TSN Annual Report - Annex 2: Department of Economic Development Draft New TSN Action Plan

The first New TSN Annual Report

November 1999

Annex 2 (continued)

7

7.1

Strategy 2010

In March 1999 Strategy 2010, the Report of the Economic Development Strategy Review, was published. The largely private sector Strategy Steering Group presented some 60 recommendations for consideration by the Assembly. The Steering Group considered the subject of equality and social cohesion and noted its full support for New TSN.

7.2

Within the overall review the Investment and Finance Cross Sector Working Group addressed the commitment given in Partnership for Equality that research would be carried out into the merits of additional incentives for business location in areas of very high unemployment. The Group considered that there was no immediate need for further additional incentives as investment is already being attracted to New TSN areas without needing to call on the maximum grant rates already available. Investors are placing increasing emphasis on other factors such as the broad economic infrastructure and non-financial support such as marketing and management skills. Barriers to employment need to be tackled by policies aimed at the individuals as well as at locations– such as childcare, training to increase employability and transport infrastructure to improve access – issues which are being addressed in this Plan.

8

8.1

Partnership Approach

While Government is seeking to establish a more inclusive economy based on increased employment opportunities for the unemployed and long-term unemployed and the removal of barriers to employment, it can only do so through close co-operation with the private sector which creates the jobs.

8.2

The introduction of New Deal has involved the participation of 3,000 employers (the vast majority of these in the private sector). In the first year of the New Deal for 18-24 year olds, more than 10,000 young people joined the programme. Of these, nearly 2,000 had gained unsubsidised employment by the end of the first year and a further 850 entered the subsidised employment option of New Deal. Following the change in legislation through the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 companies will not be liable to complaints of discrimination by seeking to recruit only from those not in employment, or only from those who have not had a job for a given period. The increased involvement of the private sector in working with Government Departments to enable the unemployed and long-term unemployed to avail of employment opportunities is a key element of the Action Plan. DED is keen to work with the private sector to increase its knowledge of the labour market through enhanced monitoring and also in considering further opportunities to develop positive strategies to create a more inclusive economy.

8.3

A key feature emerging from the previous Targeting Social Need Action Plans was the increasing involvement of District Councils and community and voluntary groups in economic development activity. DED wishes to develop further the co-ordination and integration of such activity to facilitate a more structured approach to local unemployment. This would complement and reinforce national and regional policies while local consultation and participation would contribute to the development of local solutions to local problems.

9

9.1

Resource Allocations

New TSN is an important theme running through DED’s activities. In some cases where the programmes are directed specifically at disadvantaged individuals, for example the range of T&EA programmes for the unemployed and long-term unemployed, the total budget can be targeted and identified as a resource allocation to New TSN. In other cases, for example programmes which are private sector demand-led, it is much more difficult to set targets for a percentage of total allocations to be used for New TSN. There can be a time-lag of up to a year or more between DED’s efforts and commitment of resources and the project becoming fully operational. External factors such as the broader economic conditions in world markets and in specific sectors impact on DED’s efforts and can lead to fluctuations from one year to another.

9.2

During the first year of the Plan, expenditure in New TSN areas will continue to be monitored to determine the extent to which it impacts on those in greatest need and positive outcomes are achieved. This will allow action to be taken as necessary over the life of the Plan to ensure that resources spent on New TSN activity impact as much as possible on unemployment, in particular long-term unemployment.

Business Area:	DED
Social need to be tackled:	Disadvantage among people, groups and areas in Northern Ireland
Desired outcome:	Effective strategic management of New TSN within DED
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 1 To continue to ensure top level commitment to New TSN throughout DED and to enhance existing top level structure to drive New TSN forward.	The DED Management Board, chaired by the Permanent Secretary and comprising the Department’s Under Secretary and Chief Executives of the five economic development agencies, and the Boards of these agencies approved this draft Plan and will receive regular progress reports on the Plan. DED’s New TSN Working Group, led by the Strategic Planning Division of DED, has co-ordinated the developmentof this draft Plan and will: a. Co-ordinate its implementation through quarterly monitoring meetings and reports. b. Continue to provide advice and guidance throughout DED. c. Prepare a progress report on this Plan and submit to the DED Management Board for approval prior to publication in the New TSN Annual Report.
DED 2 To ensure all staff have received relevant training on New TSN and are kept informed of progress and ongoing developments.	The DED New TSN Working Group will lead appropriate training and development on New TSN as follows: a. New TSN will be included in all induction and general management training and development throughout DED. b. Specific training for appropriate staff within DED will be developed based on CCRU guidance (details of courses, numbers etc to be arranged). c. Continued use of staff magazine and internal Staff Brief to inform staff of New TSN progress and developments – eg regular articles and coverage of specific developments or announcements.

