1. The Liverpool City Region MAA Employment and Skills Platform1
The Liverpool City Region MAA Employment and Skills Platform
Sue Jarvis
Service Director City Region Strategy, Employment & Skills
Knowsley MBC 1

2. The Liverpool City Region – key facts
Population of 1.5 million
Forms core of wider economic zone of influence of over 2 million people
GVA of over £17bn, 539,000 jobs and 38,000 businesses

3. Our Vision - to be a thriving international city region by 2020.
To achieve this we will need to
accelerate growth and substantially close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK and;
reduce worklessness across the Liverpool City Region, providing routes for people to move into work and progress in their jobs. 3

4. A Multi-Area Agreement
Voluntary agreements between two or more top-tier or unitary local authorities, their partners and Government of work collectively to improve local economic prosperity
MAAs are not:
Just about service delivery
An end in themselves
The same everywhere
Designed or prescribed by central government

5. What are we aiming to deliver?
Accelerate economic growth and substantially close the productivity gap with the rest of the UK
Increase entrepreneurial activity
Reduce worklessness
Increase skills levels
Increase housing quality, choice and range
Improve transport/access to employment and opportunities

6. How will we deliver this?
New Partnership between City Region partners
Shadow City Region Cabinet – set up in November 2008
Finalised city region structure to be developed by October 2009
Structure supported by 6 Partnership Boards – economy, employment and skills, transport, planning and housing, environment and waste, safer and healthier communities
Multi Area Agreement
Step-in change in agreeing priorities and actions for the city region
LCR Story of Place and Employment and Skills Platform Signed off by Government
Economy, Housing, Transport Platforms Drafts under development

7. Employment and Skills Scale of the Challenge:
LCR employment rate of 68.1% compared to 74.4% nationally
Almost 175,000 residents claiming out of work benefits; 50% claiming a benefit for 5+ years
More than one in three (37%) working age adults without NVQ level 2 qualification
Key Issues:
Complex landscape – funds, targets, delivery agencies
Diverse but fragmented range of provision
Multiple management and governance arrangements

8. Employment and Skills Our Approach:
Strengthening employer representation and demand for skills
Delivering an integrated package of services based on a continuum model of employment and skills provision
Working collectively to align and co-commission mainstream resources at the local level
Adding value to the core offer using discretionary funding (ESF, ERDF, NWDA, Area Based Grant)
Changing provider behaviour
Acting as a test bed for new Government initiatives
Implementing new governance arrangements

9. Employment and Skills Our Asks of Government (1):
Develop an Employment and Skills Strategy by June 2009
Agree shared priorities, common framework of targets
LCR Commissioning plan will inform Government and local contracting arrangements
Locally delivered solutions
Work with Government to shape the way future contracts operate in our area and to co-commission bespoke services, e.g.:
Flexible New Deal
Fit for Work Service
Skills Accounts trials and their further development
Adult Advancement and Careers Service

10. Employment and Skills Our Asks of Government (2): Improve data sharing
Better access to non disclosure DWP data, GIS
Signpost employer vacancy information to skills brokers
Share provider performance data
Stimulate employer demand
City Region employer engagement strategy
Use Board Members to champion the Local Employment Partnership and Skills Pledge
Establish LCR Employment and Skills Board by summer 2009
Secure legal status by 2010

11. Employment and Skills Outcomes and Targeting:
Adding value by simplifying the offer to individuals and employers
Prioritisation by geography and client group
Accelerated programmes of intervention to meet specific LCR needs
Minimise duplication or displacement
Outcomes must be set in the context of the current economic downturn and LAA refresh
Job Seekers Allowance
Incapacity Benefit
Increasing skill levels

12. Moving Forward: Implementing the MAA2
Moving Forward: Implementing the MAA
Karon Brownbill
Economic Development Director
Learning and Skills Council Greater Merseyside

13. Strategy Development
Commission a piece of work to develop the strategy drawing on evidence from existing reports e.g. LSC Strategic Analysis, Sector Skills Agreements, Local Intelligence
Considerable engagement with employers and sectors e.g. Maritime, Retail, Leisure, Tourism
Understanding demand and supply, local skills shortages, specific employment and skills responses to key strategic developments e.g. Super Port, Digital, Environmental Technologies as well as other key employment sectors e.g. Public
Strategy to bring together employment and skills into a continuum from no skills through to higher skills
Set the priorities for investment – consultation April to June, developed by end of June 09

14. Co- Commissioning
DWP Green Paper sets out three potential levels of devolution:
Level 1: local partners having active involvement in DWP commissioning processes.
Level 2: co-commissioning and joint investment planning.
Level 3: full joint commissioning in some areas, and devolution of some funding decisions in others.

15. Co-Commissioning Starting work on Flexible New Deal
National Programme – influencing the design, targeting
Pooling of Funds – influence over assessment and monitoring processes
Evolution towards inclusion and alignment via the framework of all commissioned employment and skills activities
Not about a single commissioning body; but about co-operation, alignment and simplification – working together to a single set of priorities
Challenges: differing business cycles, several agencies, change in system, demand led system for employers and adults

16. Engagement Employers – Demand
Employment and Skills Board Summer 2009, Legal Status 2010
Strong Private Sector representation/ Clustering
Public Sector 40% of employer base
Proactive engagement with existing networks e.g. Chambers, TMP etc
Champions
Workforce planning
City Region Employer Engagement Strategy
City Region Employer Offer
Providers – Supply
FE Colleges
Higher Education Institutions
Voluntary/ Community Sector
Private Providers/ Employers

17. Employment and Skills Board

18. Changing Landscape LSC Shadow Structures September 2009 onwards
Alignment of existing structures and resources
National Apprenticeship Service live April 2009
Skills Funding Agency Live April 2010
Adult Advancement Agency 2010
Young Peoples Learning Agency Live April 2010
16 – 19 Commissioning to Local Authorities- transition Academic Year 2010/2011

19. Machinery of Government : Transition of 16-19 Funds Links with MAA3
Machinery of Government : Transition of Funds Links with MAA
Paul Lally
Children’s Services Manager
Knowsley MBC

20. What do we know
Proposal for second stage application for Greater Merseyside sub regional grouping: each borough to commission providers based in their borough but supported by Greater Merseyside Executive
National funding formula for 16-19
Six work streams established to support transition
LLDD
Data
Staffing
Common Application Process: E-prospectus
Legal and finance
Commissioning
Alignment between Commissioning and Employment and Skills

21. What is yet to emerge
Commissioning guidance from DCSF (commissioning flows between national/regional/sub regional and local: relationship between local commissioning and NAS)
Procedures and timescale about staffing transfer
Details about how commissioning will link into CYP Trusts
Details about financial rules, accountability
Bill is published but it needs guidance to indicate what it means in practice

22. Positives
Good partnership working across Greater Merseyside (LTP, GMLPF, MCA, Partnerships)
MAA offers us a way of
Aligning political accountability
Developing Greater Merseyside staffing capacity to support the outcomes
Looking at transition young people into adults (e.g. NEET into JSA)
Harnessing employer voice and
Developing employment and skills strategy
Focus on outcomes: raising participation, achievement and progression
Timetable is demanding but not impossible: we will focus on the practical
2010/2011 is a year of transition

23. Any questions?