Employment and Skills Programme

Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development, Peter Smith

At Crawley Borough Council, we and our partners have been busy delivering the Crawley Employment and Skills Plan - creating the right conditions for career opportunities within the borough.

We have made significant progress since launching Employ Crawley in 2017, with more than 200 Crawley residents already supported in their next steps on their employment journey, the Town Centre Skills Academy has launched with Kilnmead Car Park as the pilot site and we’ve been working hard to support collaborations between business and education, bridging the gap to offer effective careers advice and raise aspirations of local people.

I am incredibly proud of our achievements so far, but this is just the beginning of the employment and skills landscape; we have a range of projects in the pipeline, which will strengthen the employment and educational opportunities in Crawley, while tackling the social mobility issues our residents' face.

Crawley falls almost to the bottom in social mobility rankings, with the State of the Nation report ranking Crawley 304 out of 324 local authorities for social mobility. Through our own research, we estimate this equates to £49 million worth of production lost through skills shortages. While we recognise the economic significance of Crawley and the need to rely on incommuting, we are passionate and focused on delivering local jobs for local people.

As a result, we have reviewed and refreshed our Employment and Skills Programme, relaunching 2019 to 2024, ensuring our efforts are invested in the right direction.

• Formation of Greater Brighton Economic Board, including Crawley Borough Council and Gatwick Airport
• Crawley College joined the Chichester College group following a Further Education review in November 2016
• The Enterprise Advisor Network was launched in September 2016 by Careers and Enterprise Company and Coast to Capital, linking schools and businesses through Enterprise Advisors in Crawley schools
• Universal Credit rolled out in Crawley in June 2018, which has changed the dynamic and clientele of Jobcentre Plus
• Renewal of Manor Royal Business Improvement District (BID) (2018 to 2023) in March 2018

• Introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017, alongside reforms adopting skills based apprenticeships and off the job training
• Coast to Capital Strategic Economic Plan and West Sussex Economic Growth Plan launched in 2018
• The Crawley Town Centre Regeneration Programme has been updated and Crawley Growth Programme approved, providing new scope for employment and skills interventions in the area
• Government Report, Careers Strategy: Making the most of everyone's skills and talents, was published in December 2017 and will inform the work between businesses and education providers

• State of the Nation 2017, Social Mobility in Great Britain published a report which placed
• Crawley as the least socially mobile borough in the south east
• Research commissioned by the council in 2018 titled 'How to overcome local skills gaps and meet local skills needs' outlines skills interventions through targeted business engagement in Crawley
• The Great British Brain Drain 2017 report by Centre for Cities, looking at student migration patterns
• State of the Nation’s 2018 report on Careers and Enterprise Provision in England’s Secondary Schools and Colleges places Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) at the bottom of all LEPs for careers provision within schools

Since it's introduction, 16 developers and construction businesses have signed up to the Developer and Partner Charter including W Stirland whose development of Kilnmead Car Park was used as the pilot site for the launch of the Town Centre Skills Academy in early 2019.

The Town Centre Skills Academy will be rolled out to cover all construction developments in the Crawley Growth Programme.

There are currently nine apprenticeships in post across Crawley Borough Council, including Planning and Economic Development.

The council hosts an annual Apprenticeship Fair in partnership with West Sussex County Council. 2018's event saw more than 300 attendees. An annual apprentice graduation for West Sussex graduates is entering its third year in 2019.

In 2016, Crawley STEMfest programme expanded to include science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the Park. 2018’s programme engaged 20,000 people and the Big Bang Fair extended to two days due to high demand.

Crawley's secondary school International Airlines Group (IAG) group meet bi-monthly, collaboratively organising employer and school engagement events and professional development opportunities.

September 2018 saw the first shared Careers Fair with almost 5,000 attendees and more than 80 organisations exhibiting.

Collaborating with Love Local Jobs and Metamoorephosis, the council supports the delivery of Be the Change, working with schools to raise aspirations and improve employability for year nine pupils.

The council introduced the Early Career Network, which aims to support new employees and provide new opportunities.

Crawley Young Workers' Scheme has taken a wider approach to develop talent and opportunities for young people, focusing on optimising the Apprenticeship Levy to support young people.

The 2018 report 'How to overcome local skills gaps and meet local skills needs' commissioned by the council offers a series of recommendations and actions to develop. Flagship project Gatwick Skills Laboratory to be reviewed in conjunction with the Crawley College Advanced Manufacturing and STEM Centre, bringing together education, business and high level skills and a local level.

Employ Crawley launched in October 2017 and the first year saw 208 residents access support to improve their employability, resulting in 26 job outcomes with the help of more than 30 companies.

