Blackburn with Darwen Employment and Skills Strategy 2017 - 2040 Blackburn with Darwen Skills Strategy | 1 Introduction Blackburn with Darwen’s Employment and Skills Strategy aims to get more local people into work by delivering a skills system that meets the needs of both employers and residents of the borough. Why is it needed? We have too few people of working age in work – one of the lowest rates in the region. A significant number of employers raise skills, or the lack of, as a recruitment issue. They report concern about the impact this has on their continued productivity and growth of their business. This can be related to workforce development needs or an inability to recruit new talent, particularly from the local area. In addition to this, skills are not just important for regional, national and global competitiveness; they have the potential to transform life chances and to drive social mobility. We need to ensure that Blackburn with Darwen’s education system has the infrastructure and framework in place to capitalise on what the Government sees as the skill needs for the future as set out in the Industrial Strategy White Paper published in November 2017. The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) already has a Skills and Employment Strategic Framework and will be producing its own ‘Industrial Strategy’ in response to the White Paper. The Borough needs to be well placed to shape and influence this to ensure it reflects the needs of Blackburn with Darwen. There are lots of organisations and sectors across the borough and wider Lancashire area who wish to address skills issues and improve outcomes. There is already good practice and collaboration in place and a range of initiatives that engage both employers and skill providers. However, if we are to really improve the skills system for Blackburn with Darwen, we need to work together to a shared vision with joined up delivery. This Strategy responds to three questions – where are we now? Where do we want to be? How are we going to get there? We all need to play a role and take responsibility for actions if we are to build and sustain a skilled and motivated workforce. The new Blackburn with Darwen Employment and Skills Board will provide a forum for co-operation and collaboration across the employment and skills sector to deliver the six objectives set out in this Strategy. Harry Catherall Ian Brown Chair of Employment and Skills Board and Vice-Chair of Employment and Skills Board and Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Chair of Hive Council Blackburn with Darwen Skills Strategy | 2 Vision By 2040 Blackburn with Darwen will have full employment and a skills system that works for everybody. More local people will be in work than ever before, employers will have a skilled, motivated and productive workforce; the working age population will have access to higher level jobs both within and outside the Borough; Further and Higher Education institutes will be providing fit for purpose courses and learning opportunities; and children and young people will be learning and developing within a strong education system that is building aspirations and positive behaviours to prepare them for work and adulthood. The unique potential we have in our people, place and products will have been both recognised and utilised and used as a catalyst in regeneration and innovation. Strategic objectives The vision will be achieved by delivering six policy objectives which have been developed and agreed by partners, aligning with national policy and the LEP Skills and Employment Strategic Framework. These objectives will be delivered collaboratively across the skills system, public, private and voluntary sector through and an action plan developed by the Blackburn with Darwen Employment and Skills Board. A skilled and productive workforce High performing Full education employment providers An informed Social inclusion choice Employer engagement and collaboration Blackburn with Darwen Skills Strategy | 3 WHERE ARE WE NOW? Understanding the current position is crucial in developing a meaningful strategy and action plan. Data is refreshed regularly and can outline a position at a given point in time and provide trends. This section has been developed using available data as at October 2017 from three detailed Council reports – Focus on: skills and qualifications; economic inactivity and worklessness; employment and jobs1. These reports will be refreshed regularly. A short summary is set out below. Existing plans and strategies to build on To set the vision and action plan, we need to understand the current position of the employment and skills offer in Blackburn with Darwen, our role within Pennine Lancashire, Lancashire and the wider North West. There are several plans and strategies in place or in development at Pennine and Lancashire level which the Council and partners can shape and influence to the greatest benefit for Blackburn with Darwen. We can use these as a baseline to build on, taking the best of each and replicating to fit our own requirements. These include the LEP’s Skills and Employment Framework 2016 - 20212. The priorities for which cover four themes (appended) – future workforce; skilled and productive workforce; inclusive workforce; an informed approach. The LEP Skills and Employment Board are currently undertaking a refresh of the evidence base which will feed into the LEP Strategic Economic Plan. The Pennine Lancashire Growth and Prosperity Plan 2016-2032 outlines ambitions to accelerate growth and close the productivity gap. One of its four strategic objectives is ‘Education, Skills and Workforce Participation’ to improve education attainment from early years to higher education and remove barriers to participation. 