Agenda item

-       Supported Employment Programme updates

-       Apprenticeships and work experience

-       Government Youth Guarantee

The Board received a verbal update on supported employment programmes (including for SEND learners), and apprenticeships and work experience.

The following points were made:

- trained work coaches are assigned to support a young person throughout their internship;

- a range of entities have expressed an interest in becoming involved in the employment forum for the City-based programme that is expected to lead to supported internships;

- these are the main criteria for supported internships (currently five young people meet these criteria): age 16-24, hold an Education Health and Care Plan, and live within the City of London Corporation’s Local Authority area in line with Department for Education (DfE) guidelines;

- two apprentice levy amounts are held at the City of London Corporation (CoLC): one is centrally-funded (up to 100 at any one time, level 2 and level 3) with 97 currently on an apprenticeship; and the other is the centrally-funded apprenticeship levy for upskilling existing staff that currently covers 149 staff across the organisation (level 3 to level 7);

- the financial spend for these purposes at CoLC is approximately £800K and no HMRC returns for the levy have taken place since October 2023;

- the CoLC is working hard to improve work experience placements (currently around 15 placements, though none currently for CoLAT students) and increase engagement with schools, including CoLAT schools encompassing children at risk of exclusion; and

- some neurodiversity training at the CoLC is expected to take place to accommodate some work experience students.   

In response to a question on whether any flexibility on the part of the DfE exists around that criteria (particularly with a view to widening its scope to CoLAT students), the meeting heard that the matter has previously been raised with the DfE and will be raised again, noting that the programme is in its pilot stage.

In response to a question on funding sources and cost per participant, the Board noted that the programme is funded by the Department for Education and the National Development Team for inclusion. 

The meeting noted that there still appear to be some blocks to work experience placements for CoLAT students including issues around equipment, and that the request from CoLAT is for 10 placements – noting also that nine CoLAT students are scheduled to visit Guildhall in late January 2025 with a view to securing work experience placements.

A Member commented on the level of resources within CoLAT to proactively support work experience placements and asked whether enough support was available. The Board heard that schools tended to be held accountable on measures such as attainment, and that a cross-London platform promoting all relevant opportunities would be a useful resource  and that discussions are under way with relevant organisations to support such a tool.   

Referencing the current Government’s pledge to provide a Youth Guarantee announced in November 2024, Members discussed the profile of such a Guarantee at CoLC level for those educated at a CoLAT school, and suggested that the CoLC should take the initiative on the delivery of such a programme noting that the CoLC is involved in consultation work in that area (together with the Greater London Authority) to include a City of London Youth Guarantee once the programme is mapped out at Government level.     

The Board noted that joint work in adult learning and workforce development is ongoing, with a report on skills development expected to be submitted to the Board in Autumn 2025 that will include trackable metrics on delivery and outcomes. 

Members reiterated the drive to improve social mobility in the City and suggested a clear structure be set up to facilitate the dissemination of information on work experience and apprenticeships, particularly across the City’s family of schools, to include level 4 and above opportunities - noting that some level 4+ opportunities exist at the CoLC though there is more to be done in that area. A Member asked that information on the processes being rolled out to support the ongoing implementation of level 4+ opportunities be brought to the Board on a regular basis (see action point).