blueprint

turning policy into reality

autumn 2008

FROM OFFENDER
TO POLICYMAKER:
MARK JOHNSON
SPEAKS HIS MIND

STREET WISE
Inside:
l B
 eating
child poverty
l actin
 g against
gun and knife crime
l g
 etting back to work:
new ideas from
Germany and poland
 up front: contents
blueprint
Contents
News 4
Events and news from around the world

View from the chair

What gets A4e chairman Emma Harrison
5 From the editor
up in the morning?
Sara McKee
The Blueprint interview 6
We talk to Lisa Harker, co-director of the Institute
Group COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, a4e
for Public Policy Research, about child poverty

In the nick of time 9

6 20

Ex-offender turned
policymaker Mark
Johnson tells his
story – and gives
advice on how to
help youngsters
stay on the straight
and narrow
Opinion 13
Mark Lovell, A4e executive chairman,
on joined-up thinking
Home alone 24
Why single parents in the north of England
no longer need to go it alone
Keeping it in 26
the family
How a new programme
in Germany is helping
to boost home life and
relationships by getting
impoverished
W
elcome to the first issue of the new,
re-designed Blueprint magazine.
We’ve given the magazine a fresh,
new look to showcase the work A4e
is doing around the world. We’re really excited about
sharing some of our real-life stories and highlighting
the important work our teams and partners are re-offending and his gradual rehabilitation.
undertaking, much of which happens behind Johnson is currently advising policymakers about
the scenes. reintegrating prisoners and disadvantaged young
Being With the latest unemployment figures showing people into society – read more about his story on
that the number of unemployed people in the UK page nine.
increased to 1.67 million between April and June, Being impoverished can also affect your life

Fashioning a new life 14

How a group of job-seekers in Hackney used
fashion to help tackle gun and knife crime
Legal eagles 18
Got a legal problem? Then there’s a team in
Leicester that can help – for free
Playing a supporting role 20
A scheme in the West Midlands is helping locals
gain new skills and jobs
unemployed families
back to work
A new horizon 30
We look at the demise of traditional industries in
chances as
Poland – and the new opportunities for workers
10 in ten 32
Martin Oxley, chief executive of the British-
Polish Chamber of Commerce, answers our
quick-fire questions
A4e’s new manifesto on
tackling poverty is out now.
can affect there’s never been a more important time to give
jobless people the help they need – and deserve. This
your life issue, we visited the West Midlands to find out about
an innovative project in Smethwick, called LACES,
that’s helping people in a disadvantaged area gain the
skills and confidence to get back to work.
a child Those in deprived areas face many different
issues, but thanks to the work of A4e and
Smethwick Council, many local people have found
work and others are in the process of gaining new
skills to help them back into work – see page 20 to
find out more.
Looking to the future
Another issue that can affect children and young
people is crime. Although the latest figures show
that crime levels have dropped in the UK, it’s still
crucial to steer young people away from drugs,
violence and theft at an early age to give them a
better, clearer path for the future. We spoke to ex-
offender and author of Wasted, Mark Johnson, who
shared his experiences of being in borstal,
chances as a child, as we find out on page six. Lisa
Harker, co-director of the Institute for Public Policy
Research, gave us a thought-provoking insight
into the issues of child poverty, highlighting some
important factors that need to be overcome if we’re
to give children the chance they deserve.
Meanwhile, lessons learned from a new family
programme run by A4e in Germany are now being
put into action in Wales – read more on page 26.
Sticking with an international theme, we look at
how a new project in Poland is helping the country’s
long-term unemployed (page 30).
With the highest number of people out of work
in Europe, addressing unemployment in Poland is
clearly a pressing priority.
Enjoy the magazine,

Visit www.a4e.co.uk to
download the report. produced by: Cambridge Publishers (www.cpl.biz)

group commercial director:

Sara McKee, A4e

To contribute to Blueprint, contact Sara McKee on smckee@a4e.co.uk or call

free on 0800 345 666. A4e Head Office, Bessemer Road, Sheffield S9 3XN.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of A4e Ltd or Cambridge Publishers Ltd.