New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 3 To ensure that the private sector, appropriate industry and trade union bodies, District Councils and community and voluntary groups are aware of DED’s New TSN activities to enable a partnership approach to addressing unemployment.	a. Develop during 2000, a programme to increase awareness of DED’s New TSN activity to facilitiate increased collaboration.
DED 4 To continue to increase knowledge of impact of DED activity on the labour market and in particular on the unemployed and long-term unemployed gaining employment.	a. Consider results of The Queen's University of Belfast Socio-Spatial Analysis Research Unit’s Labour Recruitment Study into job location (completed in 1999) and its impact on disadvantaged (ie unemployed) individuals and disadvantaged areas. b. Enhancement by all DED agencies of existing monitoring arrangements (including those involving third party agents) to collect the following data on those gaining employment from new or expansion projects or participating in training or employment schemes; location of individual (postcode); gender; disability; previous economic activity status (ie employee, self-employed, unemployed, education or economically inactive) and community background. c. Undertake research into indirect and secondary benefits of DED activity for the unemployed and long-term unemployed within the Departmental Research Strategy. Research to begin Autumn 1999.
DED 5 To identify what (if any) community differentials exist within each area of DED activity.	a. Undertake a programme of research to identify any community differentials within each area of DED activity (commencing in 2000).
DED 6 To ensure New TSN is taken into account in policy appraisal and evaluation activity and economic appraisal activity.	a. New TSN to be included within Terms of Reference of all DED policy appraisal and evaluation assignments and within economic appraisals.
DED 7 To ensure that the DED-managed post-1999 EU Structural Funds programmes support the aims of New TSN.	a. Integrate New TSN into the development and implementation of post-1999 EU funding programmes.

New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 8 To ensure that the implementation of DOE’s Regional Strategic Framework (RSF) and DED’s Strategy 2010 contribute to the reduction of social need – in particular unemployment.	a. Establish formal meetings with DOE to develop and implement a coherent approach to strategic issues relating to the RSF and Strategy 2010 particularly in regard to zoning of new land for industry, provision of infrastructure ie services and public transportation policy.

Business Area:	T&EA – New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds
Social need to be tackled:	Unemployment among 18-24 year olds in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance for 6 months or more and those 18-24 year olds eligible for early entry into the New Deal
Desired outcome:	a. To get young unemployed people into jobs and to help them stay there b. To increase the long-term employability of young unemployed people by improving their self-respect, their skills, their experience and their motivation
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 9 To get young people aged 18-24 into jobs and help them stay there.	a. Meet the targets set by Ministers for each financial year for people moving into employment after participation in the New Deal (18-24); establish baselines in respect of sustained employment and monitor outcomes. b. Evaluate the impact of New Deal (18-24) and report on this during 2000-2001; use the evaluation to inform future developments.
DED 10 To increase the long-term employability of young unemployed people by improving their self-respect, their skills, their experience and their motivation.	a. Develop a methodology for measuring improvements in individuals’ employability achieved through participation in New Deal by 31 March 2000 and monitor measurable improvements annually over the period of the Plan.

Business Area:	T&EA – Jobskills
Social need to be tackled:	Employability of young people, including those with special needs, who leave school on attaining the minimum school leaving age
Desired outcome:	To provide young people in the target group with the skills which will enable them to secure and progress in employment
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 11 To enable trainees to achieve vocational and vocationally-related qualifications and Key Skills.	a. Use the 1999 review of the Jobskills Access programme to set new output and outcome targets by 31 March 2000. b. In 2000-2001, 65% of 1999 entrants to Jobskills will achieve NVQ Level 2 or equivalent – target to be reviewed annually.
DED 12 To enable trainees to move into sustained employment.	a. 65% of those leaving Jobskills will transfer to employment or to other education or training opportunities – target to be reviewed annually.
DED 13 To ensure that people in New TSN areas have fair access to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 training. (NVQ Level 3 training is only available as Modern Apprenticeships; trainees must be in employment.)	a. Monitor participation in Modern Apprenticeships in New TSN areas so that any problems of access are identified and quantified; consider any imbalances identified and possible remedial action to improve access for young people from New TSN areas.

