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Routes into Training and Employment

DURHAM UNIVERSITY

School of Applied Social Sciences

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Introduction 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

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Research Questions

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?

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Evidence Base Data from 3 programmes Survey

96 questionnaires returned Interviews with parents

25 Interviews with service providers

Job Centre Plus College of Further Education Local employer

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Survey: Pattern of Response

0102030405060708090

100

women men05

10152025303540

<25 26-30 31-40 >40

Gender

%%

Age

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Mapping Courses to Sure Start Targets

49 courses across 3 programmes Improving social and emotional development

Parents Matter Personal Development Indian Head Massage Time Out Committee Skills Young Parenting

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Improving Health 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

8

Improving Ability to Learn 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

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Strengthening Families and Communities

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

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05

101520253035404550

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

%

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Perceived Benefits

05

10152025303540

%

I am a lot more confident around people and my

child is a lot more happy meeting other people

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Hopes and Benefits 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

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Promoting Access to Courses: What Works

Localised Staged Responsive Flexible

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Promoting Access to Courses: What Works

Course development: user led Information sharing: diverse local strategy Progression routes

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)

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Promoting Access:What Works

Provision of free child care 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

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Promoting Access:What Works

Course timing Male carers: evening and weekend Female carers: school hours

Transport In-course support

Learning Mentors

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Volunteering Volunteering was seen as an

opportunity to build confidence and gain work experience across programmes Parent representatives and mentors

(supported by training): 70 parents across 6 programmes

Peer support: breast feeding Planning and delivering activities

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

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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

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Partnership Working

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

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

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Local Employer Perspectives

A large local employer identified a clear link between using Sure Start and/or attending its courses and employability

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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.

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Key Findings 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

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Recommendations 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