North Yorkshire County Council
Business and Environmental Services
Executive Members
14 February 2022
Funding Application to Department for Education Skills Bootcamps
(York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership)
Report of the Assistant Director – Economic Partnership Unit
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1.0 Purpose Of Report
1.1 To seek approval of the Executive Member for Business for the submission of an application for Department for Education (DfE) funding to support delivery of a 1-year (April 2022 to March 2023) Skills Bootcamp programme in York and North Yorkshire and delegate the Corporate Director - Strategic Resources to accept any funding ultimately offered as a result of the bid.
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2.0 Background
2.1 The York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP) have been invited to submit an application for Department for Education (DfE) funding to support delivery of a 1-year (April 2022 to March 2023) Skills Bootcamp programme in York and North Yorkshire. Details were received on 07 January, and the deadline for applications to DfE is 15 February. The anticipated amount of grant for this area is estimated between £1m-£2m for a one-year period, but as part of a wider three-year DfE programme. The amount of the application will exceed the officer delegation threshold for external grant applications.
2.2 Skills Bootcamps aim to secure benefits for adults by giving them access to in-demand skills training linked to the needs of local employers, with a guaranteed interview for a more sustainable, higher-skilled job and higher wages over time. The target for the programme is for 60% of activity to be delivered in partnership with Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) businesses, with the benefits for employers include helping them fill specific skills shortage vacancies, enabling them to become more productive, more quickly.
2.3 The Skills Bootcamp grant funding will enable YNY LEP to procure a range of technical skills training that meets evidenced need for skills in YNY. It will support individuals to gain intermediate and higher-level skills and support employers to recruit the skills they require by helping to shape training packages and/or providing interviews for course participants.
2.4 The Skills Bootcamp flexible training programme will be delivered in partnership with a range of external delivery partners (i.e. Colleges and other training providers). These organisations will need to demonstrate how they are experienced in delivery skills of relevant training courses and working with local employers to meet skills needs in their respective areas.
3.0 Funding
3.1 North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC) serves as the LEP’s Accountable Body and so the application is subject to, and the project will operate in accordance with, NYCC’s robust Financial Management and Control systems. If the YNY LEP bid is successful, local Skills Bootcamps will be funded via a grant award made by the Department for Education (DfE) to NYCC, as the accountable body for the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). There will be a grant award contract in place between DfE and NYCC, and contracts will be procured between NYCC and delivery partners. Project risks are set out in the attached Annex 1.
3.2 The grant programme allows up to 10% of the total grant funding to be used for Programme Management costs. These will be used to cover the costs of YNY LEP staff resources to manage the programme delivery, and ensure compliance with the DfE contract. This is expected to include a Delivery Partner Relationship Manager role which will also be 100% funded through the grant, to ensure robust performance management of the external delivery partners providing the training activity to beneficiaries. It will also be permissible to recover professional fees for other NYCC Departments that need to be involved e.g. Finance, Legal.
3.3 The financial management of the programme and process for claiming the grant is prescribed in information to applicants that has been provided by DfE. Following review several matters for clarification have been raised with DfE. The details of some of the points raised will not be confirmed until a grant offer is received. However, the current expectation is that this is quite similar to other Government funded programmes and the YNY LEP has the skills and expertise to manage the Accountable Body role, with support from NYCC Finance, Legal, Procurement, etc. A project risk table is shown at Annex 1.
4.0 Equalities
4.1 There are no equality impacts as all activities will be fully accessible and inclusive to all learners thus ensuring equal access to support, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and NYCC Equality and Diversity policies. An initial equality impact assessment screening form is provided at Annex 2.
5.0 Finance
5.1 If the application is successful, grant revenue funding of between £1m - £2m will be awarded to NYCC in 22/23 as accountable body for the LEP. This funding will be payable to delivery partners on the evidenced achievement of pre-determined milestones. There will be a grant award contract in place between DfE and NYCC, and contracts will be procured between NYCC and delivery partners. As accountable body, NYCC will be responsible for the KPIs of the programme and for collecting the necessary data from the contracted suppliers and sharing it with DfE.
5.2 Up to 10% of the grant funding can be used for Programme management costs which will cover the costs to NYCC and the LEP of administering the programme – most costs will be staff time.
5.3 No match funding is required from NYCC as a result of the application.
5.4 Some points of clarification have been raised on the conditions document, the responses to which are awaited – any decision to accept the funding will be subject to acceptable grant offer terms being received.
6.0 Legal
6.1 There are no legal implications arising from submission of this application, and there are no subsidy control implications. In the event the application for this grant funding is successful, the proposal is to undertake a competitive procurement exercise in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules, and if relevant, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
6.2 As there are still some areas of the DfE grant terms and conditions that are subject to being finalised by DfE, further review of the final grant terms will be undertaken when these are published. If any of the terms and conditions present unacceptable risk for NYCC or YNY LEP then the grant offer would be declined.
7.0 Climate Change
7.1 Skills Bootcamps are proposed which directly meet the needs of the green economy, by supporting the transition from high to low carbon, directly contributing to the achievement of the UK's net zero emissions target and helping mitigate climate risk. DfE encourage schemes which strengthen Green Power, Green Construction, Green Transport, Protection of Natural Resources, Green Business and industry.
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8.0 Recommendations
8.1 It is recommended that the Executive Member for Open to Business: a) authorise the submission of an application for Department for Education (DfE) funding to support delivery of a one year (April 2022 to March 2023) Skills Bootcamp programme in York and North Yorkshire and b) delegate the acceptance of any grant funding offered as a result of this bid to the Corporate Director Strategic Resources following consultation with the Corporate Director Business and Environmental Services and the Assistant Chief Executive (Legal and Democratic Services).
