CAD0085

Written evidence submitted by Partners within the Heart of the South West

1)   Introduction

1.1              The Heart of the South West (HotSW) area, incorporating the local authority areas of Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay, is home to 1.7m residents and over 78,000 businesses. With an economy worth an estimated £30bn per annum in 2015 – larger than that of either South Yorkshire, Merseyside or the North East – and due to contribute approximately £270m in business rates to HM Treasury during the year – more than the City of Birmingham – the area encapsulates roughly 25% of the South West’s economy.

1.2              At the heart of this economy is a strong industrial and manufacturing focus, with particular strengths within the area’s main towns and cities (Plymouth, Exeter, Taunton, Bridgwater) in the nuclear, marine, construction, environmental sciences and aerospace sectors. These are complemented by a linked rural and heritage offer, with nationally significant shares of both the care, food and drink and tourism sector, as well as distinct strengths in niche and specialist markets, such as data management and agritech.

1.3              Despite such success however, the Heart of the South West’s economy continues to significantly underperform in one key regard; productivity per capita. During 2013, output per head in the HotSW stood at just £17,623 compared to £23,755 at the national level, with the area ranked 34th out of 39 of the LEP geographies.  Relative performance of the Heart of the South West compared to the UK average fell for a tenth consecutive year.

1.4              Whilst multiple factors contribute to this gap, from infrastructure capacity to relative business competitiveness, evidence suggests that the most significant difference between the Heart of the South West and the rest of the UK continues to be its poor performance on skills, education and employment attainment/makeup. Accounting for roughly 70% of the area’s productivity gap, underemployment, lack of educational attainment and relatively low levels of aspiration continue to have a significant and tangible impact on the output of the area. 

1.5              With this in mind, partners are currently working closely together, including through their discussions on Devolution, to address a range of causal factors in this area; from varied school performance; to funding flexibility for individuals; to further support within our deprived communities and for those furthest from the labour market.

1.6              However, one area where all partners have already recognised that further enhancement and progress could be made is within the field of Careers, Advice, Information and Guidance (CIAG). Partners in the HotSW believe that effective CIAG offers a unique opportunity to address a range of underpinning challenges within our economy, from challenging perceptions and levels of aspiration encouraged within our schools; to assisting those in our labour market who wish to grow and advance; to keeping hold of higher level skills and better meeting the needs of our economy through improving linkages between educators and our business community. It is also an area however, where despite an array of good practice, consistency and capacity remain a key challenge. Whilst steps are being taken to address this, there remains significantly more which can be done.

1.7              As such, partners in the Heart of the South West are very pleased to be able to respond to the Committee’s ongoing enquiry into this invaluable area, and hope our experiences to date, and the opportunities / barriers we have encountered, can be utilised to inform wider thinking in this important area.

2)   The quality and impartiality of current provision

2.1              The Heart of the South West area currently benefits from a range of provision, with differing models and end contracts in each of its constituent parts. A brief summary of the broad experience across the area, and some of the challenges encountered, is set out below:

A)              Plymouth

2.2              Primary careers advice within the Plymouth area is currently delivered by CSW Ltd, a Community Interest Company owned and operated by the four upper tier / unitary authorities of Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. The company currently holds a broad ranging contract for provision within the unitary area, acting as the single operator within the local market. The company offers a menu of services to schools as part of its offer, which can be bought into as appropriate.

2.3              With regards take up, and local consistency, however the picture is more mixed. Plymouth is relatively unique within the HotSW in that a large amount of its provision sits outside of the contracted offer. The city currently benefits from 17 post 16 educators within the area, including a wider ranging sixth form offer; a further education college and a University Technology College. Within the city boundary in 2014, 67% of the year 11 cohort stayed on for 6th form provision within the city, whilst 22% went on to FE provision. In total less than 5% went into apprenticeships.

2.4              As such, the offer across the area is highly changeable in terms of both quality and mix. In part this reflects the educational structure of the City, with schools proactively seeking to retain students into their own FE provision above and beyond other pathways. Anecdotal evidence received over, and from young people themselves, is that careers advice provided within education in the Plymouth area is often heavily focused on sixth form progression, with limited appreciation of other routes.

2.5              Regular meetings and dialogue with CSW further reinforces this perception, revealing a decline in the number of schools buying into their activity over recent years. Reasons given for this include issues over affordability in an environment where balanced provision is not prioritised by Ofsted; and a preference within institutions to guide students towards in-house FE provision.