Business Area:	T&EA – Worktrack
Social need to be tackled:	Long-term unemployment among people not eligible to participate in the New Deals, including people who are economically inactive
Desired outcome:	Progression into sustainable employment
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 14 To get long-term unemployed people into sustainable employment.	a. 50% of all Worktrack participants to find sustainable employment. Target to be reviewed annually. b. Monitor the success rates of Worktrack in getting people into sustainable employment (ie employment lasting at least 13 weeks) within 13 weeks of leaving the programme. c. Fund a pilot outreach programme and monitor the effectiveness of outreach activities throughout the period of this Plan. d. Evaluate Worktrack, including outreach activities, by March 2002.

Business Area:	T&EA – Lifelong Learning *
Social need to be tackled:	Employability, particularly of the "learning poor"
Desired outcome:	Greater adult participation in learning
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 15 To increase significantly adult participation in vocational education and training, including access to further and higher education and training from groups previously under represented.	Monitor and review New TSN impact of the following initiatives: a. The establishment of University for Industry (UfI) guidance and advisory system (Learning Direct) aimed mainly at the "learning poor". The Northern Ireland version of Learning Direct will be in place by April 2000. b. The establishment, in conjunction with the UfI, of 4-5 local learning centres by March 2000, with a further 20 by March 2001 which will improve the accessibility of learning, particularly for the "learning poor". c. The first Individual Learning Accounts to be piloted in 2000, and 25,000 Accounts to be available throughout Northern Ireland by December 2002.
* Lifelong Learning is not a discrete business area, but encompasses a wide range of DENI and T&EA activity including the New Deals, Modern Apprenticeships, Company Development Programme, management development programmes, Investors in People, Worktrack, careers guidance etc.

Business Area:	T&EA – Bridge to Employment *
Social need to be tackled:	Unemployment in general and long-term unemployment (over 1 year) in particular
Desired outcome:	To provide unemployed people with the opportunities to compete on an equal basis with others for new jobs created through inward investment and expansion of Northern Ireland companies
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 16 To attract more long-term unemployed people onto the programme.	a. Following the 1999 evaluation of the pilot programme, targets will be established by 31 March 2000 for the participation of the long-term unemployed in the programme.
* Bridge to Employment is delivered in co-operation with IDB.

Business Area:	T&EA – Company Development Programme (CDP)
Social need to be tackled:	Unemployment
Desired outcome:	Reduction in unemployment in New TSN areas through growth of CDP client companies
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 17 Equitable geographical distribution of CDP client companies and total CDP spend.	a. Monitor location of CDP client companies and breakdown of CDP expenditure in New TSN District Council areas: ensure consistency of policy on Selective Financial Assistance with IDB, LEDU & NITB. b. Evaluate CDP in 2000-2001; evaluation will include assessment of the impact of CDP in terms of New TSN and, if necessary, consideration of new ways to target social need through CDP.

Business Area:	T&EA – Disablement Advisory Service
Social need to be tackled:	Unemployment among people with disabilities
Desired outcome:	To get disabled people into employment and help them stay there
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 18 To get disabled people into employment and help them stay there.	a. Place 1,300 people with disabilities into open and supported employment in each year of the Plan. (These are not New Deal for Disabled People clients.) Target to be reviewed annually.

Business Area:	T&EA – New Deal for Disabled People (NDDP)
Social need to be tackled:	Unemployment among and employability of those people currently in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, Income Support with a disabled premium, and Severe Disablement Allowance
Desired outcome:	To help people with a disability or long-term illness who are currently dependent on benefits to get into work and help them stay there
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 19 To help people with a disability or long-term illness get into work and help them stay there.	a. Invite all benefits claimants for a Personal Adviser interview and have initial interviews with 3,000 of these between June 1999 and September 2000. b. Evaluate the seven one-year Innovative Schemes which commenced in April 1999 and consider their future development by February 2000. c. Evaluate the NDDP Personal Advisor Service and consider recommendations by June 2000.

Business Area:	T&EA – Ulster Supported Employment Limited
Social need to be tackled:	Unemployment among severely disabled people
Desired outcome:	To provide employment in a supported environment for people with severe disabilities
New TSN objectives	Targets or actions and timescales
DED 20 To provide employment for people with severe disabilities.	a. To continue to provide paid, productive employment for over 60 disabled people on an ongoing basis.