25 workshops and events also took place across the year. These were facilitated and supported by partner organisations and local businesses.

To improve career opportunities for Crawley residents, creating pathways to enable more to access high value jobs, while strengthening the ability for employers to recruit the staff they need, when they need.

• Create and promote new pathways for residents into Higher Education and higher skills levels to upskill Crawley residents so more can access the better quality opportunities available within Crawley
• Help Crawley businesses overcome skills gaps through innovative new training courses, particularly in high level Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
• Improve the employability of young people by facilitating access and awareness to key vocational skills, apprenticeships and work experience, and bridging the gap between education and business
• Empower the most disadvantaged local residents through tailored advice, guidance and skills training, boosting employability and helping them to access core skills and qualifications
• Champion Crawley as a Living Wage Town, the wage set by the Living Wage Foundation, to increase income levels for residents

• Economic activity: 83.3% (south east is 81.1%, UK is 78.4%).
• Job density: 1:46.
• Covering just two per cent of land in West Sussex, Crawley contributes 23% of the county’s Gross Value Added (GVA)
• Key sectors include transportation and storage (22.1%), administrative and support service activities (18.9%) and wholesale and retail trade (13.7%)
• There is also a gender pay gap larger than that of the south east – £129 compared to £118 per week
• 30,000 jobs at Gatwick Airport, 32,800 jobs on Manor Royal and 13,900 jobs in the town centre, the three biggest employment zones in the borough
• Crawley residents on average earn less than the workforce – £515 compared to £581
• 69% of Crawley's working population fill only 31% of jobs based in Crawley
• Crawley has been identified as a social mobility 'cold spot', ranking 304 out of 324 local authorities in the UK, and the least socially mobile authority area in the south east
• Crawley residents are underqualified in comparison to the south east, with 33.2% achieving an National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 4 and above, compared to 41.4% in the south east
• We have produced an Employment and Skills Profile, which provides more detail

The plan has the following flagship sections, which each detail a series of plans, projects and interventions.

1. Development and Infrastructure
2. Business and Employers
3. Education and Schools
4. Social Mobility, Inclusion and Employability

Followed by the ancillary sections:

• Crawley Borough Council leading the way
• Challenges
• Stakeholders

Within the sections, there is the following categorisation of projects:

• Continue: Projects which we are currently delivering
• Upcoming: Projects in the pipeline ready to be delivered
• Future: Ambitious projects, which require work to bring forward

Enhancing social value to developments within Crawley.

• Adding Crawley Developer and Partner Charter signatories
• Organising the annual developer engagement breakfast to share the benefits and best practice of adding social value to developments
• Supporting Meet the Buyers to improve links between small businesses, the local workforce and supply chain
• Using Crawley STEMfest and local IAG activities to raise the profile and perception of construction careers, particularly among girls

• Use the council's Skills Academy status to build in sustainable support for projects including Be the Change and Crawley STEMfest
• The council will look to instil the key themes of the Unite Construction Charter within upcoming procurements

• Unlock Skills Academy Status on remaining sites within the Crawley Growth Programme such as Station Gateway, Town Hall and County Buildings sites, creating approximately 70 apprenticeship opportunities
• Work with planning colleagues, to refresh the Local Plan ensuring skills is prominently featured so that support can be gained through Section 106 funding and planning requirements
• Use the Town Centre Skills Academy and Crawley Developer and Partner Charter as a means to ensure companies engage with the new construction T Level qualification
• Support the development of a Higher Education centre at Crawley College creating a pathway for local residents to undertake higher level qualifications

Supporting effective careers advice by driving collaboration between schools and employers.

• Supporting bi-monthly school IAG group, enabling schools and partner organisations to continue sharing good practice, and exploring collaborative opportunities
• Co-delivering Crawley STEMfest programme of events and supporting Be the Change, ensuring maximum engagement from businesses and education providers
• Supporting the work of Careers and Enterprise Company, collaborating with the Enterprise Advisor Network and Industry Champions, to build relationships in key employment areas across the borough

• Expand the footprint of Crawley STEMfest programme and build activity into a wider West Sussex STEM agenda
• Deliver a new programme events with schools and businesses, building on the ongoing initiatives currently taking place to further improve interactions and opportunities between businesses and education providers
• Support Crawley College with the development of its STEAM centre and in building relationships with businesses to ensure the curriculum is matched to their needs
• Work with Crawley College’s Schools Liaison Officer to build relationships with primary schools to provide careers advice and improve social mobility and aspiration levels
• Continue to work with schools and relevant stakeholders to ensure that local schools can effectively deliver the Careers Strategy and hit the Gatsby benchmarks, which define good careers education within schools

Explore and deliver an 'Open Doors' project within Crawley, allowing more school visits to take place within businesses, particularly with Manor Royal businesses.