2 blueprint autumn 2008 blueprint autumn 2008 3

Up fROnT: round-up
News
India scales skills summit
India was set to host
a Global Summit on
Skills development as
Blueprint went to press.
Sponsored by
A4e, the New Delhi
summit held on
17-18 September was
designed to draw
together key speakers
to address skills
development in India.
With economic
growth of 10 per cent,
India is one of the
fastest-growing
Tommy’s praise for Scottish scheme
Skills Development
Scotland has renewed
its contract with A4e
Scotland, which will
help more than 100
Scots get back to work
over the next year.
The contract,
which will run until
March 2009, will
cover two initiatives:
Training for Work for
4 BLUEpRInT autumn 2008
economies in the world.
But the Confederation
of Indian Industry
believes that for India
to realise its growth
potential, the country
needs large-scale skills
development
programmes.
The confederation
wants India to
become a ‘knowledge
superpower’ by 2020.
Barriers to this include:
l Unemployment at
9.6 per cent (or 49
people who have been
unemployed for more
than six months; and
Get Ready for Work,
which aims to help
school-leavers find work.
Training for Work
will focus on helping
the unemployed in
Glasgow, Ayrshire
and Fife. Those
who participate in
140 million workers in
India are categorised as
casual labourers, with no
regular source of income.
million people); l 70 per cent of
l A school drop-out workers being defined
rate of 90 per cent; as illiterate or educated
l Ninety per cent of below primary level.
the workforce being A4e India will be
employed in the
‘informal’ sector, which
working with the
government, as well
means their skills have as private sector and
no formal recognition; industry representatives
l No skills courses for to overcome some of
school drop-outs; these challenges.
l 140 million workers
MORE INFO: contact
being categorised as Sidharth Mishra at
casual labour, with no
regular source of work
smishra@a4e.co.uk or see
www.cii-skillsdevelopment.
or income;
in/globalsummit.htm
the programmes in what I wanted to do.
Glasgow will be offered The help I received
short courses to make was first-class.
them more attractive to ‘I ended up getting
prospective employers my forklift driving
in the retail, transport certificate, which
and logistics industries. enabled me to get
Tommy Reynolds, a job working in a
who has participated in warehouse.’
Training for Work, said: MORE INFO: contact
‘Prior to getting help Russel Griggs at
from A4e, I didn’t know rgriggs@a4e.co.uk
Up fROnT: view from the Chair
news in
brief
READ ALL
ABOUT IT
HMP Warren Hill has
A sense of
been hailed as a centre
of excellence by the BBC
for its adoption of the
corporation’s Reading and
Writing (RaW) campaign.
social purpose
A film crew from the
BBC’s Look East magazine
show visited the Suffolk
prison/young offender’s
institute to see its literacy
programme in action,
which was launched in
I
2005 to help over-25s to
read and write. ’m often asked what gets me up in the morning
Ali Martin, from Warren and what makes me continue to want to build
Hill’s A4e Juvenile A4e into a global organisation. Well it is very
Offender Learning
department, attended the simple – it’s my passion. If you’re going to be
launch of RaW and found successful in anything – be it business or sport or a
the BBC interested in hobby, you have to follow your passion.
working with the Suffolk
institute. ‘Although we I’ve been inspired by Team GB at this year’s
are a young people’s Beijing Olympics: who would have thought we’d be
establishment catering for in the top four in the medals table! They’ve put in
15 to 18-year-olds, the
BBC embraced the fact we so many gruelling hours of training, withstood many
frustrations and shown so much determination to
wanted to get involved,’
she said. EmmA hARRISOn deliver such fantastic results.
The Literacy Department
has since used a variety of
Chairman, a4e That’s what we try to do at A4e. We may never
RaW resources to create achieve a gold medal or world recognition, but we
engaging and stimulating can be proud of the many thousands of lives we’ve
lessons.
Asian businesses are helped to improve over the past 20 years.
flying high thanks to What gets me out of bed? Influencing senior
AImIng hIgh NWDA support.
The Tees Valley Education politicians to think about the individual when they
Business Partnership design their next policy and inspiring, encouraging
(TVEBP) – unique as it
is managed by a private
company – aims to be
Start-ups gain pace and elevating my teams to be braver, look outwards
and go that extra mile for our clients.
one of the best EBPs in A total of 131 business region. In addition, I like to travel regularly and visit our centres
the country, according to
TVEBP Manager Amanda
start-ups led by Asian more than 1,000 across the UK and internationally. I want to talk to
Olvanhill. entrepreneurs have new businesses the clients we help, to find out what would motivate
Olvanhill explains: ‘The been created over the have started up with them, what difference we can make to give them
team do a fantastic job,
but we still have huge
past year, thanks to the the consortium’s confidence to try a new skill or apply for that job
ambitions. We want to be Northwest Regional help. they dream of and to understand from our fantastic
recognised as one of the
best EBPs in the country.
Development Agency’s
(NWDA) Business Start
A4e recently
showed its support
We can be tutors what tools they need to make it happen. In
short, to do whatever it takes to improve someone’s
We want to grow the
business and aim to do Up initiative. for Asian businesses proud of life today.
this on a reputation built Operated by A4e by sponsoring the That’s why when I talk about A4e, I don’t talk
on quality and best value.’
and delivered by a New Business Start
the many about corporate social responsibility. I believe in
TVEBP, one of many
consortium of partners Up category at the thousands having a social purpose in whatever I do and I’m
EBPs working hard to link
business to education in the in north-west England, Tiger Awards, held by continuing to build on that philosophy around the
UK, transferred to A4e from
the Connexions Service in
on behalf of the the Asian Business of lives we’ve world. I hope when you visit our centres or meet
2007. Next year, the
partnerships will continue
NWDA, the scheme Foundation. helped to with A4e people, you’ll see that we’ve all signed up
aims to encourage Blackburn-based to our mission – to improve people’s lives.
to innovate, sourcing
funding from contracted
business start-ups Univision Eye Centre, improve
and commercial activities and advise fledgling a family-owned EmmA hARRISOn
and using the businesses within opticians with multi-
entrepreneurial approach
that enables them
under-represented lingual staff, won the
to deliver a high-quality, groups and areas in award for outstanding
cost-effective service. the region. customer service.
The consortium
MORE INFO: contact
Amanda Olvanhill at
has helped more than MORE INFO: contact
Janet Houghton at
aolvanhill@a4e.co.uk 3,000 people with janethoughton@a4e.
or see www.nebpn.org pre-start support co.uk or see www.
Inspiring... Team GB win
across the north-west businessstartupnw.co.uk
another gold medal in Beijing.
BLUEpRInT autumn 2008 5
 the blueprint interview: Lisa Harker

‘So many problems

have their roots in
child poverty’
With over half of the children living in poverty family where someone does have a job, so it’s also
about low pay, where the family wage is not enough
coming from workless households, the link between to make ends meets.
People living in poverty can be both home owners
child poverty and sustainable employment is clear. and those living in social housing. The latter is
We talk to Lisa Harker, co-director of the Institute strongly associated with poverty, but by no means
exclusive. There are many families who we might
for Public Policy Research, about why eradicating consider on the surface not to be poor – they have
a job, they contribute to society, they have a home
child poverty, improving education and boosting and they may be working in organisations around
household incomes is so critical us. But although child poverty levels have fallen
overall in the last 10 years, the proportion of poor
children living in working families has remained
How do you define child poverty? much the same.
profile There are various ways of measuring it. The Income levels have improved across the board
Name: Lisa Harker government has three core measures: poverty Although in the last 10 years, too, but we have not seen a
can be measured in an absolute way by taking a substantial reduction in the gap between rich and
Age: 39
Education: Lord fixed poverty line over a period of time, or it can
being poor poor. We’ve seen an increase in the number of
Digby’s School, be measured in a relative way which looks at the does not mean parents with jobs, but not a significant improvement
Dorset; Bristol proportion of people on incomes below 60 per cent in families reliant on a low wage.
University; London of the average income. That poverty line changes
a certain life
School of Economics year-on-year as the average incomes change. sentence, it Why is it so important for us to eradicate
Current role: The third way is a material deprivation measure. child poverty?
Co-Director, Institute In other words, what people are going without significantly It’s partly about improving the life chances of
for Public Policy because they have a low income. This could be not increases the children – the principle in society is that children
Research being able to afford a warm coat in winter, a hot should have equal chances in life – but it’s also
Job history: meal every day or an annual holiday of some sort. risk of poor about social justice and equality. Eradicating poverty
l Independent adviser If you measure them over time, you can see how is of interest to society at large, too. If poverty is
on child poverty to poverty changes – they tell a story as to what is
educational at the root of social problems, it’s more costly for
the Department for happening to incomes in Britain and child poverty attainment, society to fix those problems at a later date. If we
Work and Pensions in particular. want a society that’s healthier, more productive, with
(2006) poor health less crime and fewer social differences, we have to
l Deputy Director, What, in your experience, is the main and later life tackle child poverty. So many problems have their
IPPR cause? roots in child poverty.
l Chair, Daycare Trust There are several causes. Worklessness – in other chances, such
l Social Affairs words, being brought up in a family where no-one
as getting a job Does poverty mainly affect lone parents?
Adviser, BBC has a job – is a major cause of child poverty. In this It’s certainly the case that while lone parents have
l Head of Campaigns, country, we have a higher proportion of families a very high risk of being in poverty, the bulk of
Child Poverty Action without anyone in work than any other European families in poverty have two parents. There’s a high
Photo: Kevin Nixon

