Tackling unemployment in
disadvantaged estates: a local
perspective
Challenges and opportunities
Karl Murray
Head of Employment & Research,
February 4th 2013
Why we thought this was necessary….
“…Nearly half of Britain's young black people are jobless.
We've created an inequality time bomb”
(Diane Abbot, March 2012)
Figures from the Labour Force Survey reveal that
unemployment among young black people (aged
16-24) is a shocking 44% – over twice the rate of their
white counterparts, of whom 20% are jobless.
(The Guardian, March 2012)
Unemployment rate: July - Sept'12
18.8
16.0
15.1
13.1
9.9
7.4
Regional and national unemployment rates:
London: 8.3%
UK: 7.7%
Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey, January 23rd 2013
10.9
12.2
Employment rate (%): July - Sept. 2012
73.1
62.3
69.9
62.5
51.3
Regional & national employment rates:
London: 69.7%
UK: 71.4%
Source: ONS, Labour Force Survey, January 23rd 2013
49.3
51.1
60.5
What we tried to find out…
1. To what extent are BME groups being supported
to gain employment and/or employment skills?
2. To what extent are local policies and strategies
making a difference?
Southwark JSA claimants: overview
55%
36%
9%
White
BAME
Source: Claimant count, ONS, cited on LSEO, last updated November 2012
(next update due February 2013)
Not specified
Southwark JSA claimants (%) by ethnic
clusters
41%
36%
9%
5%
White
Mixed
6%
3%
Asian
Black
Source: Claimant count, ONS, cited on LSEO, last updated November 2012
(next update due February 2013)
Chinese & others
Not specified
Policy drivers - priority groups and barriers to
overcome
Priority Groups
Barriers to Work for priority groups
•
•
•
•
•
•
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•
•
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BME groups;
Women;
Families with young dependents;
Lone parents;
18 -24 year olds;
Young people not in education,
employment, or training (NEET) or at
risk of becoming NEET;
Residents with physical, mental or
learning disabilities;
Ex-offenders/young offenders;
Residents with alcohol or drug
dependency;
Homeless people;
Refugees;
Those over age 50
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Limited access to and awareness of
services
Limited access to ESOL courses
Confidence and motivation
Lack of affordable and flexible
childcare
Limited employer participation
Poor physical and mental health
Family issues and breakdown
Limited Basic and Soft Skills
Limited vocational skills
Benefits trap/dependency
Source: Southwark Economic Development Strategy: 2010 – 2016
The Aylesbury estate….
• The Aylesbury was built in the 1960/70s and has 2,758
dwellings accommodating over 7,500 families, with 17%
privately owned and only 2% of the dwellings are
houses.
• The regeneration plan aims to transform the Aylesbury
over a 20 year period to provide for a vibrant community
living in high quality homes and whose residents enjoy
great streets, parks and open spaces, excellent public
transport and a wide range of facilities
(www.creationtrust.org.uk)
• The Aylesbury has a higher than borough average rate
of worklessness.
The Aylesbury estate (cont’d)….
•
The employment rate on the estate is 54.9% compared to the borough
average of 62.8; the unemployment rate is 16.3% compared to the borough
rate of 10.8% [Nomis, March 2012];
•
While much has been achieved in supporting Aylesbury residents into
employment, the impact of the recent recession has led to increased
unemployment and a changing composition of out of work claimant patterns
on the estate with increasing numbers of residents claiming JSA (6.4%
compared to the borough’s average of 5.3% and the UK rate of 4.1%)
[Nomis, March 2012]
•
With respect to claimants between the ages of 18 – 24, the Faraday ward
has one of the highest rates of claimants across all the wards (25.4%
compared with a borough average of 22.3%); only Cathedral ward had
higher rate at 26.4% [Nomis, March 2012].
Who did we talk to…
• Our analysis was informed by random interviews with
20 BAME individuals;
• An on-line survey of 21 respondents;
• A workshop of 10 with a focus on unemployed young
people jointly facilitated by BTEG, Creation Trust and
JCP;
• Face to face interviews with policy and programme
providers within Creation Trust, AIAG, Southwark
Works and Southwark Council.
What we found….
Four areas/themes emerged:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Barriers to employment
De-motivation and despair
Skills development and training
Access to personal development opportunities.
Example 1: Southwark Pop up Shop: young people
enterprise…
• An initiative with young people aged 18yrs+ to manage a shop in
selling products of their choice and open to young people living in
Walworth, Camberwell and Faraday wards (adjoining wards).
• Project jointly funded/supported by Southwark Council delivered
through Creation Trust, a voluntary organisation based on the
Aylesbury estate and funded by L&Q
• The programme consist of 3wks off-site training and 3wks ‘selling
and business delivery’ experience
What young people said…
What was learnt…
– Patience
– Market research
– Team work
“…not what I want but learnt lots from the process”
“…challenging self and was able to do something rather than
staying home”
“ …I now understand better what it takes to run a shop! The profit
margin is not great for the outlay but we were lucky as council
fronted everything.”
“…coping with different attitudes and those not pulling their
weight…we did everything including painting and choosing colour
scheme. The hard part was trying to buy/source products…
That was hard.”
Example 2: Back to Business (NEET)
Age range: 14 – 18yrs
Ethnic breakdown:
71% BAME
23% White
6% Did not specify/missing
Gender:
61% Male
39% Female
Output
• 75 young people have been signed up to the
programme and completed an action plan;
• 56 young people completed non accredited learning
opportunities lasting 2 weeks
Example 3: The Aylesbury Information,
Advice and Guidance Service…
“…we get support to putting CVs together and attend training such as setting
up new businesses and get 1:1 advice and support.”
“…Opportunities to socialise and off-load frustration is not always possible. To
know that you are not alone makes a big difference in how you see yourself
and possibilities. These will help you to cope better while striving to make
ends meet.”
“…Places like JCP does not help you to develop confidence. You are on your
own. They show you vacancies and by the time you apply all the jobs have
gone. We go on-line and there are so many people applying for the same
job. So you feel despondent and frustrated but no one try to help you cope
with these; no one cares.”
Conclusion, issues and recommendations….
•
•
Jobseekers reported a wide range of factors affecting their ability to gain
employment, many of which corresponds to the barriers identified in the
council’s economic development strategy;
Some jobseekers identified actions that they felt would increase their
prospects:
– Providing better careers information and advice about different
sectors.
– For the long-term unemployed, training opportunities, held in the
mornings to encourage the habit of getting up to do something, with
opportunities to address health and well-being concerns;
– Credible and meaningful training;
– Apprenticeships and work trials.
The Aylesbury Information, Advice
and Guidance Service
Dotun Alade-Odumosu
Director
Al Pafeno CiC
2nd Floor, Wendover House
Thurlow Street,
London SE17 2UU
Tel: 020 7252 7030/020 7701 4141
Email: aylesburyiag@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.aylesburyiag.org.uk
For further information
Karl Murray
Head of Employment and Research
Black Training and Enterprise Group (BTEG)
2nd Floor
200a Pentonville Road
London N1 9JP
Tel: 020 7832 5839
Email: karl@bteg.co.uk
Web: www.bteg.co.uk