Routes into Training and
Employment
DURHAM UNIVERSITY
School of Applied Social Sciences
1
Introduction
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Promoting the employability of parents
is one of the four core Sure Start
service targets for the period 2003-04 to
2005-06
It represents the contribution of Sure
Start Local Programmes to the general
strengthening of communities
2
Research Questions
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Which courses did parents attend?
Why did parents attend courses?
What difference did attending a Sure
Start course make to parents?
Which factors promoted access to
courses?
3
Evidence Base
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Data from 3 programmes
Survey
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Interviews with parents
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96 questionnaires returned
25
Interviews with service providers
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Job Centre Plus
College of Further Education
Local employer
4
Survey:
Pattern of Response
Gender
%
Age
40
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
35
30
%
25
20
15
10
5
0
women
men
<25
26-30
31-40
>40
5
Mapping Courses to
Sure Start Targets
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
49 courses across 3 programmes
Improving social and emotional development
 Parents Matter
 Personal Development
 Indian Head Massage
 Time Out
 Committee Skills
 Young Parenting
6
Improving Health
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Chill out and Change
Healthy Eating
Food Hygiene
Baby and Child Lifesaver
Drugs Awareness
Outdoor Health and Safety
Community Health
St. John’s Ambulance First Aid: Early Years
Anatomy and Physiology Level 3
7
Improving Ability to Learn
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Christmas Crafts
Top Tots
Story Sacs
Jollyphonics workshop
Introduction to Childcare (Fathers/male
carers)
National Tests: Maths and English
NVQ 3 Childcare and Early Education
8
Strengthening Families and
Communities
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Digital Photography
Plumbing
Counselling
OCN Family History
Aromatherapy: levels 1 and 3
Computer course: level 1
Childcare: level 1
NVQ 3 Childcare and Early Years Education
9
Reasons for
Course Attendance
I thought going on
the first aid course
would help me as a
parent, you know if
anything happened
to my child, an
accident
50
45
40
35
% 30
25
20
15
10
5
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10
Perceived Benefits
I am a lot more
confident around
people and my child
is a lot more happy
meeting other
people
qu
ne
d
Ga
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led
kn
ow
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d
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%
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40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
11
Hopes and Benefits
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Most parents attended courses to gain a
qualification and benefit themselves as
parents
Only 25% of parents took up courses with the
stated aim of helping them into employment –
(consistent with NESS findings)
However, on completing the course most
valued gaining confidence and learning new
skills more highly than gaining a qualification
12
Promoting Access to Courses:
What Works
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Localised
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Staged
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Responsive
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Flexible
13
Promoting Access to Courses:
What Works
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Course development: user led
Information sharing: diverse local strategy
Progression routes
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Taster: Glass Painting; Computing; Reflexology
Leisure: Salsa; Christmas Craft
Semi-formal: Jolly Phonics; Committee Skills;
Personal Development; Healthy Eating
Formal – Food Hygiene; Child Care, NVQ Levels
1, 2 and 3, Aromatherapy, levels 1, 2 and 3;
Computer (CLAIT level 1)
14
Promoting Access:
What Works
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Provision of free child care
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54% of all respondents had used child care
facilities
Sure Start offer crèche facilities – it’s a big
incentive
The child care is wonderful - if there was no child
care , I wouldn’t be able to do a course
15
Promoting Access:
What Works
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Course timing
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Male carers: evening and weekend
Female carers: school hours
Transport
In-course support
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Learning Mentors
16
Volunteering
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Helping out with Sure Start
has given me confidence, I've
gone on to do interviews and
given speeches, I'd never
have done that before
Volunteering was seen as an
opportunity to build confidence and gain
work experience across programmes
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Parent representatives and mentors
(supported by training): 70 parents across
6 programmes
Peer support: breast feeding
Planning and delivering activities
17
Value of Volunteering
A strong culture of volunteering
brings with it confident individuals,
empowered communities which are
safe and friendly places to live, better
services, local and national
government which is more
responsive and a more vibrant
economy
David Blunkett, 2001
18
Partnership Working
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Job Centre Plus
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I'll attend courses
like childcare, just
to meet the parents
in the coffee break.
I can chat to them
over coffee, so it's
informal.
Job Centre Plus
Local delivery (attend Young Parents
group, CAB Drop in sessions)
Sign posting parents on to Sure Start
courses
Action Teams for Jobs
Local colleges of Further Education
19
Local Employer
Perspectives

A large local employer identified
a clear link between using Sure
Start and/or attending its
courses and employability
20
Local Employer Perspective
If a parent has used Sure Start and their activities
or courses or has become a parent volunteer, this
tells me, the employer, that this person has
shown initiative. They have made a decision to
go through the door. If they are doing courses, it
doesn’t really matter which ones, they have the
basic skills we require. These are all skills we
would look for to deliver effective customer
service, so we would be very interested in that
person.
21
Key Findings
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Relatively high numbers of parents engaged
in training courses, compared to programmes
studied by NESS (2004)
High level of father involvement in one
programme and young parents in another
Only 25% of parents took up courses with the
stated aim of helping them into employment –
(consistent with NESS findings)
Growth in confidence was the greatest
perceived benefit from course attendance
22
Recommendations
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Develop informal monitoring systems which
track parent progress and outcomes
Ensure clear progression routes from
taster/introductory courses to advanced level 3
NVQ courses
Explore the introduction of Individual learning
plans to assist parents in planning their own
learning goals and possible learning routes
23