This project provided one years certificated training and work experience, in SVQ 2 Amenity Horticulture to people aged between 16 and 24. The project wass targeted at young people from deprived areas of West Dunbartonshire.
Overview
PROJECT SUMMARY
This project is an Intermediate Labour Market training programme for young people aged 18 - 24, and offers one years certificated training and work experience, in SVQ 2 Amenity Horticulture. The project is targeted at young people from deprived areas of West Dunbartonshire. The young people are paid a wage of £150 per week.
The young people gain skills and experience in Amenity Horticulture, but also gain skills which are in demand in the general labour market, such as team working, ICT, communications skills, health and safety in the workplace, time management and planning. These skills increase the self confidence of the young people, as well as increasing motivation, and enhancing personal aspirations.
The project benefits the community in that it enhances a Garden Care Scheme for the elderly and infirm, covering areas in West Dunbartonshire. The young people tend these gardens as part of their work experience.
KEY PARTNERS
The key people were mostly the funders, who also provided advice and assistance:
- West Dunbartonshire Council Environmental Task Force Officer, with assistance from officers in Economic Development and Estates.
- West Dunbartonshire Social Inclusion Partnership's Manager and Social Economy Manager
- Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire's Inclusion Manager
- Employment Service New deal Gateway staff
- Strathclyde European Partnership
- Barr Environmental (Landfill Tax operator)
A certain element of spend of the project was ineligible for EU structural funds assistance, and therefore the balance had to be made up by other funders, in this case Barr Environmental, the Landfill Tax operator, who allocated funds directly from the Landfill Tax Credit scheme.
This project has been running for over four years, and over the period has developed strong working relationships with funders and with Clydebank College. The college has been particularly helpful in designing a tailored and flexible training programme to suit the needs of the beneficiaries who are on a rolling programme.
The project has also developed a good relationship with SEP, who manage the Objective 2 programme, and have been on hand to give advice on applications, translating 'Euro-speak', and practical help in completing claims and ensuring prompt payments from the Scottish Executive.
To sum up, the key to this project would appear to be strong partnership working with all funders and partners, rather than community involvement in design, implementation and management.
FUNDERS
All funding is revenue based. Large items of equipment (such as vehicles) are leased, and small items of gardening equipment cost less than £500 per item, in line with structural fund regulations regarding eligible spend.
The funding breakdown for one year of the project is as follows:
West Dunbartonshire Council Environmental Task Force: £151,000
West Dunbartonshire SIP £65,000
Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire £7,000
ESF Objective 2 £190,000
Landfill Tax Credit Scheme £13,000
The bulk of the funding goes into the £150 per week wage/allowances for the trainees, and salaries for seven members of staff. There are also costs for training materials, overheads and SVQ training costs.
THEMATIC CRITERIA
Strathclyde; job creation; poverty; parks/ gardens
Plan
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
In 1997, the management of Greenlight Environmental Ltd saw the potential for the Environmental Care in the Community ILM Scheme, according to two perceived needs:
1. To offer training and temporary employment opportunities to young unemployed people with no qualifications. The project targeted four SIP areas with a high rate of youth unemployment, in Clydebank, Dumbarton, Vale of Leven and West Dunbartonshire.
2. To allow trainees to tend gardens for old and infirm members of the community as part of their work experience.
The introduction of New Deal in 1998 was the catalyst which helped Greenlight Environmental Ltd to put the project together: it provided the final piece of the funding 'jigsaw'.
OUTPUTS
Beneficiaries from the project include:
Elderly and infirm: there are now 1,000 households in West Dunbartonshire on the register, who receive a gardening service on a four weekly cycle. There are a further 1,000 households on a reserve list, and these households receive an annual winter tidy. Eligible households who apply to the service are firstly put on the reserve list, and then moved on the register on a first come basis.
Local environment and community: without this project, local gardens would not be tended. The project is enhancing the appearance of the areas it serves in West Dunbartonshire. The project endeavours to place young people in squads based in their area: this has three benefits.
- It gives the young people a pride in the appearance of their area and may have an knock on effect of reducing vandalism
- It improves the relationship the vulnerable elderly and infirm have with local youths, thus increasing social cohesion, and
- It reduces the isolation suffered by a number of the elderly and infirm: many of the clients look forward to their visit form the gardening squads.
FUTURE STEPS
The present funding package runs until 31st December 2003. However, the project plans to run until the end of the Objective 2 ESF programme, i.e. December 2006.
Greenlight Environmental Ltd is working with the local authority to put together the Strategic Area Waste Plan for West Dunbartonshire. This is in response to the set up of the Strategic Waste Fund by the UK government.
The organisation hopes to be a delivery partner/recycling agent in the implementation of the Strategic Area Waste Plan for West Dunbartonshire.