B)              Devon

2.6              Careers advice in Devon is principally provided by CSW Ltd, with contracts focused upon post 16 transition and those within the most vulnerable groups. The contract within the Devon area however does not cover CIAG provision within schools, which is the responsibility of individual institutions.

2.7              As such, the offer across the Devon area is more mixed, with varying levels of buy in into wider services and opportunities. For example, some schools within the County will only request relevant support on result days, whilst others are engaged in more comprehensive offers bringing together groups of schools and county provision. It is fair however to summarise that there is by no means equal access across the Devon area to services, nor equal levels of provision within institutions.

2.8              Interestingly, outcome data for the Devon area would seem to reinforce this perception of a mixed offer within the school environment. 20 schools currently offer post 16 education within Devon, alongside a further 3 FE colleges. In 2015 however, only 32% of students stayed on within Sixth Form provision; 57% moved on to FE institutions and only 5% went on to apprenticeship.

C)              Somerset

2.9              In line with its partners, Somerset contracts with CSW to undertake statutory duties relating to tracking and reporting of young people’s destinations to DfE. Responsibility for the September Guarantee and advice and guidance work however was removed from the contract when the statutory duty was moved to schools.  Somerset schools have responded to these new duties in different ways, and inevitably some have strong provision for independent advice and guidance, and some schools are not so strong.

2.10              Somerset funds a theatre company to visit all mainstream schools with a KS4 to deliver the key messages around options post-16, and alters it annually to reflect new developments – e.g. traineeships.  It is also a valuable annual opportunity to gain student feedback on their intentions post-16 and whether they feel confident in seeking advice and guidance, and to whom they turn when wanting information and the largest group cited are parents and siblings.

2.11              An example of how some schools have managed the duty is that CSW deliver an independent IAG service to 7 Somerset institutions with advisors in each school delivering independent 1:1 IAG sessions to all year 11 learners.  Feedback has continued to be very positive about the service which has just been granted a second three-year contract.  However, one College who brought into the first contract has pulled out of the second due to funding restraints.

2.12              The broad picture across Somerset however is very similar to that of its immediate partners within the LEP. Local feedback suggests that some schools are buying in Independent IAG advisor time and some undertaking the work with their own staff.  As a result, quality and content is diverse. The amount of time allocated to schools for CAIG also tends to vary widely across the area.

2.13              However, Somerset also benefits from a wide array of supplementary support activity beyond this provision, in part reflecting a historic focus in the County on the area as part of a long term strategy to address skills and employment challenges. Somerset Learners, for example, are able to access two annual Careers Fairs in the county – one at Junction 24 in Bridgwater and the other at the Fleet Air Arm Museum near Yeovil.  These Fairs are free to schools to attend.  The Yeovil Fair is partially sponsored by Augusta Westland and Careers SW are paid to undertake the administration of the event.  In excess of 2,000 students attended the November 2015 event.  The Bridgwater event is organised by the One Step Foundation.

2.14              As part of its offer, the County has also developed 4 Area Partnerships that specifically focus on 14-19 issues, in particular CAIG. Activity amongst these varies greatly, but a range of positive good practise can be picked out. For example:

• In the South partnership, the ‘Future Forward’ month of workshops aims to raise awareness of higher education, apprenticeship and career opportunities.  The Future Forward HE Month 2015 consisted of 98 Secondary School / College workshops and 35 Primary workshops, a total of 133 workshops delivered across the month of November.  475 Primary school children attended 8 subject specific workshops and every Year 5 & 6 student from across the Yeovil Federation Primary Schools attended 27 NSPCC Childline assemblies and workshops.

The majority of the 2,106 Secondary/College workshops places were filled, and in addition Year 8 EDF assemblies, Year 11 ‘The Choice’ Theatre Productions and Year 10 and 11 BU Aspire Student Workshops were delivered in seven Secondary schools to whole year group cohorts. 50 Year 7 girls participated in the EDF Year & Girls into Science workshop at Bristol which was televised and will include follow-up events in the summer.  The Western Gazette Academy was launched as part of the month and will undertake future workshops throughout the year. It is estimated that over 5,000 students attended at least one Future Forward event in November.  There is an increased focus on higher level study promotion, including Higher Apprenticeships. Plans are now underway to roll out the Future Forward initiative to all areas of Somerset in this academic year, with funding from the centrally held schools budget to support this work.

• One Partnership is currently undertaking the Investors in Careers Standard with seven of its institutions, with a completion date aim of July 2016.  This is the first time the Standard will have been achieved by a Partnership in the country.  If successful, this will also be rolled out to the other Partnerships.

