3.0 Planning PEP courses

As described above, PEP courses can help people to develop:

• Vocational skills, focused on sectors i.e. health, retail, construction, transport…
• Basic skills in literacy, numeracy or English language
• Job search skills such as CV writing and interview techniques
• Specific skills required generally by employers or for a particular job opportunity
• Specific skills needed to prepare for self-employment

There are numerous contributing factors which will influence the course themes you offer. For PEP, course themes should be strongly led by Labour Market Information (LMI) which will tell you the employment trends in your local area. However, this will be carefully balanced with your knowledge of learner progression and demand, and your capacity to deliver.

Shine [PEP]… was developed based on actual labour market opportunity in Brighton and Hove and we sought views of employers, JCP and the economic forum in order to develop it.” (Vernice Halligan, Head of Employer Engagement City College Brighton and Hove)

There are a number of places to find information about your local labour market, including:

• In-house expertise – i.e. any staff/departments dedicated to employer engagement, business development or Train to Gain should have LMI
• Regional Development Agencies - for the SE region this is South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). Their website offers monthly updates about LMI http://www.seeda.co.uk/Publications/Research_&_Economics/Skills_and_Labour_Market/
• NOMIS website – official labour market statistics https://www.nomisweb.co.uk
• Local Economic Partnership websites which should host useful information and items such as Local Area Agreements (LAAs). Example: Oxfordshire Economic Partnership website http://www.seeps.net/oxfordshire/homepage.html. To find your Local Economic Partnership follow the link http://www.seeps.net/
• Local Authority websites. Example: Kent County Council http://www.kent.gov.uk/Community/kent-and-its-people/facts-and-figures/economy-and-labour.htm
• For ‘softer’ information - Jobcentre plus (JCP) will have information about vacancies and employment opportunities in the area. Call your local Job Centre and ask to speak to either the Employer Engagement Manager or the Labour Market Recruitment Advisers (LMRA) For listings of LRMAs in the South East click links below:

Kent and Medway    Surrey and Sussex     Hampshire and IOW    Thames Valley

Some potential links:

• Use your in-house links with employers i.e. any staff/departments dedicated to employer engagement, business development or Train to Gain
• Your local Job Centre
• Business Link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/ supply information to people starting their own business and have strong links with employers
• Local recruitment agencies
• Your IAG provider, e.g. South East region = Nextstep  http://www.nextstepsoutheast.org.uk/
• Job vacancy websites, local such as www.jobsinkent.com  or national e.g. www.cvlibrary.com
• Chamber of Commerce http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/find-your-local-chambers
• Use JCP Recruitment Subsidy as an incentive for employers (see 6.1)
• Labour Market Recruitment Advisers (LMRA) at your local Job Centre will have information about job vacancies and links to Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/SouthEast/Basically_2_-_LEP.pdf ) and JCP Work Trials. View the Working Links case study to find out how they are using work trials as part of their work with Local Employment Partnerships

…we are learning that this [LMI] is an evolving picture that you need to stay in touch with to react accordingly
(Lesley Donoghue, Vice Principal, OCVC)

Expect to have to modify the programme to fit the feedback you will receive from the referral agencies that you will be working with
(Nigel Duncan, Vice Principal, Fareham College)

We work in partnership with JCP and their LEP Account Managers and LEP Employers, the PEP material is then semi-bespoke. Some will be mandatory such as health & safety and rights at work; however the employers we meet with JCP are requested to input their own needs into the training. For Retail we could potentially be asked to concentrate more on customer service or for a more admin based role it may be around numeracy and literacy testing in preparation for the recruitment process
(Beverley Foard, Skills Manager, Skills South East, Working Links)

• Pre-employment provision may be a full or part time programme, and may vary in length. However there are rules for people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) and these need to be taken into account if you are to attract that audience (see 1.4).
• For ALR-funded provision: standard ALR funding rules apply – all courses should have a minimum of 9 guided learning hours (GLH)
• The qualifications you choose will usually have a recommended number of GLH
• Your organisation may have access to other PEP-related funding streams, in which case, where varying funding streams are attached to different learners on the same course, the minimum GLH for each learner will need to be met.

We have found that short, fairly intensive courses seem to work well in terms of enjoyment and retention.”
(Ingrid Widdows, Get That Job Project Manager, OCVC)

For ALR-funded providers: provided the qualification you choose is relevant and has an associated (currently valid) Learning Aim Database (LAD) reference code to enter onto the (Individual Learner Record) ILR, you can choose any you like that are fundable for ALR.

We would recommend you look at the unit-based qualifications now available on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF), as these are short and snappy and can often be combined to form more substantial qualifications at a later date (see 3.6). These unit-based qualifications each have an associated LAD reference. View a full list of all the units available on the QCF. This includes a range of  vocational themes in addition to the more traditional PEP themes such as preparation for life and work units. Read the introduction on page 1 and view the list on page 2.

Unit-based qualifications from specific awarding bodies
If you are already registered with an awarding body and have a preference, it may be quicker for you to look at the list of unit-based qualifications available from:

• City and Guilds
• Edexcel (and the explanation of ‘WorkSkills’ in 3.6)
• A selection of units from the full list which may be relevant to ALR providers delivering PEP. (this details units from City and Guilds, Edexcel and NOCN who are awarding bodies commonly used by ALR providers. There are opportunities from all three awarding bodies to build these separate units into more substantial qualifications such as Awards, Certificates or Diplomas).

A key national policy intention is to help people gain full level 2 and 3 qualifications, particularly those who have not been in employment for some time. It is helpful to keep this in mind when considering qualifications for PEP and progression pathways as there is a clear correlation. For some, gaining these qualifications would be possible at the pre-employment stage. For others, the pre-employment stage can act as a stepping stone into employment in order that they can be encouraged to gain their full level 2 or 3 once in work through Train to Gain.

Flexible, roll-on roll-off provision is what Jobcentre plus (JCP) requires for their unemployed clients, as this enables start dates at regular intervals.
This is a common dilemma for providers, as logistically, roll-on roll-off courses can be quite complex to operate. The new unit-based qualifications however, can help providers to deliver small chunks of learning as a valid course in its own right (see 3.5). A couple of examples:
- Deliver small stand-alone chunks of learning. Each short course represents one unit-based qualification; therefore courses could start frequently (provided learner numbers are sufficient)
- Design courses made up of a series of units. In this scenario, learners can either dip in for specific units or complete the entire course of units – this would allow them to gain either a series of unit qualifications, or a more substantial qualification such as an award, certificate or diploma. If this course operates on a rolling programme, learners could join the course at the start of any new unit.
For example:

Providing learning in small chunks can help in terms of retention and thus, success rates. See 3.5 for details of unit-based qualifications for PEP.

If there is a short time before the course starts, it is vital to communicate with learners and ‘keep them warm’.
(Ingrid Widdows, Get That Job Project Manager, OCVC)

Standard teaching contracts and the academic year calendar can provide issues for some organisations in terms of capacity during extended holiday periods. In the long term, providers will need to consider how they organise resource to ensure seamless delivery. In the short term, the use of initiatives such as summer school can provide solutions. Some staff may actually be glad of the additional hours and money.
(Sara Whalley, Inspire2learn Ltd Consultancy).

The ASDAN Employability Award can be delivered in units.  It can be delivered at multi levels from Entry 2 to Level 3 and covers topics such as teamwork, customer care and communication.  It is especially useful for a rolling programme as the units need not be delivered in sequence.
(Rhona Foley, Placement Officer, Canterbury College).