DRIVING INNOVATION
IN
EMPLOYMENT
SERVICES
Linda Sian
(Enterprise Director)
Iain Lockhart
(Head of Programmes)
1
VISION & VALUES
Vision
“To transform people’s lives and business performance” through Skills,
Employment, Innovation & Enterprise in a Changing World.”
Values
Skills, Employment, Innovation & Enterprise in a Changing World
3
ENTERPRISE DIVISION
• NEA – 3 Regions, across the Country
• Set up over 1600 new Business Start ups over
the last 12 months.
• Retained over 6 months still trading over 80%
• INNOVATION IS THE KEY TO OUR SUCCESS
4
HOW?
• Understand your Target Market
• Tailor your products
• Mentorhive ( Mentoring Database)
• Workshops (DYE, introduction to Business
Start ups)
5
Innovation
• Innovation – Europe
• Skills Division
• Employability Division
6
• Client: De Amp & Norner (Norway)
• Building sector uses 40% of Europe’s energy.
• Passive techniques such as thermal mass offer 50% energy saving, but causes echoes.
• Urgent and growing need for a low cost, high performance acoustic absorber.
• Ixion authored proposal & secured €1.2m EC funding for ARU & industrial consortia
• Creating Jobs through Innovation.
7
• Ixion’s Welfare Applied Positive Psychology is an advisor course created in conjunction
with Anglia Ruskin University to disseminate the application of scientifically-proven
psychological techniques to enable welfare advisors to greatly improve “Into Work” and
“Sustained Employment” outcomes.
• “WAPP” is based on four building blocks developed to help non-psychologists to
use cutting edge techniques
• Maximises unemployed client engagement and
capacity to change.
• Changes clients’ mind-set & mental toughness to
improve ‘into work’ outcomes.
• Improves employment advisors’ communication &
effectiveness
• Reduces staff “burn-out”
8
The Journal of Occupational Psychology, Employment & Disability;
An overview of solutions-focused techniques (the key component of WAPP) and their
application, as researched by DWP in an “employment agency intervention” context
(78% of clients completed this voluntary course):
“The Customers taking part reported significantly decreased anxiety and depression, were
more positive about the skills they have, more positive in presenting themselves to an
employer and more positive about their ability to transition and to sustain work.”
Q & A Session
Do you have any questions?