TENDER ADVERT
PLYMOUTH AND SW PENINSULA CITY DEAL - CASE WORKER CONTRACT SKILLS AND TACKLING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT Plymouth and the Peninsula partners are committed to change and growth, using the City and Peninsula Deal to create opportunity and tackle economic barriers. The City Deal partnership is investing extensively to drive jobs and growth locally. There is a commitment to ensuring that this investment creates opportunities for local people, especially young people who have been disproportionately affected by the recession. The ambition, as part of a wider skills and employability agenda, is to equip young people to compete for jobs and make an impact in work so that they are “earning or learning” and not claiming benefits. Not only is this beneficial for young people but it will also enable businesses to better utilise available local talent, tackling acute replacement demand associated with an ageing workforce and help them to grow and remain competitive. Tackling youth unemployment, and particularly long-term youth unemployment, is both a national and local priority. The causes of youth unemployment are complex and varied research suggests that barriers such as low or no skills, history of truancy or extended periods not in employment, education or training before 18 are a strong predictor of future long-term youth unemployment. This alongside poor employability skills, a lack of work experience and low levels of labour market intelligence or an ability to seek out job opportunities also limits the ability of young people to find or progress in work of learning, Encouraging young people into the workforce and indeed the wider challenge of youth employment and progression is a fundamental issue. Nearly 4,000, 16-18 year olds are not in education, employment or training and 8,400 people under 24 are currently unemployed across Plymouth and the wider Deal area. To achieve this it is important to ensure that every young person has appropriate support to help them make the right choices on skills, jobs and careers. In particular targeted intensive support for those who need it most, will be provided enabling them to find, sustain and progress in work. The delivery of the project will be through two distinct contracts. Contract 1 - Management Function Appoint an experienced management organisation to collect the data, manage the delivery of the project on a day to day basis – including the supply chain of delivery providers, and prepare reports on activity levels and outcomes achieved on an on-going basis. This will also include liaison with the contract manager and reporting to the Youth Deal steering group.
Contract 2 Local Case Worker Roles Delivery of the case worker roles across the Peninsula Support 1,500 young people who have been unemployed for more than 3 months with a personalised caseworker. The Peninsula partners invites tenders for the contract to deliver the management function of the project. The management function will require: • extensive knowledge of the employment, training and skills market in the Peninsula for young people • capacity to manage delivery across the whole of the Peninsula • ability to work in partnership with all stakeholders It is intended to hold an information event to provide the detail of the requirements of the contract and to answer any questions regarding the tender.
Wednesday 16 July 9.30am for 10am start (max 2 hours), Larkbeare House, Exeter Please register to attend this market engagement event by e-mailing iain.perkins@devon.gov.uk with the names of your representatives. Due to the size of the room we would like to request that you do not send any more than two people from your organisation to the event.
High level timeline for the tender Action
Date
Market engagement
July 2014
Issue ITT
1st Sept 2014
ITT returned
20th Oct 2014
Evaluate LOT 1 (Management Company)
22nd Oct 2014
Award Contract LOT 1 (Management Company)
7th Nov 2014
Evaluate LOT 2
17th Nov 2014
Award contracts LOT 2
19th Dec 2014
Service start date
12th Jan 2015
Review and evaluation of service delivery
June 2015
These services will be procured via an open tender process. The contract will be for an anticipated period of 2 years.