Group country. But half of all children in poverty live in a risk where neither parent is in work, as well as in

6 blueprint autumn 2008 blueprint autumn 2008 7

the blueprint interview: Lisa Harker

families where one member of the family is in work,
but the wage is not sufficient.
But is child poverty really an issue in the
UK, compared with the problems faced by
third world countries?
Poverty in the UK is of a different kind to that in
the developing world, but no less devastating in its
impact on children’s life changes. Living on a low
income in a rich country can have a substantial
impact on the opportunities for children to
flourish. It means reductions in health, educational
opportunities and a reduction in those children
taking up the kind of opportunities that we now
consider normal for
most children. The
consequences of being
poor in a rich country
are a serious problem
and should not be
dismissed just because,
pound for pound,
the children are rich
compared to those in the
developing world.
I had
aspirations, but
a complicated mix of parental and educational
factors. They are disadvantaged partly because of
I didn’t have
a lack of access to educational resources such as the tools to get
books in the home, partly language development,
and partly their peer groups. Who they interact hold of them.
with, mixing with other families in poor situations I didn’t have
and not accessing social networks that other more
affluent parents might be aware of all contribute. It any support
really underlines that poverty in itself is damaging to Mark Johnson
children’s life chances.
How important is education in beating
A child’s life chances are
child poverty?
restricted by poverty. It’s critical, not only because being out of work
puts families at a very high risk of poverty, but by
improving skills, parents can ensure that they have
access to the kind of employment which will help
lift their family out of poverty. So the focus should
not just be on getting back to work, but improving
their skills, too.
What can the government do to help?
Over the past 10 years, the government has put in
place an enormous amount of initiatives to try to
tackle child poverty, largely driven by an objective
of eradicating it in 20 years. They have invested in

In the nick of time

What are the future additional financial support for families through
implications for an benefits and tax credits, and by schemes such Sure
impoverished child? Start and childcare facilities. It’s a combination
Almost all life chances of a redistribution of resources to ensure that
are linked to poverty. no family is living in a climate that makes them
Although being poor destitute, while ensuring there’s access to support
does not mean a and services. But they could be doing more. While
certain life sentence, it 600,000 children have been lifted out of poverty in We look at the work being done to get
significantly increases the past 10 years, it’s not really enough to put the
the risk of poor government on track to meet its pledge. disaffected and vulnerable young people
educational attainment,
poor health and later
When we look at how other countries respond
to the challenge of child poverty, we still spend
into training and work – before they find
life chances, such as comparatively small amounts to help families in themselves on the wrong side of the law
getting a job. It also those situations. Unless we invest more resources
increases the chances and look at ways that services and support can be
of getting into trouble really effective, we won’t be able to reduce child

and homelessness.
On most indicators of
disadvantage, child poverty has a strong impact.
We know from research that smart children from
a poor background are overtaken by less bright
but rich children – by the age of 22 months, It’s
We know from research that smart
poverty to a significant extent.
Can families help themselves?
Certainly. Getting out of poverty requires both
support and personal energy, as well as commitment
and initiative. There are many services available
for families that can help support families through
difficult times, so it is a responsibility of the
individual to take up support when it’s available.
It’s also about being open to being helped
and recognising that for the sake of children, it’s
Photo: BEN MURPHY
‘I
f we don’t start listening to people at the sharp
end, we’re going to have real problems. We need
programmes that will actually work for young
people, not just for the civil servants who come
up with them.’ So says ex-offender Mark Johnson. And he
should know – a former drug addict who spent years in
and out of prison, he now runs a successful business and
advises policymakers about reintegrating prisoners and
disadvantaged young people into society.
Johnson’s own story began as he grew up in a
dysfunctional family in the West Midlands with a violent
got drunk for the first time at the age of eight with a group
of skinheads at the bottom of the street. I tried heroin at
11 and got into trouble at school. I had aspirations, but
I didn’t have tools to get hold of them. I didn’t have any
support.’
Johnson got into art college, but he soon realised that
his own circumstances were very different to those of his
fellow pupils – and he didn’t fit in. ‘I had to go to college
200 miles away from home because there was a court
order to stop my dad coming near me’, he says. ‘All the
other kids were going home to their parents and a meal,

children from a poor background are important to do everything possible to give them alcoholic father and a deeply religious mother who had and a visit to the Louvre every couple of months. And
the best start in life. But I have yet to meet many mental health problems. ‘Because of the chaos at home Mark Johnson is 200 miles away from home, living in a
overtaken by less bright but rich families who don’t believe that the most important and the volatile atmosphere, I spent a lot of time on the bedsit on £20 a week. Not surprisingly, without support, I
children – by the age of 22 months thing is the wellbeing of their children. streets and kept running away from home,’ he explains. ‘I couldn’t stick at it. But the people who’d always accepted

