By Michael Curties, Communities First, Welsh Government, at the 2014 European Structural Fund events in Llanelli, Llandudno and Cardiff.

1. Communities First
Employment Support
ESF Proposal

2. What will the CF proposal
Cover?
1. Provide a “backbone” project covering all 52 CF
Clusters in Wales.
2. Build on Communities First learning from both
the previous programme and partners.
3. Provide an strategic approach to employment
support in our most deprived communities.

3. Drivers for change
Priority 1 – Adult
Employment
Essential
Skills
Priority 3 - Youth
Employment
Engagement
Activity
Value For
Money
Improving
Outcomes
Reducing
complexity
Integrating
Services
Communities First Focus as Key Tackling Poverty Programme

4. Context
• Lessons learnt from Communities First
• Need to ensure more focused and co-ordinated support in
deprived communities.
• Tackling Poverty Action Plan
• Impact of Welfare reform on communities.
• Need to ensure value for money
• Continued Focus on delivering outcomes

5. Proposed Delivery Channels
• Communities First Clusters
• National Partners
• Procured Services?

6. Key Elements
• Partnership with JCP
• Employment Support
• Additional Support Services
• Enhanced Training

7. Partnership with JCP
• What? – Discussions with JCP on a national
partnership and links with previous Want2Work
Programme.
• Why? – Specific Skills and Workforce and
evidence from Parent Employment Advisor
Project.

8. Employment Support
• What? – Focus on the provision of intensive
mentoring both for adults and young people.
Assessment processes and action planning with
strong referral pathways in and out.
• Why? – Evidence of success of mentoring
approach in target group , less duplication,
greater integration and simplification

9. Additional Support Services
• What? – Enhanced holistic Services are under
consideration, including Digital Inclusion and
Welfare Advice work.
• Why? – Strong Evidence of need and the
success of fully integrated support.

10. Enhanced Training
• What? – Enhanced training and pre employment
services, procured centrally.
• Why? – Ensure quality of service, meets needs
identified in gap analysis.

11. When
• New offer will be rolled out in a phased
implementation plan.
• Delivery of some elements may will require a
procurement exercise.
• Anticipated start in 2015.

12. Questions ?