Community Lincs News & Update Bulletin - January 2012

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Included in this issue.....

News in the Community

• Community Lincs launches county-wide Bulk Oil Buying Scheme
• New Fund for Rural Lincolnshire - up to £2,000 up for grabs!
• Awards for All Workshop
• Volleyball volunteers wanted to take part in a major event

Community Facilities

• Music Licence update
• Lincolnshire County Council funding news
• Advice on metal theft
• Charities Act 2011

Communities Together

• Volunteer Training through Children's Links to volunteers working in early years or schools
• FREE Training Programme
• Responders to Warmth in Lincolnshire to meeting emergency needs of households in Lincolnshire
• Lincolnshire Alert - community messaging system run by Lincolnshire Police

Consultation on Big Lottery Fund’s £20million infrastructure programme
The Big Lottery Fund has published a discussion paper, entitled Building capabilities for impact and legacy, about its new £20million infrastructure programme, which will complement the Transforming Local Infrastructure fund.
Posted: 12 January 2012
Read the full article on our website here

First report by Panel on the Independence of the Voluntary Sector
The independence of the voluntary sector is under threat from several angles, including the public spending cuts and new public service delivery models, according to the first report by the Panel on the Independent of the Voluntary Sector.
Posted: 09 January 2012
Read the full article on our website here

Law changes to enable VCS to join credit unions
VCS groups will be able to join a credit union from 8 January under changes made to the Credit Unions Act 1979. Previously, only individuals were able to be members of credit unions and use the financial services they provide.
Posted: 04 January 2012
Read the full article on our website here

Up to the job
Strategies to re-engage young people not in education, employment or training: a rapid review
This review will examine evidence regarding effective strategies to keep young people at risk of disengagement from learning on track to make positive transitions, and will identify critical success factors in re-engaging young people who are already NEET.
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The economic case for language learning and the role of employer engagement
Argues the economic case for language learning in Britain and how employers can help. The decline in language learning is holding back both young people and UK plc. The report highlights consistently high employer demand for people with foreign language skills and how our lack of skills in effect creates a £7.3 billion 'tax on trade' for the UK.
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UK Labour Market Statistics - January 2012
The employment rate for those aged from 16 to 64 was 70.3 per cent, down 0.1 on the quarter. There were 29.12 million people in employment aged 16 and over, up 18,000 on the quarter. The unemployment rate was 8.4 per cent of the economically active population, up 0.3 on the quarter. There were 2.68 million unemployed people, up 118,000 on the quarter. The unemployment rate has not been higher since 1995 and the number of unemployed people has not been higher since 1994. The inactivity rate for those aged from 16 to 64 was 23.1 per cent, down 0.2 on the quarter. There were 9.29 million economically inactive people aged from 16 to 64, down 61,000 on the quarter.
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January 2012 Regional LMI
A useful document providing comparison between regions and local areas across a host of indicators.
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UK economic performance since 1997: growth, productivity and jobs
The UK’s high GDP per capita growth was driven by strong growth in productivity (GDP per hour), which was second only to the US, and good performance in the jobs market (which was better than in the US). The UK’s relative economic performance appears even stronger in the years prior to 2008 before the Great Recession engulfed the developed world.
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Rural Growth Network: £15 million of new funding to support rural growth.
Open to bids from local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and local councils, the Rural Growth Fund (RGN) is aimed at "identifying mechanisms capable of stimulating faster and more widespread sustainable growth, employment and economic activity in rural areas."
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Employer ownership of skills: securing a sustainable partnership for the long term
The paper sets out the UK Commission’s high level vision for what employer ownership means and how it has the potential to transform skills in England. It outlines why skills matter, the current system, five high level principles for reform, proposals, benefits and a call to action to employers to come forward with their own bold propositions for how to step up and take responsibility for employer-based training such as Apprenticeships.
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How local are labour markets? Evidence from a spatial job search model
Uses data on very small UK geographies to investigate the effective size of local labour markets, and develops a theory of job search across space that allows the estimation of a matching process with a very large number of areas. Reveals that the cost of distance is relatively high, confirming that labour markets are quite 'local'.
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Building engagement, building futures: our strategy to maximise the participation of 16-24 year olds in education, training and work
'Building Engagement, Building Futures' has been developed jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education, and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. It sets out how reforms to schools, vocational education, skills and welfare provision will all make a significant difference to young people’s opportunities and support.
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Supporting local growth
The Coalition Government is committed to a radical shift of power to local communities which puts people, local businesses and councils in the driving seat. They want to give people and businesses the tools they need to deliver economic growth in a climate free of red tape.
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Very poor unemployment figures
UK unemployment rose by 118,000 in the three months to November, to 2.685 million, official figures show. The figures showed the private sector was not compensating for job losses in the public sector, with the private sector creating 5,000 in the period, while 67,000 public sector jobs were lost.
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Rise in self-employed 'odd jobbers' keeping the lid on unemployment
In its latest Work Audit report, published today, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) questions whether the current 4.14 million record level of self-employment in the UK heralds a resurgent enterprise culture and concludes that the bulk of those at present taking the self-employed route to work are part-time 'odd jobbers' desperate to avoid unemployment.
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Regional statistics face axe
Academics have reacted angrily to the news that the Department for Communities and Local Government is considering plans to cease the publication of regional statistics.
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Skild is a training programme designed specifically for support and development organisations: from CVS and Rural Community Councils through to black and minority ethnic development organisations, community forums and local development trusts 

http://www.navca.org.uk/services/learningopps/skild

Please view the last edition of 2011 of the Learning Lincs News & Training Bulletin Issue 15 by clicking on the link below:

http://www.involvinglincs.org.uk/documents/issue%2015%20dec%202011.pdf

Would you like the opportunity to carry out some action research to improve your own professional or organisational practice in literacy, language and numeracy/functional skills?

