Agenda item

This report sets out the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Review into Youth Unemployment. A copy of the full final report is attached and Councillor D’Agorne, as Chair of the Task Group, will be in attendance at the meeting to present the report.

Erratum: There are a number of references in this report to the ‘Head of Adult Services’, this should read ‘Head of York Learning’.

RESOLVED:       That Cabinet agree to:

i)             Note the contents of the final report of the Youth Unemployment Scrutiny Review.

ii)            The implementation of the recommendations set out at Paragraphs 6-15 of the report.

REASON:           To fully inform the Cabinet of the outcome of this scrutiny review.

Consideration was given to a report which set out the recommendations arising from the Scrutiny Review into Youth Unemployment, with a copy of the full final report attached at Appendix 1.

Councillor D’Agorne, as a member of the Task Group attended the meeting and presented the report to Cabinet. He confirmed that in relation to Recommendation 4 funding had been secured for 2 job fairs and in relation to recommendation 7, the Council was involved with the ‘Foundation for Jobs’ campaign.

Members were informed that the review had identified the main barriers to the 18-24 age group getting work, were in particular transport costs, unsocial hours in some sectors with available jobs such as the Care Sector and a lack of skills in areas such as administration. He asked the Cabinet to support the following recommendations arising from the review:

Recommendation 1 - That the Learning City York Partnership Manager, via the ‘Connecting People to Jobs and Opportunities’ partnership network and the Learning City Strategic Board, take overall responsibility for setting an achievable target with key partners within the city to reduce longer termunemployment in the 18-24 year old bracket.¹

Recommendation 2 – That City of York Council continue to offer  apprenticeships to young people under the age of 24 and evaluate the success of this by collecting information on how many of those that have completed an apprenticeship at the Local Authority are still in work or further training 6 – 12 months later and that the Learning City York Partnership Manager lead on a programme with the Head of Adult Services to develop a programme that better supports unemployed 18-24 year olds into unfilled apprenticeship vacancies.²

Recommendation 3 - That City of York Council continue to offer work experience placements to under 16’s (whilst still at school) and under 18s not yet ready for an apprenticeship. And in addition to this:

            i.  That the Head of Strategic Workforce Development and Resourcing, in conjunction with the Learning City York Partnership Manager, offer  a discrete, managed, matched pilot, of work experience placement opportunities for unemployed 18 to 24 year olds, who have been unemployed in excess of three months

           ii. That the Head of Strategic Workforce Development and Resourcing ensures that there is a robust Graduate and Student Internship Programme in place within the authority.³

Recommendation 4 - That the Head of Adult Services at City of York Council ensures that Future Prospects works in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and leads on the co-ordinating of twice yearly job fairs.⁴

Recommendation 5 - That the Head of Adult Services at City of York Council ensures that the Future Prospects team continue to work in conjunction with Jobcentre Plus, to offer sector specific workshops and that both Work Programme providers and their clients* are made aware of the sector specific workshops on offer. *in this instance clients means unemployed 18 to 24 year olds, including those on the Work Programme. ⁵

Recommendation 6 - That the Learning City York Partnership Manager continue to facilitate quarterly networking meetings of ‘Connecting People to Jobs and Opportunities’ to support residents on out of work benefits and seeking employment. This networking meeting should include a standing item on looking at potential solutions to enable currently unemployed 18-24 year olds back into work.⁶       

Recommendation 7 -That the Council’s Head of Communications lead  on a branded campaign that effectively markets:

i.       success stories and inspiring cases about York’s young people finding jobs/self employment and those that have overcome barriers to gain employment

ii.     apprentices and interns

iii.    a video of the next job fair

iv.   wage incentives and support available to employers⁷

Recommendation 8 - That the Learning City York Partnership Manager continue to promote the range of support available to employers. ⁸

Recommendation 9 - That the Assistant Director for Strategic Planning and Transport explore potential ways and investigate the feasibility of funding/providing sustainable subsidised travel that fits shift patterns and would help young people to access entry level jobs outside of the city centre (e.g. bicycles, public transport, car share). ⁹

Recommendation 10 - That the Work Programme providers, working with the Learning City York Partnership Manager and the Head of Adult Services at City of York Council, develop a plan for improving the skills of those clients without basic literacy and numeracy. This should happen in the first year of the Work Programme’s two year cycle. ¹⁰

The Chair thanked the Task Group Members for the work on the review and it was:

RESOLVED:       That Cabinet agree to:

i)             Note the contents of the final report of the Youth Unemployment Scrutiny Review.

ii)            The implementation of the recommendations set out at Paragraphs 6-15 of the report.

REASON:           To fully inform the Cabinet of the outcome of this scrutiny review.