8 blueprint autumn 2008 blueprint autumn 2008 9

feature: offender management
The kind
of education
I needed was
about myself.
Ministers focus
on academic
education, but
it’s not what
people need
Mark Johnson
me were the ones at the end of the street – though along
with their friendship came an escalation in crime and
drug use.
‘Early on, I learned that you don’t change how you
feel by working through your problems, or by getting the
warm love and support of your parents – you change how
you feel by using a chemical. And the driver to get the
chemicals is crime. I ended up robbing the art college,
and within two months I was in borstal.’
Johnson found borstal very tough – both in terms of
the ‘short sharp shock’ military regime and his treatment
at the hands of other inmates. Adjusting to life back on
the outside was even harder. ‘The code that you live by
in borstal is not the same that society outside expects’,
he explains. ‘In borstal, if you don’t take, you’ll be taken.
If you show your vulnerability, someone will have you. I
got out and, within two months, I was back in again for a
violent robbery.’
A prison officer got him into a drug treatment centre to
tackle his addiction to crack and heroin, and he managed
to get a job as a tree surgeon on his release. But he was
soon back on drugs, and holding down a full-time job
wasn’t easy. He ended up living on the streets in the West
End of London, where he hit rock bottom. ‘I went down
to 7st 7lbs and I was covered in body lice and scabs.
Society locks drug addicts up, but how can you punish
someone who’s punishing themselves that much?’
A new direction
The turning point for Johnson came eight years ago
when a former friend, Sean Evans, spotted him in a
doorway. Evans, now a social worker, got Johnson into
a detox unit followed by a drug treatment programme.
Even though it was exactly what he needed, he found
the rehabilitation process more difficult than prison life.
‘Society calls it the soft option, but, at the time, I’d rather
10 blueprint autumn 2008
have done six months in prison than one week in rehab.
It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done because you have to
look at yourself and your behaviour. And it’s painful. The
Mark Johnson today who’s getting up at 7am, making his
bed, washing his clothes, making food and vacuuming is
because of that programme.
‘The kind of education I needed was about myself.
Ministers focus on academic education, but it’s not what
people need,’ he adds. ‘Somebody can live successfully
without even being able to read and write. They don’t
need maths and English – they need to know how to act
around other people.’
After the drugs programme, Mark decided to revive his
tree surgery skills and set up his own business, Treewise.
Advice, loans and grants from the Prince’s Trust got
him started, and he was soon getting enough work to be
able to employ others. Keen to put something back into
society, Johnson made it his business to take on as many
ex-offenders or those in recovery as he could. ‘I can tell
you what an interesting experience it was to have 25
ex-offenders and addicts out in the middle of the woods
wielding chainsaws,’ he laughs.
His efforts came to the attention of others, and he
won the Young Achiever of the Year Award in Business,
followed by the Daily Mail’s Pride of Britain award in
2005. Now 38, Johnson’s ‘success against the odds’ story
has made him hot property when it comes to giving a
voice to the disadvantaged – and coming up with ways
of reaching out to young people before they go down the
route of drug addiction or crime. Prince Charles invited
him to Clarence House to address a meeting of law and
policymakers and share his experiences.
That led to him being offered a job on the board of the
Probation Service’s Offender Management Programme
Board and the Regional Board of Directors. He’s been
invited to many other meetings with policymakers,
including Gordon Brown and Alex Salmond, and now
writes columns for The Big Issue and The Guardian. He’s
also written a best-selling book about his life, Wasted.
‘Young people need to be listened to,’ he says, ‘and we
need to have programmes that are designed by them with
their needs at heart, and involve them in the process.
There’s a huge divide: all the money and the resources
seem to go to people who are easy to help. There’s a big
hole appearing where other groups, who the authorities
don’t know how to reach, are having resources designed
for them that are futile.’
Give youth a chance
A centre in Teesside offers young people exactly the kind
of programmes where their voices are heard and their
individual needs are catered for. The A4e-run centre,
based at Thornaby Community School in Stockton,
works with vulnerable young people to get them into
education or employment. The project targets both
under-16s who are not in school and 16- to 19-year-olds
who are NEET – Not in Education, Employment or
Young people practise teamwork,
as part of a programme to build
skills for the workplace.
In borstal, if you don’t take, you’ll be
taken. If you show your vulnerability, someone
will have you. I got out and, within two months,
I was back in again for a violent robbery
Training. The centre offers a mixture of one-to-one work,
skills courses and work placements. All programmes are
tailored to an individual’s needs – and the young person
is actively involved in deciding what sort of package will
be put together for them.
Two of the centres’ programmes are Fit for
Employment and GoalZ. Fit for Employment gives
young people training on skills such as listening,
communication and problem solving, followed by
work placements, often in the construction industry.
Construction firms from the local area work in
partnership with the centre and take on the most
promising youngsters as apprentices. GoalZ aims to
re-engage young people at risk of social and economic
mark johnson
exclusion and to remove barriers that will prevent them
from advancing to education, employment or training.
It identifies obstacles that may hinder their progression,
offering personal and social development and work-
related training, as well as working with local employers to
source work placements and employment opportunities.
Michelle Bellamy, contract and liaison manager at
A4e Education and Enterprise in Thornaby, says: ‘There
are a lot of young people in the Tees Valley who leave
school and just disappear and become NEET. Our job
is to engage with these people. We do a lot of our work
in the community on an outreach programme – we meet
with these young people and find out what their barriers
are to moving forward, and we’ll put together a personal
action plan with them.’
Going for goals
Business manager Siân Stephenson delivers the centre’s
GoalZ project to young people who have been excluded
or are at risk of exclusion. One Year 10 student she
worked with was a ‘Schedule One’ offender, meaning
he had committed a violent crime against an under-18-
year-old. He was also aggressive and abusive to staff, had
case study: ben
From social exclusion
to working success
Ben was permanently excluded from mainstream school in
year 10 due to his disruptive attitude and behaviour to staff
and fellow pupils, and attended a Pupil Referral Unit.
He was diagnosed with ADHD and referred to the GoalZ
project for intensive support, training and mentoring, which
enabled him to develop work-related skills and behaviours
in a non-threatening environment. Ben achieved a level one
qualification while gaining valuable work experience.
He has now settled into a job with an orthopaedic
company, Implants International (www.implants
international.com). Working with a small team of
experienced machinists, Ben says: ‘I really enjoy working
with the guys and the hands-on nature of the job.’ Ralph
Jordinson, Ben’s educational broker, adds: ‘Ben was not
responding well to mainstream education. GoalZ provided
him with the intensive one-to-one support he needed.
Many young people with ADHD often cannot cope with the
mainstream environment, making it more difficult to make a
transition to employment or further education.’
blueprint autumn 2008 11
 a taste of life inside
A4e Skills in Cardiff have been working with ex-offender
Gary Pearce to deliver a drug and offending prevention
education course to vulnerable young people. Pearce,
who has been in prison 16 times for driving offences and
drug addiction, decided that enough was enough after his
final release in March 2005.
‘When I came out of prison, I told my mentor that I
wanted to give something back to the community,’ he
says. ‘I started going to schools on a voluntary basis to
talk about what life was like in prison. Finally I was put in
touch with A4e, who started funding the project.’
The DOPE (Drug Offending and Prevention Education)
programme has had positive feedback from young