·         Would you like to receive professional support to move forward your career and professional practice?

Drawing on its successful Research Development Fellowships (RDF) model, LSIS is offering a unique opportunity to all supported providers and lead providers that are currently taking part in the Support for Literacy, Language and Numeracy programme.

You are invited to bid for sector led projects to the value of £4,000.  Funding is available for up to 36 projects between January and March 2012. 

This opportunity is aimed at practitioners and the funding will allow time off to conduct research and attend two residential events delivered by the University of Sunderland Centre for Excellence in Teacher Training (SUNCETT).  The events ensure that practitioners get the support needed to complete their research and implement change.  More information about the RDF model can be found here.

To find out more about the opportunities, please see the attached Guidance for Applicants and Application form.

·         Completed applications must reach LSIS by Tuesday 06 December 2011. 

·         Applicants will be advised by 13 December of the short-listing panel’s decision.

Contact for enquiries:  Emma Gosling:  emma.gosling@lsis.org.uk

Four UKCES Reports (Briefing Series)

- Disability and skills in a changing economy.
- Gender and skills in a changing economy
- Spatial inequality and skills in a changing economy
- Low skills and social disadvantage in a changing economy
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The impact of disadvantage on progression by young people
The report suggests that this disadvantage is caused by a lack of cultural, economic and institutional capital. Young people from deprived backgrounds are less confident when making decisions about their transitions from pre-16 education and are less aware of the different progression options. In contrast, children from middle-class backgrounds succeed because they are socialised into higher education (HE) and elite career paths through a complex network of opportunities and role models.
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The role of skills from worklessness to sustainable employment with progression
This study provides a review of evidence on role of upskilling as a lever in helping people make the transition from worklessness into sustainable jobs with progression.
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Flexible, effective, fair: promoting economic growth through a strong and efficient labour market
This paper is being published at the launch of Red Tape Challenge spotlight on employment related regulations. It sets out the principles that are guiding our approach to the labour market framework and a number of thematic questions: we welcome your comments on these. The paper also sets out what we are already doing in the on-going Employment Law Review to improve the labour market framework -- and areas where we believe there is more to be done.
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The impact of changes in careers guidance for young people in England
The report, Careers Work with Young People: Collapse or Transition? Examines the local developments that have emerged in relation to a rapidly evolving national policy context in England. Changes in delivery mean that the new National Careers Service (NCS) will principally serve adults while securing careers guidance for young people has been made the responsibility of schools.
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The role of skills from worklessness to sustainable employment with progression
This study provides a review of evidence on role of upskilling as a lever in helping people make the transition from worklessness into sustainable jobs with progression.
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Skills for self-employment
The study provides an invaluable resource to inform policy in this area covering business start-up, support for unemployed to become self-employed, enterprise education, and business growth.
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Returns to intermediate and low level vocational qualifications
Assesses the impact of vocational qualifications on earnings and the probability of being employed.
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Review of the Skills Funding Agency launches
Skills Minister John Hayes today announced a review of the Skills Funding Agency and the statutory post of Chief Executive of Skills Funding.
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Social mobility of young people 'being held back by government policy'
Cuts to education, benefits and pensions likely to lead to deeper inequalities in the future, says leading social policy thinktank.
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One year on and local enterprise partnerships show limited progress
Centre for Cities argues that LEPs still have potential if the government acts now to empower them to meet the rising expectation that they will be primary drivers of the government’s growth agenda.
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Public spending on education falling at the fastest rate since the 1950s, report warns
The report says the biggest challenges ahead are for early years education, youth services and 16-19 education, where spending is set to fall by around 20% in real terms.
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Cable welcomes big rise in apprenticeship numbers
The data shows that there were 442,700 apprenticeship starts in the full 2010/11 academic year (final data for 2009/10 shows 279,700 starts).
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Please find the latest version of the Learning Lincs News & Training Bulletin Issue 13 by clicking on the link below:

http://www.involvinglincs.org.uk/documents/issue%2013%20nov%202011.pdf

Guide 43: Improving access to social care for adults with autism

At a glance 49: Improving access to social care for adults with autism

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has recently confirmed that simplification of the adult skills funding system will be introduced in 2013/14. Funding will be still be paid to colleges in instalments and achievement on the basis of agreed profiles and to training providers on the basis of delivery recorded in the Individualised Learner Record (ILR)

http://pearsoncpl.com/2011/pocket-watch-%e2%80%93-simplifying-funding-systems-for-adult-skills/

Free eBook on Learning Strategies
At over 100 pages, with eight strong case studies, the Masie Center has compiled an excellent overview of how learning leaders at major companies developed their learning strategies. Best of all, it’s FREE as “an open source eBook.”

Social inclusion through education in the United Kingdom: policy recommendations
Ethnic Differences in Education and Diverging Prospects for Urban Youth in an Enlarged Europe

Community-led regeneration: a review of the literature

The Scottish Government have incorporated the community in regeneration through the three social policy frameworks which guide the Scottish Government - Equally Well, Achieving Our Potential and the Early Years framework This report follows the

Regeneration Discussion paper which identified ‘community-led’ as one of the three

key themes which frame current thinking on regeneration.

Working lives: making welfare work
In one of its most radical policies, the government is to use public money to pay cash bounties to private providers for helping the unemployed get back to work. Employment Minister Chris Grayling sets out the policy in Politeia's lastest publication.