Calling Future Jobs Fund contractors!
Submitted by Daniel on Tue, 15/09/2009 - 12:30pm
We'd really like to to offer a couple of FJF placements at the Indus Delta office in Islington, starting sometime between October and December. So far, the process for actually arranging a placement has been bizarrely difficult: organisations have been difficult to get in touch with, have seemed largely uninterested, and have dropped out of touch once we've filled in the necessary paperwork.
So, if you'd like to fill the placements, please get in touch and we'll talk. Feel free to comment with advice or thoughts below as well. Have we been doing something wrong?
Comments
Daniel,
Why not try and bid yourself? At a recent meeting Jim Murphy, SOS for Scotland, promoted the FJF to all businesses, even those that could only take on 2-3 young people per 6 months.
The application process should be a doddle for an old hand like you. Alternatively I know that in Scotland SCVO have a block bid that they are farming out to smaller companies, possibly there are similar organisations in England?
Thanks Firefly. I may have to go it alone. I've just been mildly surprised as my belief was that some of the large organisations were acting as
placementjob brokers rather than keeping it all in-house. I'm guessing the issue might be that the formal structure is 'partnerships' rather than broking, and the placements should all be agreed in advance.OK, I've had a few responses in and should be ok for this with any luck. Feel free to get in touch anyway though.
Future Jobs Fund is part of the Young People's Guarantee so applicants will have to be 18-24 and have been claiming JSA for about 6 months. At this stage of their claim they will have a Stage 3 Interview with their JCP Adviser who will offer them these options (in the following order):
1 - A place on an 8 week long, employer-led Routeway (being commissioned by LSC)
2 - A Future Job
3 - Work Focused Training (13-26 weeks)(being commissioned by LSC)
4 - Community Task Force (being commissioned by DWP) - working on projects for the benefit of the local community.
18-24 year old JSA Claimants at Stage 3 of their claim are the only customers eligible for Future Jobs to my knowledge. This is my understanding tho and it could be absolute jarbles.
Future Jobs are also being offered to a small amount of JSA claimants over 25 in unemployment hotspots. DWP have advised no private organisations can offer placements??? However, I am still very unclear. Can anyone shed any light on this?
Granger, FJF guidance states that "In order for the DWP to comply with European State Aid legislation, the Future Jobs Fund (FJF) must operate as a community benefit scheme under which participating organisations do not profit financially, unless that profit is invested in community projects. If the recipient of an FJF grant is not a public body or if the Lead Accountable Body in a partnership is not a public body, the grant recipient must have Community Interest Company (CIC) status or comply with the CIC governance structure – this could be via a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which has the characteristics of a CIC".
However, that shouldn't prevent a private company from applying, provided they either subcontract to a public body or CIC, gain CIC status or can prove compliance to the governance structure.
Useful further reading regarding CICs can be found here:
http://www.cicregulator.gov.uk/Leaflets/FQA%20&%20Funders%27%20Leaflet%2...
Interested to hear from anyone who is currently running FJF. Jobs have been posted just over 2 weeks and the uptake seems to be really, really slow. Any ideas how we can make this process faster at JCP, as if vacancies are not filled within 4 weeks then they are opened up to 25+ JSA claimants at stage 3. Does this not defeat the purpose of Young Persons Guarantee?
Re above post...can JCP not fasttrack any clients who are less than 39 weeks. Surely there must be young people requiring this opportunity before reaching the required stage 3. That way it doesn't go staight to 25+.
I have just been told by my job center that on 24. 11 i can have a job for 6 months? for minimum wage i am 44 i am booked in to see an adviser on 24 what is this about are they real jobs ?
Sounds like Future Jobs Fund to me. It's aimed at 18-24 year olds, but the opportunities open up to 25+ if they're not filled quickly enough. They are real jobs, paid for by the government. There are apparently a few teething problems right now, but they should hopefully be resolved by 24th November.
Great to see that some jobcentres know what they are doing highpark1! These are REAL JOBS that will all be of benefit to your local community. So don't worry, you won't be working in somewhere like a supermarket. I believe there should be a varied amount of jobs you could apply for i.e environmental/construction work, health and social care, childcare, and youth and community work. So you could be working with the local council or in some voluntary organisation/charity.
have had a look at future jobs fund if this is what my adviser is on about it says a minimum of 25 hours i would have to have 40 hours or more i dont really work for minimum wage but a job is a job. would we get the tax top up? i think its £40 a week. when i went to job center this week they said there were all sorts of jobs building work am looking for she said there was building work.