people. ‘I go to lots of schools and community centres all
over the UK,‘ says Pearce. ‘We do a variety of sessions
where we talk about drugs, prison life and what we lost
when we were inside. Being in prison is not as easy as
everyone says it is.
‘We also do talks on alcohol and joyriding, showing
the youngsters that with dangerous driving, it’s all about
the people that you leave behind. It’s really effective. I
was very lucky to come out of prison, and my life has
changed tremendously. If I can stop just one person going
where I went, I’ve done what I wanted to do.’
BLAS O FYWYD YN Y CARCHAR
Bu Sgiliau A4e yng Nghaerdydd yn gweithio gyda’r
cyn-droseddwr Gary Pearce i gyflwyno cyrsiau addysg
atal cyffuriau a throseddu i bobol ifanc agored i niwed.
Mae Pearce yn defnyddio celfi megis cynllun gwir faint
cell mewn carchar, dillad sydd heb fod yn ffitio’n iawn ac
sydd wedi’u staenio’n arw a roir i garcharorion a lluniau
damweiniau ceir a achosir gan yrwyr dan effaith cyffuriau
neu alcohol er mwyn eu gwneud yn ymwybodol o wiri-
oneddau defnyddio cyffuriau a bywyd yn y carchar.
Penderfynodd Pearce, sydd wedi bod yn y carchar 16
o weithiau am droseddau gyrru a chaethiwed i gyffuriau,
ei fod wedi cael hen ddigon ar ôl ei ryddhau ddiweddaraf
ym mis Mawrth 2005.
‘Pan ddois i allan o’r carchar, dywedais wrth fy mentor
fod arna i eisiau rhoi rhywbeth yn ôl i’r gymuned,’ med-
dai. ‘Dechreuais fynd i ysgolion yn wirfoddol i sôn am
sut beth oedd bywyd yn y carchar. Ymhen yr hir a’r hwyr
rhoddwyd fi mewn cysylltiad ag A4e, a ddechreuodd
gyllido’r prosiect.’
Mae’r rhaglen DOPE (Addysg Troseddau Cyffuriau
ac Atal) wedi cael ymateb cadarnhaol gan bobol ifanc.
‘Byddaf yn mynd i lawer o ysgolion a chanolfannau
cymuned ledled Prydain,’ meddai Pearce. ‘Byddwn yn
gwneud amrywiaeth o sesiynau lle byddwn yn sôn am
gyffuriau, bywyd yn y carchar a beth roeddem yn ei golli
pan oeddem yn y carchar. Dydi bod yn y carchar ddim
mor hawdd ag y mae pawb yn dweud ei fod.
‘Byddwn hefyd yn cynnal sgyrsiau ar alcohol a gwe-
fryrru, gan ddangos i’r bobol ifanc, pan fyddwch chi’n
gyrru’n beryglus, y peth mawr ydi’r bobol rydych chi’n eu
gadael ar eich ôl. Mae’n wirioneddol effeithiol. Roeddwn
i’n lwcus iawn i ddod allan o’r carchar, ac mae fy mywyd
i wedi newid yn aruthrol. Os galla i stopio dim ond un
person rhag mynd i ble’r es i, rwy wedi gwneud be roedd
arna i eisiau’i wneud.’
12 blueprint autumn 2008
Youngsters work with
ex-offender Gary Pearce
to get a feel for prison life
We do a lot of our work in the
community on an outreach programme – we
meet with these young people and find out what
their barriers are to moving forward
Students participate in a
problem-solving challenge.
ADHD and alcohol and drug abuse issues, and had a
Statement of Special Needs.
‘His basic skills were very poor,’ says Stephenson ‘but
we managed to get him through the OCR Preparation
for Employment because he was very keen on going to
work. No-one had ever explained to him what his status
meant in terms of his career options. We got him onto
a work placement in a specialist farm centre that had
experience of dealing with young people in situations
like his. He’s now on an access course at college.’
A further programme, Routz2work, has supported
young people like Jennie who dropped out of school due
to severe bullying. She had very little confidence, poor
academic skills and low aspirations. She worked on a one-
to-one basis with staff from Thornaby including Siobhan,
a college leaver and youth consultant who had grown
up in the local area and could understand the issues
michelle bellamy
of young people struggling with education. Through
working with Siobhan and Sian Stephenson, Jennie
gained confidence and now hopes to go to college to
learn beauty therapy and open her own beauty therapy
business in the future. ‘Just because you are from a
certain area and you haven’t got a lot of money, it doesn’t
mean that you have to stay like that,’ she says. ‘You can go
to college and get qualifications and get a good job – you
can have a better future.’
With courses such as GoalZ, Fit for Employment
and DOPE (see box) now on offer in many areas of the
country, the hope is that vulnerable individuals such as
Mark Johnson can be identified and given the help and
support they need at the earliest possible stage. That way,
they can be re-directed from years of crime or drug abuse,
instead of only being offered help when it’s too late.
Home truths
The case of a former offender leaves happen to me’ situations. He lost faith and belief.
Mark Lovell irritated – and determined to terms of the hostel and broke the rules. So he was
provide a solution for the future recalled
O
ver the past couple of months,
I’ve spent some time working on
international joined-up public services.
I have helped with the DeAnne Julius
report on the ‘public service industry’ in the UK and
have been developing offers for the US, Australia,
France, Israel and the UK.
There is some great potential for A4e to use
its diverse range of services to showcase how
improved joined-up public services are better
for consumers and provide value for money and
savings. Opportunities under the ‘right to bid’ and
the flexible New Deal in the UK welfare market
mean that joined-up skills, enterprise, health and
employment approaches are going to be developed.
It also strikes me how difficult it is to do this in
practice. Often A4e goes the extra mile to make this
happen. But sadly, it doesn’t always work.
A few weeks ago, we had an opportunity for
a prisoner we work with on our training and
educational services. He had been identified as
having enormous potential by a tutor we brought in
and he was offered a wonderful opportunity to join
a training course in London that would take him
into the film industry. The prisoner involved had a
history of vulnerability, an addiction problem and
no possessions, except the clothes he had in prison.
It’s easy to lose sight of how hard it is to leave
the prison gates and make your way in the world
to a new opportunity, avoiding the pitfalls and
networks that took you there in the first place. The
opportunity was in London and the prison was a
long way away. Grants for clothes and a place to
live had been turned down. A number of A4e’s
staff – doing the fantastic ‘extra’ stuff they always
do – sought to work with several agencies to make
this transition happen.
We found a hostel for him, but this was close
to the prison and close to those networks which
resulted in him being in prison in the first place.
OPINION: MARK LOVELL
We sorted some clothes. We got in touch with a
training and employment provider in London who
could help our client (we didn’t work in the area)
and they agreed to help. We arranged transport and
accommodation in London. But this took time and
the lack of ‘join-up’ meant that this opportunity
began to look more and more difficult to our
ex-offender. It became one of those ‘it’ll never
What happened next? Our client breached the
to prison.
As a result, the opportunity to turn the corner
and make a new start was lost. Could more have
been done? Yes. Does the person involved have to
take more responsibility for his actions? Absolutely.
Do we have a ‘system’ that enables, encourages and
supports this rights and responsibility framework
across different departments and agencies? No we
don’t.
At A4e we use situations like this to stimulate our
ideas, prompt innovation and drive our responses
to government in how to make this situation better.
It irritates our staff that they could not find a way
to make this work. But we have a concept, called
Mark Lovell wants to see
more progress on joined-up ‘Working Wing’, which is designed to address
public services.
these situations. It doesn’t need money, it needs
multi-agency agreement for us to join up funding.
My question is not: what is the cost of tackling
this? It is: what is
the cost of not doing
The prisoner involved had a something? In this
case it would have
history of vulnerability, cost less than £4,000
an addiction problem and no to resolve this issue.
Yet, at a conservative
possessions, except the estimate, the cost to
clothes he had in prison the public purse of our
client being returned
Mark Lovell, A4e executive chairman to prison is more than
£100,000.
Is the fact that vulnerable people are being failed
by the system someone’s fault? I don’t know and I
don’t care.
What I do know and care about is that we have an
opportunity in the UK to provide responses to these
issues. Public policy is providing a framework where
public, private and voluntary suppliers can work
together to tackle such issues.
My view is that it is impossible for an ‘agency’
or ‘department’ to tackle this – suppliers must step
up to the mark and make it happen. And that’s
what A4e is about – making it happen, improving
people’s lives.

