INTEGRATED EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT
This enabling project aims to coordinate and improve the employability and skills service offer to employers which in turn will present opportunities to the citizens of the ESES region. Working with regional partners a “No Wrong Door” approach will be established and/or if already in place to develop the approach further, which will identify and create designated points of contact to manage individual employer relationships that will allow us to; tailor and route a combined service offer, pool and match opportunities that are generated, reduce double handling and widen partnership working opportunities.
The Integrated Employer Engagement (IEE) project is made up of 3 separate but complimentary workstreams which will all contribute to the over arching aims of the project;
Employer and Partnerships
The Employer and Partnerships workstream will look to drive a more proactive, regional, and sectoral-specific approach to early skills and new skills development appropriate to local labour market conditions and will encourage responsible business to create a fair and inclusive jobs market that is resilient, innovative, and sustainable over time. IEE will also ensure that employability and skills support is accessible to all our people, regardless of background. IEE will provide platforms to better develop the skills required to enable more people to participate, this workstream will work closely with the Integrated Knowledge System project to ensure all resources are accessible digitally and referral routes are clearly defined under the no wrong door approach. The Employer and Partnerships workstream also offers an annual employer fund for micro businesses across the region, the purpose of the funds will change annually dependent on the current economic climate and business need. This workstream also has a remit to promote high demand sectors to encourage awareness and support employability partners with educating citizens on forthcoming opportunities.
The IEE Project will grow and develop the network of Recruitment and Skills Centres (RSC) to act as a tangible interface between the partners and business, particularly in geographic or sectoral high demand areas. Using the partners’ experience of Recruitment and Skills Centre public/private partnerships (e.g. Fort Kinnaird RSC, FUSE), this project will expand our physical footprint so that we can improve employer relationship building, and enhance service delivery throughout the region.
Owing to the success of our established Recruitment and Skills Centres and in response to the adjusted economic and employability landscape as a result of the pandemic, we are able to act on a consultancy basis to employers who are looking to set up their own Training Academy/Skills Centres, whether they be physical Centres or an on-the-job Academy model. By Project-end, we aim to have developed our physical RSC footprint across the ESES area and have created partnerships whereby best practice is identified and implemented throughout sectoral high demand areas. This workstream has a small budget to enable localised academy and RSC creation.
IEE have established a strategy and Community Benefits website developed to facilitate the realisation of community benefits through the lifetime of the Deal – ensuring that additional social value is obtained from suppliers and businesses. The ESESCommunities.org portal allows local good causes to submit requests for support and help businesses to make positive contributions to local people and places, also promoting the community wealth building agenda.
Community Wealth Building (CWB) is an approach to economic activity that prioritises wellbeing, putting people and planet over profit, this project element has now been embedded within IEE delivery and acts as a cross cutting theme across IEE Community Benefit activities and fair work priorities within the Employer and Partnerships workstream. The project’s aim is to help amplify CWB activities across the deal and the associated 6 local authorities, and embed the ethos within all levels, through interacting with local communities, delivery suppliers and procurement colleagues. To further the public’s understanding of Community Wealth Building, the ESES Communities Team has created an explainer video, toolkit and microsite. Working in collaboration with CLES, a CWB framework has been created on behalf of the deal and a series of commitments will be pledged by project leads across the full deal portfolio.
Project Lead: Al Bryce, The City of Edinburgh Council