Greenlight Environmental Ltd sees opportunities to deliver services which will reduce the amount of bio-degradable waste and white goods going to landfill, and other activities such as the 'de-gassing' of fridges. These activities may open up local training and employment opportunities.
Progress
Greenlight Environmental Ltd put together an informal working group to fine tune the project design and to put together a feasible funding package.
One of the first steps was to approach West Dunbartonshire Council's Environmental Task Force staff, with a view to setting up a contract to deliver New Deal. This also involved consulting staff from the Employment Service's New Deal Gateway, to identify the potential numbers of young people from SIP areas who would be eligible and interested in participating in the project.
Additional members of the informal working group were other funders such as West Dunbartonshire Social Inclusion Partnership, Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire, and Barr Environmental (who supplied funding from Landfill Tax rebates). Clydebank College was also part of this group, and assisted with advice and guidance on the design of a flexible training package to suit the needs of the beneficiaries.
Once the match funding was secured, an application was submitted to Strathclyde European Partnership for European Social Fund money, from the Objective 2 Programme.
ESF funding was formally approved in August 1998, and the project began. Employment Service staff recruited the beneficiaries, and West Dunbartonshire Council supplied a register of elderly/infirm clients who required gardening. Greenlight Environmental Ltd also advertised for clients to join this register.
Review
ACHIEVEMENTS
In the last two years of the project, there have been 74 beneficiaries on the project (i.e. participants in the Intermediate Labour Market Scheme). Of these 74:
- 46 have gone onto full time employment,
- 52 have completed all or part of their SVQ2 in Amenity Horticulture
- 35 completed the full programme
Of the 46 who achieved full time employment, 4 of these young people were recruited by Greenlight Environmental Ltd , not specifically as staff on the project, but two as gardeners, and two as recycling operatives.
Of the 46 who have gone on to full time employment , only around 10% have gone onto gardening work. However, the main point of the training course was to give the employees employability skills, to enable them to enter the modern labour market, rather than train them for a labour market shortage in gardening.
MEASURING ACHIEVEMENTS
The quantitative outcomes are all based around the demands of the funders, and are to do with positive outcomes, such as young people completing the programme, securing all or part of an SVQ, entering employment, or further education or training.
The qualitative outcomes are a little more difficult to define, but are perceivable. For the beneficiaries, these cover the employability skills which they gain as a result of participating in the programme: increased self esteem, self confidence, team working, motivation, raised aspirations, assistance with lit/num and introduction to IT skills.
The project is enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the areas it serves in West Dunbartonshire. By placing the young people in squads based in their area, the project gives the young people a pride in the appearance of their area and may have an knock on effect of reducing vandalism
The project has an impact on reducing fear of crime amongst the elderly: it improves the relationship the vulnerable elderly and infirm have with local youths. The project also reduces the isolation suffered by a number of the elderly and infirm, as many of the householders look forward to their visits from the gardening squads.
PROCESS
The project has been more successful than was originally anticipated.
At the early stages, the chief executive of Greenlight Environmental Ltd had reservations about training so many gardeners for the labour market. However, the beneficiaries have been successful in gaining other employment due to the general increase in their employability skills.
Lessons learnt here are about the general value of work experience and training, as opposed to specific vocational skills.
LESSONS
During the development and design of this project, the contact realised that a formal college structure would not suit the needs of the beneficiaries, some of whom did not have a positive attitude to education.
It was originally intended that the young people on the programme should attend college at the start of the programme, on a 12 week block of training. However, the college advised shorter blocks of college training, combined with work experience, in order to keep the young people motivated and engaged.
The college also suggested smaller class sizes, and although this has increased the training costs of the project, it has added value to the quality of the support received by the young people. Beneficiaries with literacy or numeracy problems, or with other difficulties such as dyslexia, are able to receive one to one tuition from college staff.
Another component of the training, which was included in the design stage, was the need for IT skills. Basic ICT training is now recognised as vital in any training course which seeks to place young people in work or further training. The beneficiaries receive college training in word processing, the Internet, databases. They are encouraged to use their new skills during jobsearch training, to prepare CV's, or use the Employment Services computerised vacancy systems, for example.
Greenlight Environmental Ltd also offers young people certificated training in the use of forklift trucks, and the use of compaction and shredding equipment. Although this was not included in the original training programme, it emerged that some young people had an interest in warehouse work, or other work involving heavy plant.
Lessons learnt: seek examples of good practice at the design stage of the project, seek advice (and implement) from stakeholders. During the course of the project, be prepared to widen the scope to suit the needs of the trainees.
At the concept stage of the project, meet with all interested parties, such as funders and delivery agents. Whilst maintaining the integrity of the project, try to design the project around the needs of the funders, as this will make the application and reporting process a lot easier.
The importance of contacts, networks and partnership working cannot be stressed enough.
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