Let our children understand that
any dream they have, they can truly fulfil.
That’s one of the things that our parents
taught us – to believe in our dreams
Richard Blackwood, comedian
at the sharp end: tackling gun and knife crime
Fashioning
a new life
From walking the streets to walking the catwalk –
how a group of enterprising young people are
taking a stand against knife and gun crime
P
ublic concern about crime in general –
and knife crime in particular – has hit a
new high this summer, fuelled partly by a
tabloid-led media frenzy over the issue.
According to a new Home Office report, around
two in three people believe that crime has increased
nationally in the past two years.
This perception is challenged by the latest crime
statistics released this summer. These show that
crime levels have fallen by nine per cent year-on-year
in England and Wales.
At the same time, however, the figures also reveal
there were a staggering 22,151 knife-related crimes
last year, which adds up to around 60 incidents
per day. Gun crime also rose by two per cent last
year and drug offences were up 18 per cent – that’s
34,725 more crimes, clear evidence that street crime
has definitely not gone away.
Getting to the root of the problem
It’s clear the best way to tackle the problem is to
reach the people at the heart of knife and gun crime
– the youth on the streets. And that’s just what a
group of young people at A4e in Hackney, north
London, have been doing.
The team, on a 13-week Gateway Plus programme
run by A4e to help unemployed people get back to
work, became inspired by Lisa Griffiths, Gateway
Plus advisor at the centre, to start designing clothes.
Griffiths decided it would be a great idea to get
the group involved in a creative project, and so the
team started designing their own jeans and T-shirts.
They came up with the theme of tackling gun and
knife crime, and decided to put on a fashion show
to raise awareness of the issues – and at the same
time to raise money for two charities – Through
Unity, which was set up to help families of victims of
knife, gun and gang-related crimes, and the NSPCC.
‘Every day we get the papers and read about gun
crime, and Hackney is quite a bad place to live in
that respect,’ said Griffiths. ‘I grew up here, so I can
see how it’s changed – it’s got a lot worse. We’re
just trying to tell people that there’s more to life
than being a gangster.’ Over the course of a month,
the group began putting their plan into action, and
while the A4e team funded the project and bought
essentials such as plain T-shirts, paints
and transfers, the clients began putting their
case study: ‘It’s
our role and our
job to guide these
young people’
Nathan Levy is a director of
Through Unity, a charity set
up to help the families of gun,
knife and youth crime.
‘On 16 September 2004, my brother, Robert, who’d
just finished his GCSEs, died from stab wounds. To
try to explain how that feels is impossible – it’s part
of me that has gone. There will always be a limit to
my happiness.
‘My work now is going into schools, talking to
people to try to push forward Through Unity as a
coalition of families to voice the concerns of our
society. Seeing what A4e is doing for gun and knife
crime is really important because I don’t want us to
watch our community and society fall to negative
people who haven’t got any aspirations. But it’s our
role and our job to guide these young people.
‘Think about why we’re allowing our community
to fall to pieces. If we leave it to the Government,
nothing might ever change. I’m interested seeing
people make a productive change.’
blueprint autumn 2008 15
at the sharp end: tackling gun and knife crime Our charities

Gun and knife violence

creative heads together and coming up with
their own designs.
New direction
Scott Philpott, 19, from Hackney, admits he had
little self-confidence before he came to A4e, and
needed a new direction. ‘I’m interested in creating
things with my hands, and this has given me the
motivation to do something new,’ he said. ‘Once we
decided to put on the fashion show, it just escalated.
I feel good that we’re doing it for charity, not for
ourselves. The whole thing has given me and the
rest of the group a lot more confidence, especially as
part of the show involved us singing on stage.’
During the fashion show, the group modelled
This project has given
me so much confidence
Scott Philpott, A4e client
continues to scar Britain and
claim the lives of talented
young people. Their families are all different, but
they share a common desire – to stop the killings
and violence. Following contact with a number of
families who had lost loved ones to either gun or
knife crime, The Foundation for Social Improvement
(FSI) took action to support their individual efforts
by bringing them together to form Through Unity, 
a coalition of relatives of young victims from
around Britain.  
Through Unity’s founding members include
Richard Taylor, whose son, Damilola, died in 2000
and Ian Levy, father of Robert Levy. They have
been joined by Pat and Nathan Levy (mother and
brother of Robert), Peter Sinclair, step-father of
murdered 22-year-old Tom Easton, and Mike Jervis,
along with others. Through Unity acts as a gateway
to the network of families and the work they are
carrying out. Though the problems of these families
are complex, together their aims are simple – to
amplify and strengthen the message from families