Support employers to overcome skills challenges and create the right recruitment environment.

• Supporting and promoting the Manor Royal Jobs Board, Manor Royal Careers Expo, participating in the Manor Royal Talent and Training group, and HR forum where necessary
• Co-delivering the annual Apprenticeships Fair with West Sussex County Council, encouraging the uptake of apprenticeships within Crawley
• Support education and business links through the Enterprise Advisor Network, Crawley STEMfest and Be the Change
• Deliver an annual Careers Fair to promote companies to schools, and an annual Employ Crawley Jobs Fair to promote job vacancies
• Supporting and delivering Living Wage activities to encourage employers to sign up to the Living Wage
• Continue to support Gatwick Airport's One Destination Employability Programme, enhancing and providing upskilling links to the community and potential candidates
• Continue supporting businesses to develop apprenticeships and offer development opportunities for current and new staff. Promoting these opportunities to the public

• Collaborate with Manor Royal BID and Crawley College and Gatwick Airport to implement and build on the findings and recommendations from the research ‘How to overcome local skills gaps and meet local skills needs' through regular employer engagement
• Encourage recruitment of special educational needs and disability employees and incorporate neurodiversity in the workplace, using Employ Crawley employer workshops and the Jobcentre Plus Disability Confident Scheme
• Support the creation and delivery of the Coast to Capital Employment and Skills Board, ensuring it is relevant to Crawley
• Support the delivery of the Fuller Working Lives initiative, ensuring businesses support an older workforce and encourage flexibility among employers to meet the needs of employees through the development of Manor Royal pilot schemes
• Support businesses through the changing landscape of business and employment, including the impact of Brexit. Continually promoting local workforce opportunities through Employ Crawley and other means
• Support the development and encourage the uptake of degree apprenticeships, particularly in STEM and digital courses

• Encourage and facilitate recruitment collaboration between businesses to improve chances of finding suitable candidates, exploring opportunities with Love Local Jobs and the Manor Royal Jobs Board
• Within the scope of the Crawley Growth Programme and Town Centre Regeneration programme, build on the council’s inward investment and place making activities to present Crawley as a 'place to work', to encourage residents to avoid out-commuting, and encourage the return of graduates

Build a series of interventions to ensure all Crawley residents are able to access the labour market.

• Engaging with and supporting Crawley Borough Council's Social Mobility Scrutiny Panel to advise and aid delivery on councillor recommendations
• Continue supporting residents through Employ Crawley, working with partners and businesses to engage and increase aspirations of local residents
• Continue working with schools to offer opportunities to improve social mobility and aspirations among young people

• Develop and deliver a new programme of workshops and activities through Employ Crawley and partnership organisations. Incorporating the needs of residents with a focus on digital skills, ensuring residents are able to access a range of job opportunities across the town
• Create more outreach opportunities for Employ Crawley, including working with Job Centre Plus and The Foyer, to reach isolated residents
• Work with other West Sussex authorities to create a county wide 'Journey to Work' plan with Employ Crawley leading the delivery within Crawley
• Continue to engage with businesses from key sectors through Employ Crawley to ensure careers advice is up-to-date

• Leverage a sustainable source of income for Employ Crawley, ensuring it is a pillar of the employment and skills landscape within Crawley
• Create a programme of support for women returning to work, using Employ Crawley and its workshop programme
• Work with Crawley Borough Council’s Community Development team on the Crawley Arts Strategy, ensuring projects and funding incorporates and supports employment and skills activities

Crawley Borough Council not only encourages and supports employers to build their workforce, but provides a good practice model for others to learn from. The council participates in and has developed a number of schemes to attract and retain staff, and create a holistic process of recruitment. This includes:

• Apprenticeships within Crawley Borough Council; currently at nine, approximately 2% of the workforce
• National Graduate Development Programme; recruiting a graduate through the Local Government Association (LGA) scheme every two years
• Work experience and work shadowing; offering mixed placements across the council in different departments
• Launch of Early Careers Network; an employee-led network to support and nurture new employees, as well as sharing best practice, training and mentoring opportunities
• University of Sussex internship scheme; six-week internship for first year scholars placed within different council service areas
• Adoption of the Foundation Living Wage; ensuring that all staff and sub-contractors are paid a fair wage reflected through true living costs
• Disability Confident Employer; continuing to provide fair opportunities to those with a disability
• Silver Service Recognition Award; recognition for the support the council gives to employ ex-service officials
• Flexible working practices; particularly with the new Town Hall, trialling and implementing a range of new working practices to better suit employees