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Name: JAMES FARRAR
(Chief Operating Officer – York and North Yorkshire LEP)
Author of Report: Liz Philpot (Head of Delivery - York and North Yorkshire LEP)
Background Documents: None
Initial equality impact assessment screening form
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This form records an equality screening process to determine the relevance of equality to a proposal, and a decision whether or not a full EIA would be appropriate or proportionate.
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Directorate |
Business and Environmental Services |
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Service area |
The York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP) |
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Proposal being screened |
Skills Bootcamps – York and North Yorkshire
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Officer(s) carrying out screening |
Ian Collins/Paul Clark |
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What are you proposing to do? |
This screening concerns the YNY LEP application for Department for Education (DfE) funding to support delivery of a 1-year (April 2022 to March 2023) Skills Bootcamp programme in York and North Yorkshire.
The Skills Bootcamp grant funding will enable YNY LEP to procure a range of technical skills training that meets evidenced need for skills in YNY. It will support individuals to gain intermediate and higher-level skills and support employers to recruit the skills they require by helping to shape training packages and/or providing interviews for course participants.
The Skills Bootcamp flexible training programme will be delivered in partnership with a range of external delivery partners (i.e. Colleges and other training providers). These organisations will need to demonstrate how they are experienced in delivery skills of relevant training courses and working with local employers to meet skills needs in their respective areas.
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Why are you proposing this? What are the desired outcomes? |
The Skills Bootcamp programme will address the problem of employer/sector ‘in-demand’ skills needs.
This will support skills issued identified in the YNY LEP published ‘Covid-19 A Plan to Reshape our Economy plan published in October 2020; the Skills Strategy, launched in January 2021; and the LEPs Labour Market Analysis 2021 which provides an assessment of York and North Yorkshire’s (YNY’s) skills needs based on a detailed analysis of the supply of and demand for skills.
The aim of the Skills Bootcamps programme is to secure benefits for adults by giving them access to in-demand skills training and a guaranteed interview for a more sustainable, higher-skilled job and higher wages over time. The benefits for employers include helping them fill specific skills shortage vacancies, enabling them to become more productive, more quickly.
The Skills Bootcamp programme will deliver significant benefits and outcomes such as:
- Addressing the needs of employers and the wider economy, to deliver targeted interventions to meet short-medium term demand to fill vacancies and drive productivity. They will help fill medium-higher level vacancies and bring individuals closer to better jobs, by linking them with line of sight to a job/ different role, additional responsibilities or new opportunities/contracts. - Addressing the needs of adults (19+) who are full-time and part-time employed, unemployed, returning to work after a break or self-employed, and provide individuals with wider access to opportunities to retrain, update or formalise their skills or acquire specialist skills. - Enabling adults (19+) to do training around work and other commitments, looking to gain work, additional responsibilities, or access new opportunities and will offer a guaranteed job interview (in the case of a new job) to individual participants on completion of the course. - Helping to fill vacancies and bring individuals closer to better jobs (including those currently in employment), by linking them with line of sight to a job/different role, additional responsibilities or new opportunities/contracts.
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Does the proposal involve a significant commitment or removal of resources? Please give details. |
N/A
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Impact on people with any of the following protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, or NYCC’s additional agreed characteristics As part of this assessment, please consider the following questions:
The delivery partners will be expected to promote equality and diversity through the skills training provided and offer appropriate, timely and impartial information, advice and guidance. In delivering the training programme, the delivery partners will put measures in place that will prevent any unlawful discrimination relating to discrimination (whether in race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age or otherwise) in employment.
If for any characteristic it is considered that there is likely to be an adverse impact or you have ticked ‘Don’t know/no info available’, then a full EIA should be carried out where this is proportionate. You are advised to speak to your Equality rep for advice if you are in any doubt.
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Protected characteristic |
Potential for adverse impact |
Don’t know/No info available |
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Yes |
No |
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Age |
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ü |
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Disability |
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ü |
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Sex |
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ü |
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Race |
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ü |
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Sexual orientation |
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ü |
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Gender reassignment |
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ü |
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Religion or belief |
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ü |
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Pregnancy or maternity |
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ü |
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Marriage or civil partnership |
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ü |
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NYCC additional characteristics |
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People in rural areas |
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ü |
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People on a low income |
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ü |
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Carer (unpaid family or friend) |
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N/A |
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Does the proposal relate to an area where there are known inequalities/probable impacts (e.g. disabled people’s access to public transport)? Please give details. |
N/A
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Will the proposal have a significant effect on how other organisations operate? (e.g. partners, funding criteria, etc.). Do any of these organisations support people with protected characteristics? Please explain why you have reached this conclusion. |
The Skills Bootcamp flexible training programme will be delivered in partnership with a range of external delivery partners (i.e. Colleges and other training providers). These organisations will ensure that all activities will be fully accessible and inclusive to all learners thus ensuring equal access to support, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and NYCC Equality and Diversity policies.
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Decision (Please tick one option) |
EIA not relevant or proportionate: |
ü |
Continue to full EIA: |
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Reason for decision |
There are no equality impacts as all activities will be fully accessible and inclusive to all learners thus ensuring equal access to support, in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and NYCC Equality and Diversity policies.
The Local Enterprise Partnership operates in accordance with the National Local Growth Assurance Framework, and its own Local Assurance Framework, which contains a Diversity Statement setting out its commitments to fairness and inclusivity in its procurement and partnership arrangements.
Screening exercises will continue throughout the project and where necessary and proportionate, an Equality Impact Assessment will be undertaken.
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Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent) |
James Farrar
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Date |
02/02/22
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