Daniel, just to clarify: Some jobs WILL be allocated to 25+ who live in unemployment hotspots. The grant letters sent to successful bidders allocate X jobs to 18-24 & Y to 25+, and, as you've described, if JCP have problems filling 18-24 vacancies, they can open those up to 25+ too.
Highpark, the issue that you're likely to face is that FJF providers get paid a fixed amount, whether they pay you minimum wage or higher & whether you're employed for 25 hours per week or 40. So there's a financial disincentive for them to offer more than the minimum (although I have more than one customer who is offering a higher wage &/or extra hours).
can anyone enhance on the FJF contract, I have an interview this week and have to produce a presentation on how to link external organisations, partners...I have currently worked on New Deal for 3 years and this new contract is new to me
any info would be appreciated
Hi Kevvy. If you take the starting point of contractual requirements, i.e. minimum 25 hours per week for at least 6 months, there are 3 key areas (in my opinion) for external partnership work:
1. Job search support - some FJF employers are not predominantly employability providers, so engaging with job search deliverers can help maximise the chance of sustained employment being found.
2. Vocational training - if you can engage with training providers that can match fund by training the employees outside of their 25 hours, you can increase their chances of securing sustained employment.
3. Apprenticeship/T2G provision - bring in a provider who can either enrol the employee during FJF or help arrange progression to such employment at programme end.
There are wider areas, dependent on what you can deliver with your own resources, e.g. pastoral support services & IAG.
That's the eligibilty criteria been reduced to 26 weeks unemployed.
I heard that, but have been told otherwise from more official sources. DWP are, however, sending out clarification to bidders this week.
If you live in the Yorkshire region you'll be interested in the Inside Out programme on BBC1 7.30 next Monday 7 Dec. They're running a story about A4e. If you don't live in the region you should be able to catch it on iplayer
oooo many thanks gerry i new it was being made, cant wait to see it,
Does anyone know what happened to the A4e story on Inside Out? I watched the whole programme and, despite Sky Plus and TV Guide info saying it was a programme "investigating a training provider that is paid millions by the taxpayer", there was no mention of training. I've checked Inside Out in all regions and the story appears to have disappeared into the ether.
Maybe check with the production team? I didn't track that one myself as I'm pretty much A4e'd out, but stories often bounce around in the schedules if they need more work or something else comes up. Here's the website for the local edition.
hmmmmmmm were did the Inside Out hmm good ????
@Hippy Chick the word from the inside out programm is;they have decided to delay the programm rather than water it down.. hmmmmmmmm looks like we will have a long wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks highpark1 - I'll keep an eye out for it (although I won't hold my breath!!)
Highpark1 - you really need to [sunshine and fresh air and pretty flowers]. This fixation with A4E is scary. Ps. Read your foi requests and [admired the lovely weather]
[Moderation - fixed that for you. I may not agree with what posters on here say either, but try to remain civil]
anyone no why the fnd contract for merseyside has not been awarded? is merseyside the only area not on fnd yet ?
no, it's one of 14 areas to be awarded in FND Phase Two. A very competitive area at that.
Can anyone tell me why private providers for NDDP can claim FJF jobs....seems a bit silly that DWP are paying for jobs twice and highly unfair if there is not much activity for FJF in certain areas.
Interesting....clients on New Deal are now eligible for FJF. See DWP website.
Access to Future Jobs Fund jobs by customers on New Deal Options
12 February 2010
You were notified on 9 October 2009 that customers on New Deal options were not eligible for Future Jobs Fund jobs.
This letter is to advise you of a change in the eligibility criteria for Future Jobs Fund jobs. Jobcentre Plus may identify customers currently undertaking New Deal Options and consider them for Future Jobs Fund vacancies.
Customers will be contacted by Jobcentre Plus to discuss a possible Future Jobs Fund vacancy. The customer will subsequently choose to either be referred to the employer or continue their participation on the New Deal option. Where a customer is referred and is subsequently successful in their job application, they will leave the New Deal option.
Providers will not be able to refer customers to these vacancies directly. Jobcentre Plus staff are responsible for confirming customer eligibility and suitability prior to undertaking referral.
Outcome payments can be claimed for successful Future Job Fund jobs, if payments for subsidised jobs have not been excluded under the terms and conditions of your New Deal Options contract.
Is theer a vacancy for the Professional writer?