Embedding Employability Pathways within West London's large learning providers
Closing Date
Response deadline on CompeteFor 2pm on Monday 20 October 2008.
Tender response 5pm on 14 November 2008 (short listed suppliers only).
Introduction
West London Working brings together the partners responsible for employment and skills to tackle the high and persistent number of West London residents not in employment. It is one of 15 City Strategy Pathfinders launched by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in April 2007. WLW covers the following Boroughs: Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. Our vision is to transform the coherence and effectiveness of the existing structure of services in West London to deliver a sustainable increase in the number of residents in employment and a reduction in child poverty'.
Embedding Employability Pathways within West London's large learning providers
West London Working is looking for specialist consultancy to help large learning providers develop and embed employability pathways for their learners, to support more West London residents move from learning into sustainable employment.
Large learning providers are defined as the 12 West London Further Education Colleges and Adult and Community Education providers.
Much work has already been done to integrate employment and skills; but partly as a result of the lack of integration of services, only around one-quarter of workless learners in London find work on completion of their course.
In West London there are many services that engage workless residents at their start of a journey to work, those that can provide employability or personal support to learners whilst they are in learning, through to services that help people find work or sustain work after they have completed their course. Large learning providers are in a unique position where they are working with large numbers of West London residents who are improving their skills with the ambition of returning to work. Large learning providers can take the lead in creating and delivering customised employability pathways for residents, from their first contact with worklessness services, through their time in learning, and then onto a sustainable job.
Procurement Objective
Consultancy support is required from November 2008 to March 2010 and must include the following activities:
•Create and disseminate best practice case study marketing material targeted at outreach, learning and employment providers that clearly exemplifies the range of pathways that can be delivered and the benefits of integrating skills and employment;
•Build on and expand current work with large learning providers to embed employability pathways by integrating clear route ways for all learners seeking employment;
•Provide bespoke support to large learning providers that are piloting West London Working's 'Pathways for Parents' to help them develop and deliver employability pathways for workless Parents. This includes carrying out 3 interim reviews and an end of pilot review of the Pathways for Parents activity, and delivering at least 3 dissemination and networking events.
How to apply
To apply you must be registered on www.CompeteFor.com.
The London Development Agency, working closely with London Business Network and London 2012, developed CompeteFor to ensure that diverse businesses across the capital can access various commercial opportunities. Registering on CompeteFor takes a matter of minutes and will open a wide range of opportunities to your organisation.
Freedom of Information Act (FOI)
The LDA is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000 which requires information held by a public body to be provided to members of the public if requested.
In certain circumstances information is exempt from release under the Act, and this can sometimes include information of a commercially sensitive nature. If the tenderer considers that any information supplied by it is either commercially sensitive or confidential in nature, this should be highlighted and the reasons for its sensitivity given.
If an FOI request is received by the LDA which relates to this information, consideration will be given to the issues raised by the tenderer in determining the Agency's legal obligations.
