schemes in place which ran up until March
31st 2013. From April 2013 work was undertaken to develop a single Scheme
for the whole of Wales. Although the seven schemes were all based on the
same template, the targets and content were different.
With the introduction of the Welsh Language Measure (Wales) 2011 there is a requirement
that English and Welsh are afforded equal status in Wales and it establishes the principle
that the Welsh language should be treated no less favourably than the English language.
The Measure also requires organisations to look at internal practices as well as the external
customer.
The Standards included in the Measure go further than the previous Welsh Language
Schemes in several aspects and this resulted in significant consultation work with operational,
policy and corporate colleagues to ensure all understood the requirements of the Measure
and were clear on its impact on CCDGs working practices.
Working on advice from the Welsh Language Commissioner’s office, CCDG agreed to
develop a Welsh Language Policy, which was agreed by its senior management team in
May 2013. This outlines the principles which CCDG would adhere to in working its Policy
into practice and provides the basis on which to develop the Welsh Language Scheme.
Work on the Welsh Language Scheme involved internal consultation, auditing staff skill,
assessing the current capacity of the company to provide services across Wales, briefing
staff and ensuring that achievable targets are set over the three year period of the Scheme.
As CCDG’s business status and remit is different to the previous companies’ , meetings took
place between the Welsh Language Commissioner and CCDG which included a presentation
to the CCDG Board during December 2013.
The Welsh Language Commissioner confirmed CCDG’s status following this meeting and
the first draft of the Scheme was presented to the Commissioner’s office in February 2014
with an action plan for the Scheme to be formally consulted on in June/July 2014. The target
date for the production of the final Scheme was August 2014.
33
Financial Statement
and link to Audited Accounts\09
The financial statements for 2013-14 for CCDG have been prepared in
accordance with international finance reporting standards and audited by the
Wales Audit Office. The figures for 2012-13, previously prepared to GAAP
standards, have been re-instated to IFRS.
A copy of the accounts can be accessed via the following link
CCDG Consolidated Financial Statements for the Year ended 31st March 2014
34
European Social Fund
(ESF) Projects\10
CIAG (April 2010 – September 2014)
The aim of the CIAG Project was to “increase the number of economically inactive/
unemployed participants accessing careers information, advice and guidance support”. The
project was designed to indirectly raise levels of employment and economic activity, and
secure higher participation in the labour market by delivering independent, impartial and
bilingual careers information advice and guidance to eligible adults.
This project was geared towards participants who were furthest away from the labour
market. Our Careers Advisers were able to challenge participants thinking, particularly when
their aspirations were low, stereotyped or unrealistic. Participants were able to talk through
their ideas and were helped to make plans, choices and decisions based on their interests,
abilities and values. Many participants engaged in multiple interventions, which included
activities such as: job search, CV writing, developing employability skills, confidence building
and action.
The project targets and achievements were:
Delivery Profile
Target
Project Final
Achievement
Participants
25,000
24,588
Participants entering further learning
3,450
3,557
Participants gaining other positive outcomes
12,000
13,259
Employers adopting or improving
equality and diversity strategies
and monitoring systems
5
5
Projects integrating sustainable
development into awareness raising
education and training programmes
1
1
April 2009 - September 2014
The project met 98.3% of its participant targets and over achieved in the number of participants
entering further education, and also participants gaining other positive feedback.
The project was evaluated in 2011 and a small case study review was undertaken by BMG in
September 2014. Both the evaluation and case study can be viewed within the professional
section of carrerswales.com. The project has now reached its closure with all staff members
working on the project returning to their substantive post within our core contract activities
funded by the Welsh Government.
35

CCDG Annual Report 2013-14

Transcription

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