their customised jeans and T-shirts on a catwalk A4e’s Gateway Plus

and came together to mime and sing to anti-gun
and anti-knife crime songs. Comedian Richard
Blackwood was also on hand to support the efforts
of the team.
‘The new generation of kids that are coming
through don’t know what their identity or struggle
is,’ he said. ‘It’s really important that we take on
board our responsibilities as parents to steer them
the right way.’ He went on to say that he believes
the reason the media is currently so obsessed
about gun and knife crime is partly because the
killers are now going outside of London. But, he
added, communities have to take
responsibility to come together
and show some unity. ‘Kids
Luke and Jamie
lend their support
to the A4e clients
during the show.
that the violence must end, and to offer help to any
relatives who are suffering as they have done. This
may simply be advice on what to expect from police
and the courts, or a family may want to work to
prevent further deaths, possibly with existing youth
and community regeneration groups. Educating
young people about the dangers of guns, knives and
violence is a central theme in all they do.
The FSI continues to support the organisation with
mentoring of the CEO, development of the coalition,
training, preparation of key working documents,
support in the delivery of funding applications and
facilitation of meetings. The support that the FSI
offers has been instrumental in the success that
Through Unity has experienced so far, with
much more to look forward to in the coming year
as Through Unity’s work becomes increasingly
important.
About the FSI
Every day, small charitable organisations support
individuals, families and communities, and
positively touch the lives of millions. On a
daily basis, thousands of these organisations
struggle to remain open.
The FSI delivers expert knowledge, strategy
clients, staff and young
helpers take to the stage.
case study:
I’m dyslexic and I left school at 13, but ‘Certain places
because I can identify with some of the clients’ in Hackney are
no-go areas’
experiences, it helps – they really open up to me Scott Philpott, 19, from
Lisa Griffiths, Gateway Plus advisor Hackney, has been on the
Gateway Plus course at A4e in
sound bites... know the difference between right and wrong from Hackney for 10 weeks.
‘I can see that as a an early age. If we don’t rein them in now, what
community, these chance to they have?’ ‘I started out by going to my local job centre, and
young people are Shahida Din, business manager for A4e in after being put on the Working Links scheme, I came
pulling together to say Hackney, believes the whole event prompted the to A4e. Since coming here, I’ve been given help with
no to gun and knife youngsters to make a difference – and not just for job searching using the computers and cold-calling.
crime and youth violence. the charities. ‘The change in some of these people I don’t really mind doing it – the worst that they can
When you leave today, has been absolutely breathtaking,’ she said. ‘The say is “no”. It’s good for my confidence.
be inspired by them.’ way they have come out of their shells – and started ‘The theme of our fashion show was to stop gun
Nathan Levy, director, coming in on time, doing the work that has been and knife crime. I’ve seen it on the streets, and I’ve
Through Unity asked of them and giving their input – is amazing. known people who carry knives and guns. I haven’t
We only have them for 13 weeks, but they have been in the situation myself, but it depends where
‘Just seeing how the definitely motivated each other. you are. You could go around Hackney and be fine,
clients have pulled ‘They have made me really proud. By focussing but certain places are no-go areas.
together has been on their strengths and self-belief, they made the day ‘Part of it is the postcode issue, but you could
absolutely breathtaking. thoroughly enjoyable. I’ve offered the clients a room really walk through any postcode – it’s just whether
I’ve seen where they’ve to use in our building, so if they want to, they can certain people see you at the wrong time. You could
come from and I’ve continue designing their own clothes and maybe be doing nothing wrong and get jumped on. They’re
seen where they’ve got start a small business selling them – who knows?’ after your money.’
to, and it’s a massive
change.’ Shahida Din, A4e’s fashion show was kindly sponsored by the following local businesses: TGS Total Guards Security; Iceland, Dalston; Superdrug,
business manager for Dalston; Matalan, Dalston; Primark, Mare Street; Docklands City Furniture, Hackney Road; Bestways, Cambridge Heath Road;
A4e, Hackney Gardiners, Hackney Road, and Lees Cars, Hackney Road.

and support to them free of charge so

their futures are secure and their users
16 protected. blueprint autumn 2008 17
Day in the life: Community Legal Advice Centre
Legal eagles
Putting the spotlight on life at the sharp end for
two employees at the newly-opened Leicester
Community Legal Advice Centre (CLAC)
personal view: ‘It’s great when we see results’
Laura Beddard, 24, is a generalist case worker at Leicester CLAC
M
y job involves giving general legal
advice to customers. We have a
drop-in clinic every day from 10am-
1pm and 2pm-4pm. So during that
time, I see a number of clients who need help with
anything from benefits, family debt and civil actions
against other people to small claims, criminal
matters and personal injury. It’s a free service which
is open to anyone who lives in Leicester – they don’t
have to be in a particular financial situation.
This morning, I dealt with eight people – it was
particularly busy! But it all depends – for instance, if
someone needs help with disability living allowance,
I can spend two hours with them filling in the forms.
If it’s a housing benefit problem, I might have to
phone the council and spend an hour in the call
queue. But then I might spend just 10 minutes with
another customer with a quick enquiry.
Sometimes I need to refer customers to one of our
specialists if the matter is more complicated. For
instance, if someone wants a divorce, I would make
a referral for them to our family team.
It’s great to see results. For example, someone
came in with a problem with his bank – he kept
getting charged for mobile phones he hadn’t
ordered. The company was taking money out of his
bank account and the bank wasn’t listening. He was
getting quite frustrated, but I managed to get back
more than £500 for him.
Some days you can’t please everybody, and some
clients don’t tell you the whole truth about their
situation. But it does make me feel really pleased when
we sort out problems. It’s great to be there for them.
It does make me feel really pleased when we sort
out problems. It’s great to be there for them.
18 blueprint autumn 2008
jessie ford
Leicester CLAC’s Laura Beddard
personal view: ‘Debt impacts on every
aspect of a person’s life’
Jim Coulson, 52, is a specialist debt advisor at Leicester CLAC
I
’ve been involved in debt advice case work for
15 years. I don’t have any legal qualifications.
But based on my extensive experience, I meet
the supervisory standards for community legal
advice. I’ve got a good understanding of people’s
issues and problems.
The main part of my job is as a specialist.
Someone might come into the centre to get legal
advice, and if it’s a complicated matter, the advisor
might decide they need specialist help and refer
them on to me. I usually spend about an hour-
and-a-half with customers, interviewing them and
going through paperwork to see what the problem
is. For instance, someone might come to me with
an electricity bill they can’t pay. But when I talk to
Laura Beddard them in more detail, I might discover they also have
One-stop shop... people who
come to the Leicester Community
Legal Advice Centre can receive
support in a wide range of areas
– relevant to home, family and
business matters – that might be
affecting the quality of their lives.
fast facts
l The Leicester
Community Legal Advice
Centre is being funded
to the tune of £3 million
over the next three years
by Leicester City Council
and the Legal Services
Commission.
l Research shows that
across the UK, around
33 per cent of people
have legal problems and
one million problems go
unsolved each year.
l In Leicester, it is
estimated that 27,000
people each year need
legal advice.
l Advisors at the centre
have already given over
1745 people life-changing
advice.
l The service is being
delivered by A4e in
partnership with Howells
mortgage arrears and a threat of court action or a What has changed over the solicitors, the largest
provided of Legal Aid
summons to appear in court. If that’s the case, then
I would deal with the client right up to their court years is that we see a lot more services in England.
people with a modest income,
appearance, and even represent them in court.
‘We see a cross-section of society. But what has
changed over the years is that we see a lot more but a high level of debt
people with a modest income, but a high level of Jim Coulson
debt. They might have multiple credit cards or have
taken out a large loan 10 years ago, that they can’t their employment. If they can get control of their
pay. finances, you’ll often find their relationships
People also remortgage their houses to release improve, they’re happier going to work and they
equity, and arrears quickly build up on the second feel healthier – their stress and anxiety levels are
mortgage. In some cases, the only option is to cut reduced. As long as a person is in debt, they can’t
your losses and sell the house. Otherwise you can concentrate on anything else.
end up with your house being repossessed, leaving The biggest buzz I get from my work is when
you with a mortgage shortfall of perhaps £10,000- I see people taking my advice and doing things
£20,000. However, some people cling onto their themselves – it empowers them. You can see their
property and are left with nothing. confidence growing immediately. It also makes them
Debt impacts on every aspect of a person’s aware that if they have a problem in the future, they Debt advisor Jim Coulson
life. It affects their health, their relationships and have the skills to deal with it themselves.
blueprint autumn 2008 19
focus on: West Midlands

