Employment support for communities experiencing racial inequalities

The Manchester City Council Work and Skills Team and Manchester Adult Education Service (MAES) are looking to commission a voluntary sector organisation to deliver a ‘test and learn’ pilot project which seeks to engage with and support residents from communities experiencing racial inequalities, to move them closer to employment.

The barriers to employment for these groups are varied, and whilst some people may choose not to work, others may want to but lack skills, language and confidence.

The Manchester City Council Work and Skills Team and Manchester Adult Education Service are keen to work with an organisation who can engage and work with women of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage. For these women some of the barriers to employment may include lack of English language skills, responsibilities in the home such as caring, social isolation meaning discomfort travelling somewhere unfamiliar or meeting new people, lack of family support and lack of awareness of support available that could facilitate them to enter the labour market e.g., free childcare or help with childcare, and benefits.

The aim of the pilot will be to introduce participants to the idea of employment, so they can begin to contemplate and prepare to take actions that will move them closer to the labour market. The activities used to engage participants are not prescribed and could include social activities not directly linked to employment. However, outcomes would include evidence of distance travelled, progression to further learning and or employment.

The successful organisation will be required to design and deliver the core content of the programme whilst working closely with MAES who will manage the contract as well as providing group session workshops in employability skills, careers conversations and access to further learning.

£15,000 is available to be focused on the following:

• Recruit participants who are not currently engaged in learning activity or employment using activities that will build confidence and self-esteem
• Improve English language for work (participants are required to have Entry 3 or Level 1 English Language skills)
• Information around the support available for working women, and the advantages of working
• Empowering women to take a more active role to address barriers to social inclusion leading to employment
• Promoting routes into employment/training/education/volunteering and support toward these

The geographical area of focus is: Cheetham and Crumpsall neighbourhood.
Participants from the above wards should be prioritised, however, participants from other North Manchester wards can also be considered. These include Higher Blackley, Charlestown, Moston, Harpurhey, Miles Platting, Newton Heath, Ancoats and Beswick and Clayton and Openshaw.

The successful applicant will be expected to meet the following requirements:

• Work in formal partnership with Manchester Adult Education Service
• Be able to evidence existing work with these communities
• Ensure approximately 30 participants are actively engaged and complete the project, with at least 15 starting and actively engaging by month three
• Be flexible and able to change delivery according to need
• Use networks to engage participants in pre-employment support
• Signpost to wider support services, i.e., Health initiatives
• Work with other voluntary sector providers and community groups to facilitate removing barriers to social inclusion
• Report % improved confidence, increased self-esteem and reduced isolation leading to an employment pathway (making use of monitoring tools to measure outcomes e.g., STAR outcomes tool)
• Report % into volunteering
• Report % into formal training
• Report % increase in skills that enable participants to move closer to the labour market
• Provide monthly progress reports to the Work and Skills project manager
• Be involved in evaluating the impact of the pilot project, with the Work and Skills and MAES project managers, to establish best practice

It is anticipated that delivery of the project will begin in May and run until October 2022.
Payment will be made in two stages: payment (1) 60% at the start and payment (2) 40 % at month four, subject to achieving or progressing towards meeting the requirements above.

Completed expressions of interest should be emailed to: [email protected] by 14 April 2022