• The Work Experience system is administered through the Area Partnerships on behalf of its schools. The Somerset WEX System supported in the region of 4,000 students to undertake WEX placements in South, East and West Somerset and the Bridgwater area, as well as North Dorset. By keeping administration costs to an absolute minimum this has helped schools to keep offering WEX to its students. 

• The Partnerships supported over 500 students who were identified using RONI (Risk of NEET Indicator) as being at high risk of not progressing post 16. Initiatives differ by partnership, but include intervention panel meetings, summer holiday support, bespoke taster sessions and college mentoring programmes.  The Area Partnership Directors work closely to monitor and track learners across the County.  However, a lack of data sharing protocols and systems has to date hampered swift intervention and this is currently being addressed as a matter of urgency.

• One of the Partnerships has undertaken a pilot two day 'My Future' Aspiration and Career Awareness event for 600 year 8 students.  On the first day students were given presentations by motivational speakers, apprenticeship ambassadors, HE student ambassadors and Creative Arts Industry representatives. On day two students undertook two practical workshops at Yeovil College which had an emphasis on different employment sectors and career routes. This July the event will be expanded to give over 1,000 students the opportunity to attend.  The initiative is also being rolled out to all Area Partnerships over the next year.

• Some Partnerships are working closely with the Somerset Teaching School Alliances to develop a range of employer/practitioner groups, including a STEM Practitioner group and a Creative Arts Practitioner group.  These are working closely with employers to develop CPD and curriculum development opportunities, as well as looking at how to support changes in curriculum, assessment and exam requirements. Other Practitioner groups are being planned.

3)   How careers advice in schools and colleges can help to match skills with labour market needs

3.1              Partners in the Heart of the South West believe that this line of enquiry can be broken into two;

• ensuring that students are provided with up to date and informed careers advice that is reflective of local economic issues; and

• ensuring that senior management within education providers and institutions tailor their offer and provision to meet the needs of employers and the economy. 

3.2              In the first instance, careers advice given to students must be appropriate and informed. It should include a full assessment of the options any student is considering, how they would get there, whether that offer is available in the local area or whether the student will need to go further afield. It should also include how much cost may be involved, the issues and opportunities of training within a field or sector and what sort of jobs might be available at the end of any process. In the HotSW, it also needs to be broad ranging in terms of geography, recognising that unlike urban centres like London and the Core Cities, our shared economy and labour market is distributed over a sizeable area.

3.3              Collectively this process will give a student a strong grounding in what is available locally and nationally, the opportunities and costs of individual choices and how it relates to the actual labour market in the area they live. Ideally, advice will be based on actual intelligence and links to the world of work within the locality, allowing students to understand and experience the issues and options available before committing to an individual pathway. Through this, better decision making is made, with students having a strong understanding of how they will fit in and expectations of them once they join the labour market.

3.4               Whilst students can be assisted to make informed choices, institutions have a vital role to play in ensuring that students are given every opportunity to meet the needs of the labour market and the economy.  Understanding the local economy and local employers, senior management in schools and FE flex the curriculum and learning to meet and help students understand real world issues and development suitable skills. Schools seek to provide students with relevant experience of the world of work, engage with large and small employers locally to give a feel for what life outside of education in the locality is like, and work with parent carers and others to inform intelligent choices and myth bust.

3.5              However, experience suggests that both issues remain a challenge on the ground. Ensuring students have reflective and balanced advice is often complicated by a lack of information amongst and from teachers and other leads, who can perceive CIAG as being outside of their day to day remit. Engagement and understanding of the economy outside of school and the issues involved is also mixed from institution to institution, teacher to teacher. As such, provision for individuals is often inconsistent, and still depend on which institution you are in, and then which advisor you have.

3.6              Beyond one to one support, institutional consistency also remains a key challenge. Whilst significant good practice exists in the HotSW in engaging with the business community, tailoring content to encourage interest in real world opportunities, and requiring students to undertake work experience and seek information and advice, there is limited consistency across the area. Some schools report that they do not have time to meet with employers or involve them in curriculum planning; work experience is offered in some instances but not others; and engagement in events and careers fairs is often changeable from one school to another. Where engagement does happen, it tends to be narrowly focused, reflecting an initiative by one sector or one employer that has been judged to be appropriate.