3 Within the Borough we also have the ‘Plan for Prosperity’ 2014-2020 which includes improving the employment prospects of residents and ensure that business skills needs are met, as a priority.4 Employment and jobs There are an estimated 64,500 employee jobs in Blackburn with Darwen and as the largest urban area in Pennine Lancashire, the borough provides around 30% employment and represents 10.4% of employment in the whole of Lancashire, although a third of the Borough’s jobs are part-time, a greater rate than is found nationally. Employment rates are below regional and national levels and stand at the lowest of the 14 districts in Lancashire. Unemployment figures have fallen by 1.9% between December 2014 and December 2016 (8.2% down to 6.3%). The health sector provides almost a quarter of jobs in the borough, with manufacturing, education and retail in total providing well over half the total jobs market. In terms of occupational groups over the last 10 years there has been a decreasing trend of ‘professional occupations’ and an increase in ‘administrative and secretarial’ roles. The occupational group of ‘managers, directors and senior officials’ shows a marginal increase over the same 1 http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/Pages/Detailed-facts-and-figures.aspx 2 http://www.lancashirelep.co.uk/lep-priorities/skills-employment/skills-and-employment-strategic-framework-2016- 2021.aspx 3 http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/Lists/DownloadableDocuments/PL-Investment-Plan.pdf 4 http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/Pages/Local-strategic-partnership.aspx Blackburn with Darwen Skills Strategy | 4 period. These figures can be used to estimate the proportion of ‘degree level’ jobs since both ‘professional’ and ‘managerial’ groups are the two main occupational groups that generally require a degree. In addition, from the period April 2016 to March 2017 there were around 14,500 residents employed in these two occupation classification, compared to 18,400 people working in these jobs within the borough. This could suggest that employees are commuting into the borough to work in these roles. The census 2011 provides the latest figures on travel to work areas. Based on this data Blackburn with Darwen has a net inflow of just over 4000 employees. 24,000 commute into the borough to work and 19,800 commute out. 67.2% of employed residents in Blackburn with Darwen live and work in the borough, the largest proportion of all the local authorities that make up the Pennine Lancashire area. Of those who commute out of the borough, the largest flows are to Hyndburn, Preston and Ribble Valley and Bolton. Of those who commute in, the largest in-flows are from Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley and Bolton. The Pennine Lancashire Growth and Prosperity Plan sets out plans to accelerate economic growth and housing development which will deliver 28,000 new homes and 14,000 jobs with economic growth particularly focussed along the M65 corridor which will include infrastructure investment. In addition the Lancashire LEPs Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) in 2014 5 set out ambitions to create 50,000 new jobs, 40,000 new homes and generate an additional £3m GVA by 2025. The SEP is currently being refreshed to reflect the £1bn investment secured through various initiatives such as Growth Deal and transport funding. There is no clear trend on apprenticeships in the borough with variations over recent years, however the number of apprenticeship starts across the North West and England has shown a marked decrease. The introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy should bring an increase in apprenticeship starts. Skills and qualifications The level of higher qualifications that working age residents hold in Blackburn with Darwen is below regional and national averages, however there has been a gradual increase in recent years. There is excellent private nursery provision and nursery schools in place in Blackburn with Darwen. Due to the levels of deprivation and high numbers of English as Another Language (EAL) pupils, many children enter the education system below national norms at Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Key Stage 1 (KS). EYFS measures remain in the bottom 10 Local Authorities nationally – 7% behind in speaking and 5% in communication/literacy which is indicative of the population profile.