SLIM Publications

Delivering more apprenticeships is a pivotal element of the Coalition Government’s skills strategy, Skills for Sustainable Growth (November 2010). Substantial additional funding has been made available for apprenticeships, and providers are under pressure to devote an increasing proportion of their ‘employer-responsive’ funding to this form of training.

Simultaneously, there is a drive to ‘re-shape apprenticeships’ towards Level 3; to increase the number of apprenticeship Frameworks and introduce Higher Apprenticeships. In 2010/11, 15,630 people across the Heart of the South West started an apprenticeship. This represents a rise of 9,320 or 148% over the six years from 2005/06 and a rise of 4,190 or 37% in the last year alone. This is due to a rapid growth in adult apprenticeships, particularly those delivered to people over 25. The number of 16 to 18 year old apprentices and the proportion of apprenticeships delivered at Level 3 have remained stubbornly unchanged for the last five years.

This is a summary of findings from a research project, Apprenticeships – Provider Perspectives from the Heart of the South West. It was commissioned by the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) in order to understand better the challenges involved in growing apprenticeship provision in Devon and Somerset.

Download the Executive Summary
Download the Full Report

This briefing paper has been written at the request of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HoSW LEP) and the South West Employment and Skills Partnership (SWESP). Its purpose is to inform a discussion about how the partners who make up the LEP can support manufacturing in Devon and Somerset. This discussion will start with a workshop on 14 November. Organised by the HoSW LEP, the SWESP, Engineering Employers Federation and Semta Sector Skills Councils (SSC), the workshop will focus on identifying and responding to employment and skills challenges facing the industry. This paper explores these issues and is provided as a briefing in advance of the event.

The following documents are available for download:

Supporting manufacturing in the Heart of the South West - Executive Summary
Supporting manufacturing in the Heart of the South West

This paper has been written as part of a South West Observatory-led exploration of prospects for private sector growth in the region. It is a companion piece to the Economy Module's paper, Prospects for Private Sector Jobs Growth in South West England, which describes the macro-economic prospects for the region. The themes identified in both reports will be the subject of a conference in Taunton on 2 November 2011. This report considers the questions:

• What are the overall trends in employment and what do they mean in terms of the demand for skills?
• What are the overall trends in employment and what do they mean in terms of the demand for skills
• What are the prospects for rebalancing in terms of skills and to what extent will the existing skills base provide a foundation for private sector growth?
• In the context of youth unemployment, what are the opportunities for new entrants into the labour market?
• With worklessness on the rise, to what extent will new opportunities be accessible to workless people?

This Briefing Paper sets the scene for the Alliance meeting, Valuing Voluntary Action – helping voluntary organisations understand changes in employment and skills, organised by the SW Forum in conjunction with Employment and Skills Partnership. It will explore the issues and challenges emerging for the voluntary sector as the employment and skills policy landscape changes. The Briefing Paper was produced by the Skills and Learning Intelligence Module (SLIM) of the South West Observatory, based at the Marchmont Observatory, University of Exeter.

The backdrop to this discussion of course is the Government’s Big Society agenda, which seeks to shift power from government to local people. The main themes of this agenda promise much:

• Devolving power to communities and local government.
• A greater role in public services for Voluntary and Community Organisations and civil society organisations.
• Supporting the voluntary and community sector.

The Big Society agenda is one where social purpose organisations could justifiably expect to be at the forefront of delivery. Not only do they play an important role as providers of services; they are also employers, contributing to the economy. Indeed, the contribution that the voluntary sector makes to the economy has been well documented and acknowledged. In the context of the reform of public services, they also play a vital role not only in delivery but in identifying need, including unmet need, in supporting people and communities to shape the services that they require and in terms of evaluating services, advocacy, and in working with other sectors to improve services. This role becomes even more important in the context of increasingly decentralised services and funding cuts, particularly where individuals and communities have greater opportunities and responsibilities around public services.

Yet to what extent has this new rhetoric become reality in terms of the delivery of services?

Here we are concerned about the role that the voluntary sector plays in delivering employment and skills support. The purpose of this Briefing Paper is to outline the changes that are taking place in the employment and skills field and to identify the issues and challenges which the voluntary sector organisations face at present. We have drawn on the latest literature and conducted a series of interviews with voluntary organisations delivering employment and skills programmes, together with representatives of key agencies. We are indebted to these organisations for their time and ideas. Through a series of case studies, we have also explored in detail some of the changes that are taking place and how organisations are responding.

Download the Report
Download the 4 page summary
Meeting Summary
Download Presentation

This report is timed to coincide with the launch of the Work Programme in June 2011. It is written for local authorities, employment and training providers, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and Employment and Skills Boards (ESBs), who may be asking themselves:

• How will the Work Programme work in the South West of England?
• Are there areas or groups of people who are most likely to benefit?
• What should we be watching and monitoring?
• How can we help to ensure that none of our people and places gets left behind?

The task of this report is to: sketch out the structure and goals of the Work Programme; identify the risks that may arise from its design and delivery; assess its chances of success in the South West; and highlight matters that partners may wish to monitor or influence in order to ensure that the Work Programme works for those in their area.

The Work Programme In South West England : Full Report.

The Work Programme In South West England : Executive Summary.

Meeting Summary.

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