3.7              As outlined however, good practice does exist. In Plymouth for example, skills analysis is provided to schools to allow them to understand the issues in the local economy and provide appropriate advice and support. Similarly, STEM projects in Somerset and Devon work with schools to tailor advice around Engineering, Maths and Science based occupations for teachers and advisors. Work is also undertaken on senior level engagement, with initiatives like the Bridgwater Education Trust in Somerset bringing together Heads with local business people to share information and intelligence, as well as support schools in their approach to CIAG.  

3.8              As set out however, more could be done nationally to ensure that this crucial issue is addressed within schools and wider institutions. This could include formally introducing requirements on schools and providers to embedded relevant CIAG in their approach, as well as then assess them through Ofsted and other mechanisms. In essence, this would encourage the type of outcome focus found in other areas of the public sector, with schools proactively seeking to engage with the local economy and business community, rather than being encouraged to. It would also engender changes in senior ownership of this matter, an issue felt to be crucial by partners in the HotSW based on their existing experience. 

3.9              There is of course a third dimension to this issue. Whilst the approach of schools is critical, parents also have a key role to play in career choice and selection. Recent work across the LEP area suggests that this continues to be a significant input into pathway consideration. Whilst schools do have an important part to play, reaching those outside the education system is also vital if students are to receive a balance view. A less intense form of IAG may therefore be appropriate for parents via schools, providing wider information around options. Local authorities, as impartial stakeholders, can play an important role in this area, presenting a wider balanced view which sits outside of the day to day demand of the education environment.

4)   The Role of the new Careers and Enterprise Company and its relationship with other bodies such as the National Careers Service

4.1              Partners in the HotSW have recently been involved in a tendering exercise for Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) activity across the HotSW area. Careful work is currently also being undertaken within Devon, Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth to ensure that appropriate schools will be involved in planned Advisor Services, though this cannot currently include every school due to resource limitations but will provide an excellent pilot that could be rolled out to more schools if resource is available.

4.2              As set out however, it is early days for the CECs, with efforts being made to fully integrate the service within existing provision. Key to their success will be how they can link into provision already in the area and how far further capacity and synergies can be found as a result. Ensuring that schools understand how the CEC fits into the already cluttered and often confusing CIAG environment is going to be a crucial issue over the next period if potential benefits are to be realised.

4.3              Overall though, partners feel that the CEC approach could offer genuine opportunities for closer working and better integration over the long term If properly harnessed. In Somerset, for example, partners intend to use the CEC as a pilot to re-establish stronger links between education and business. including the need for awareness of local labour market intelligence, economic growth areas and progression routes.

5)   The balance between national and local approaches to careers advice

5.1              Partners within the HotSW are currently carefully considering this issue as part of their Devolution approach with Government.

5.2              At present however, there is a strong feeling amongst partners within the area that the level of devolution and local control needs strengthening. Fragmentation amongst CIAG provision, whether within education, FE provision, DWP contracting or across other sources, is in large part due to a top down siloed approach from Whitehall. In each instance, a different criterion has been imposed from the top, with differing ambitions for the outcome of the CIAG involved and differing ecosystems in support. As such, local provision is often divided by artificial barriers that permeate from the centre. Whilst individual programmes have aspects which could considered best practice, partners feel no single national programme currently provides or seeks a coherent approach to CIAG. The linkage to the local economy is often also extremely changeable between differing contracts and agencies at the national level.

5.3              Partners in the HotSW have recently noted the Gatsby Foundation report “Assessing benchmarks of good practice in school career guidance” from April 2014. Partners believe that the report makes interesting reading, in particular looking at the way that CEIAG should or could be benchmarked.  We will be looking at this further in terms of how this may be incorporated locally as we seek to benchmark our own aims of improving the quality of CEIAG. It will also be a useful tool in in the devolution of CEIAG activity across the designated area. 

6)   Careers advice and apprenticeships

6.1              Whilst some progress has been made in recent years, partners in the HotSW continue to feel that the value and potential of apprenticeships as a career pathway continues to be underplayed through existing advice and guidance when compared with other opportunities.  

6.2              In context, the HotSW area benefits from a healthy number of apprenticeship opportunities overall, spread across a variety of sectors and occupation types. There continue to be however a number of vacancies at one moment in time (upwards of 900 in December 2015). In part this reflects an ongoing mismatch between available information and access for young people; lack of effective targeting in many instances to those that might most readily explore an apprenticeship; and ongoing issues within schools themselves over promoting apprenticeships

6.3              With regards the first of these issues, despite ongoing best efforts, students continue to find that understanding of apprenticeship is mixed across the area. Whilst there are instances of strong progress, for example through the City Deal experience in Plymouth where evidence led targeting and information sessions for schools has assisted in broadening understanding, such an approach is not universal. Uptake is mixed dependent on location and establishment.

