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. Contract1- Management Function Appoint an experienced management organisation to collect the data, manage the delivery of the project on a day to day basis and prepare reports on activity levels and outcomes achieved on an on-going basis
Contract 2 Local Case Worker Roles Delivery of the case worker roles across the Peninsula but in local areas. These contracts are likely to be with a number of smaller organisations with the skilled staff and volunteers already engaged with young people in their local area. Support 1,500 young people who have been unemployed for more than 3 months with a personalised caseworker The Peninsula partners invite tenders for the contract to deliver the local caseworker function of the project. This function will require: • extensive knowledge of the employment, training and skills market in the local area for young people • volunteers and staff who have the required skills to support individual young people for up to 4 hours per week to support them into employment or training. • ability to work in partnership with all stakeholders It is intended to hold a number of information events to provide the detail of the requirements of the contract and to answer any questions regarding the tender. We are encouraging all suppliers who are currently working with young people to attend one of these events to hear more detail regarding what is required to support the young people who are eligible for this support. Monday 21 July Tuesday 22 July Wednesday 23 July Friday 25 July
Taunton Job Centre+ Torbay Job Centre+ Exeter Job Centre+ Plymouth Job Centre+
All events will start at 10am and should last no longer than 2 hours, additional sessions will be arranged if demand exceeds the capacity of the room. Please register to attend any of the above market engagement events by e-mailing iain.perkins@devon.gov.uk stating which event and 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.