A Local Response to 50 Plus Unemployment

Elizabeth TaylorChief ExecutiveBootstrap Enterprises

Janet DoolanEmployment and Skills ManagerBlackburn with Darwen Borough Council

Why 50 Forward?

• A pilot targeting people over 50

• To fill a gap in provision – specific and targeted

employment support for the over 50s

• Provide dedicated provision

• Based on the Research Study Report by C.L.E.S. on behalf of the Blackburn with Darwen LSP and 50+ Partnership

What we hoped to achieve:

• Reduce number of 50+ JSA claimants

• Provide role models to dispel the myth that over 50 you cannot find employment

• Focus the provision on the needs and gaps in the local labour market

• Retrain individuals for future proof careers

• Increase confidence and competences in the use of IT

50+ Claimant Count - Rate of Change

Source: Nomis

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

220

240

Nov-07

Mar-0

8

Jul-0

8

Nov-08

Mar-0

9

Jul-0

9

Nov-09

Mar-1

0

Jul-1

0

Nov-10

Mar-1

1

Jul-1

1

Nov-11

Mar-1

2

100

= N

ove

mb

er 2

007

EnglandNorth WestPennine Lancashire-5Blackburn with Darwen

Nov 2007Bw D 290Penn Lancs 810North West 14,320England 107,105

April 2012Bw D 580Penn Lancs 1,840North West 29,920England 212,120

50+ Claimant Count - Over 6 Months

Source: Nomis

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Nov-07

Mar-0

8

Jul-0

8

Nov-08

Mar-0

9

Jul-0

9

Nov-09

Mar-1

0

Jul-1

0

Nov-10

Mar-1

1

Jul-1

1

Nov-11

Mar-1

2

100

= N

ove

mb

er 2

007

EnglandNorth WestPennine Lancashire-5Blackburn with Darwen

Nov 2007Bw D 120Penn Lancs 280North West 6,815England 52,135

April 2012Bw D 295Penn Lancs 835North West 14,750England 108,330

‘I didn’t do GCSE’s! they were ‘O levels’ in my day, so how can they expect me to have an NVQ?’

‘They don’t want to give me the job because they think I’ll be after their job in a few months.’

‘Employers think you will be off when things pick up.’

‘Age discrimination is rife, it’s obvious, just go in the shop and look around...people just accept it.’

‘It takes 2 days to fill in the form, any mistake and that’s it, you get cut from the list.’

‘I have applied for over 100 jobs and had no feedback… it’s demoralising.’

http://bwd50plus.org.uk/what-we-do/barriers.html

Research – February 2011

External barriers

o Structural economic change

o Gender and age

o Skills and experience

o Education & re-skilling

o Remuneration

o Age discrimination

o Ethnicity and age

Barriers to employment for those over 50

Internal barriers

o Confidence

o Pride

o Adaptability

o Caring

o Motivation

o Impact of illness and poor health

Barriers to employment for those over 50

Action Learning Set - Objectives

• To work together with local partners on a single issue and develop a workable solution to it

• To use the input from the Young Foundation and other authorities to help shape a solution and look for something really innovative

• To use the programme as a catalyst for getting a solution in place and operational locally

• To build our own skills and confidence in a range of creative methods for coming up with new ideas, action planning, influencing and pitching

Ageing Well – Action Learning Set

The issue we want to solve is:

…dispel the myth that people over 50 will not be able to get a job

Success would look like:

An increase in the employment rate for those aged 50+

Action Learning Set – How did it go?

Made great progress - at the evaluation stage

Its become clear that older people:• Not confident in using IT based job searching

• Surprised that JCP did not have jobs to share with customers when they sign on • Not aware of the labour market demands/type of work available

Government will soon be concerned about 50+ unemployment

Our bid to Flexible Support Fund

The project was to support over 50s JSA

customers (pre Work Programme) to secure

and sustain employment through:• Acquiring new skills, knowledge and

experience• Overall aim of increasing the number of over 50s

in employment or economically active• We intended to recruit with Age UK

WARNING

• The project was local

• Only 209 participants

• All chosen and referred by Jobcentre Plus

• Short period of time Jan to end March 2012, with some joining in final weeks

• Job outcomes don’t reflect what we could have done if we had worked with the 209 for a longer period

50 Forward

• Delivered to JSA 50 plus prior to the Work Programme

• Referrals from Jobcentre Plus, 209, some felt mandated to attend, some chose not to participate

• Gender breakdown: 154 male, 55 female

• In first year of claiming, or new to JSA

Bootstrap offered tailored packages to individuals to provide

• Motivational and aspiration focus and encouragement

• Employability skills

• Work experience

• and practical assistance to secure and sustain employment

The 50 Forward delivery was based on:

• Engagement (envisaged Age UK would recruit but JCP referred)

• Diagnostics

• Learning and development

• Employer links

• and sustaining employment support

What was on offer:

• Advice & Guidance• Employability skills• Motivational packages• Work experience• Volunteering opportunities• Vocational training • Qualifications • Job search • Application and interview support• Benefits to wage transition support• Advice and support in the first period of employment

Initial Action Plan to identify and agree:

• Job ready• Job ready but required confidence building• Wanted to work but not sure about what to apply for• Know job goal but needed confidence building, skills

updating and some work experience• Needed work experience• Needed work experience and on the job training• Required an up to date qualification• Has other barriers that must be addressed

What we discovered from the Action Plans:

• Job ready, very few, but did referrals determine this?• Job ready but required confidence building, majority• Wanted to work but not sure about what to apply for

60%• Know job goal but needed confidence building, skills

updating and some work experience 30%• Needed work experience 40%• Needed work experience and on the job training 20%• Required an up to date qualification 60%• Has other barriers that must be addressed 40%

What we hoped to achieve:

• Reducing number of 50+ JSA claimants• Out of 209 referrals in a three month period 23 moved into paid work during the

pilot, others moved into paid work once back on a JCP advisor caseload, 51• Providing role models to dismiss the myth that over 50 you

cant find employment Succeeded

• Focusing the provision on the needs and gaps in the local labour market In particular the care sector

• Retraining individuals for future proof careers– Working in the Care Sector– Working in Retail– Connecting with Customers– IT and administration

• Increasing confidence and competences in the use of IT Succeeded

What we learnt

• Designated provision for 50 plus was welcomed by the majority of participants

• Focusing on finding vacancies and getting a job was welcomed

• Demand for training in IT skills

• Need for Job Search Skills

• Need for Interview Techniques

Recommendations• Prevention

– JCP flexible support fund – local projects– Early entry to Work Programme– Utilisation of ESF Families Programme– Adult Skills Budget/Community Learning Fund– Joined up work across Age UK, providers, Councils

& JCP • Targeted interventions

– Big Lottery/ESF– SFA/DWP Payment by results – Older People’s

Jobs Fund