6.4              Within the HotSW this is further complicated by location dynamics, with some rural locations being far harder to service and support then urban alternatives. Whilst it is easier in Exeter, Plymouth, Taunton and Bridgwater to access apprenticeship training and relevant opportunities, access on location in towns such as Ilfracombe or Frome.is more challenging. Whilst employers do offer opportunities in these locations, the offer is often more niche.

6.5              Information is also a key issue in providing relevant careers advice to encourage apprenticeship updates. Ensuring that students with relevant interests can be given appropriate advice is often complicated by artificial information barriers between organisations. Good practice does occur in this area, for example with Careers South West and Devon County Council sharing NEET data to target those most likely to fall outside of other pathways, but often a lack of this type of sharing can undermine effective advice to those who might best benefit form an apprenticeship approach.

6.6              Finally, challenges remain between Government’s focus on apprenticeship as a pathway and incentivisation of schools to retain students into sixth form / further education. Whilst there is wide support for increasing the number of students taking up, there are examples where schools will proactively advise against as it is in their best interest to retain a marginal student rather than lose them to an apprenticeship. This is a particular issue within settlements where Sixth Forms are the norm, such as Plymouth, whilst less prevalent where schools have no FE provision. Government’s push towards rationalisation and pooling with academies and other trusts however is unintentionally reinforcing this approach at the local level.

7)   The potential for employers to play a greater role in careers advice

7.1              Partners in the HotSW believe that employers have a valuable role to play in careers advice and work experience. Businesses collectively are the most aware of what is required by the labour market; the expectations upon individual staff members from business need; and the future needs of the sectors in which they operate.  

7.2              Within the area, this translates into an array of good quality and positive provision led by the private sector. Examples include:

• Within Somerset, EDF Energy has worked with local partners to develop the Inspire Initiative, seeking to make students and parents aware of the huge potential opportunities within emerging from the construction at Hinkley Point C and its eventual operations. This involves working with schools across the age boundary on STEM materials and activities, seeking to encourage interest in future STEM and construction careers.

• Within Plymouth, the Plymouth Manufacturing Challenge has been developed as part of the ongoing City Deal programme. The Challenge offers volunteering school a range of opportunities for further learning, including teacher exchanges with industry as well as a series of employer engagement events. The programme provides practical experience or working within key sectors as well opportunities for information exchange.

7.3              Whilst these examples are wholly positive however, there remain challenges with business engagement in this area. Day to day engagement across the HotSW is often sporadic and sector specific, with a high reliance on individual firms. Such opportunities often underrepresent some sectors and over represent wider national agendas, fort example a focus on STEM. In some instances, competing initiatives can be a challenge for schools, with multiple sectors/ businesses seeking to gain access to students. Similarly, appraisal of relevant schemes’ outcomes aren’t required, so quality is changeable.

7.4              Good practice to address some of these issues is being taken forward. In Somerset, for example, initiatives like the Bridgwater Education Trust bring together business and education leaders to coordinate and align activity. Similar initiatives are to be found in both Devon and Plymouth, in the form of Education Business Partnerships.

7.5              Activity is also being taken forward at the strategic level. Somerset has developed an Employability & Skills strategy and Action Plan which has CEIAG as a key focus for the 12 – 24 age group.  This was as a result of the draft Education Vision document that is being consulted upon in Somerset in January 2016.  The action plan recognises that there isn’t a clear way for employers to know how to work with schools in Somerset; how to approach schools, which schools would benefit/be willing to engage and what the modern curriculum looks like.  Likewise, employer’s expectations of what schools can or cannot do, are often mismatched.  The strategy seeks to address these issues and utilises the EDF Energy Inspire programme as an example of business and education working together to address a predicted skills need for the county.  The county’s Employment and Skills Groups are also strong advocates of the CEIAG priority being addressed and have this at the top of their lists.

7.6              Despite positive moves on many fronts, success in this area still often comes down to individual school and business knowledge of what is available and how to engage. Better alignment of both educationalist and business interest therefore offers real opportunities for students if it can be properly arranged and marshalled. In this light, partners in the HotSW have offered to pilot any relevant activity if felt to be appropriate as part of any emerging devolution package.

January 2016