Engaging directly with a community in a deprived area of the

West Midlands is helping to provide job and training opportunities
to the unemployed – and giving them a new lease of life

Playing a
supporting role
F
inding work can be challenging at the Nanaya King talks
best of times, even when you’ve got plenty to a potential client
on the streets of
of qualifications and the support and West Bromwich.
encouragement of others around you.
But searching for a job when the area in which you
live is surrounded by unemployment with very few
opportunities means the stakes are instantly raised.
This is why a pilot project that has recently started I get so
up in the West Midlands has been making such an
impact on the lives of local unemployed people. The
much self-
Deprived Area Funding (DAF) contract in Sandwell, satisfaction
West Midlands, began in February 2008, and is run
jointly by A4e and Sandwell Council. By going out
out of running
into the community and engaging with those aged my own
19 or over, who are unemployed and have been in
receipt of benefits for at least 12 months, the project business. I’m
gives them the skills to get them back to work. Staff going to make
actively seek out potential clients using initiatives
such as holding surgeries in local community it work
centres and libraries, handing out leaflets in town Simon Lowe, 38,
centres and outside supermarkets, and visiting former a4e client
potential clients in their own homes.
Sandwell Council provides the training for
clients once their needs have been identified and,
rather than buying training courses in blocks,
bespoke courses are often arranged thanks to a
range of service level agreements with various
organisations. Helen Peach, employment and

20 blueprint autumn 2008 blueprint autumn 2008 21

focus on: West Midlands
‘I’d never go
back to being
unemployed again’
Simon Lowe, 38, set up a new
business, WB Ales, from a
market stall in West Bromwich,
as a result of gaining job skills
through the A4e programme.
‘I’d been unemployed for a while before I started the
A4e programme, and it made me feel useless. I was very
keen to get back to work. Through A4e, I did a security
guard qualification and got a job at a local shop near
the market. But although the job gave me a confidence
boost, it wasn’t really what I wanted to do.
‘I’d noticed a vacant stall on the market, and came up
with the idea of selling home brew kits. With the recent
recession and a lot of pubs shutting down, I thought
people would enjoy making their own beer. I’d been
brewing lager at home for a couple of years, so I thought
I’d give it a go.
‘I managed to save up two months wages from my
job, and with that, I bought my first stock from Young’s
brewery. I was a bit worried about spending all that
money, but it was either go for it or don’t do it at all –
and I’d rather take the chance. A4e gave me help and
put me in touch with local business advisors.
‘On the first day, I was nervous about whether I’d sell
anything, but I did sell a few kits and business is picking
up. Every day is getting a little better, and people are
beginning to know I’m here.
‘I get so much self-satisfaction out of running my own
business. In the future, I’d like a couple of stalls and even
a shop. I’m really happy that I gave it a go and I wouldn’t
change a thing. I’d never go back to being unemployed
again. This is it now – I’m going to make it work.’
skills officer for Sandwell Council, says that the
reason the programme works so well is because
communication between the two companies is so
clear. ‘If there’s a problem, we pick up the phone,’
she says. ‘Our mentors speak to A4e daily – it’s a
very streamlined system.’ Once a client has found
employment, they are mentored for the first 13
weeks of their new job to encourage them to stay in
the role – and stay off the dole.
Samantha Foy, contracts manager for A4e in
Smethwick, West Midlands, explains why it’s so
important to maintain regular contact with the
client. ‘It’s all about sustainability,’ she says. ‘There’s
no set duration for the clients on the programme
– we give them as much or as little support as they
need. This is not just about quick-fix training to get
people back into work – we look at personal issues
first, and work out the journey forward.’
22 blueprint autumn 2008
Samantha Foy,
contracts manager for
A4e in Smethwick,
West Midlands.
Getting engaged
The A4e team manage the first part of the contract,
called LACES (Local Adult Community Engagement
Support). Based at the Smethwick Youth and
Community Centre, it involves finding and engaging
the clients and getting them interested in learning
new skills. But a big part of the work sees A4e
client advisors going out on the streets and finding
potential candidates to work with.
Nanayaa King, 26, is an A4e client advisor based
at the West Bromwich Afro Caribbean Centre. With
a bubbly personality and plenty of experience
in working with jobseekers, she’s ideally suited
to the role of searching out suitable clients and
encouraging them to find their niche in the job
market. Her role is to mentor clients through the
first part of the programme, and to make sure their
needs are met.
‘I go to a number of areas to find clients, such as
the local YMCA which has been very helpful,’ she
says. ‘I also do a lot of ringing around, and then I
might go to the local library and give out leaflets or
just speak to people on the street.
‘Once I’ve found a new client, I spend a lot of
time finding out what it is they might want to do.
Some come in and tell me that they want to be a
scientist, so I have to bring them back down to earth
and gently suggest areas that might be more suited
to them.
‘I mean, I’d like to be a model, but that’s never
going to happen! I become their friend, mother and
confidante.’
Sorting out a client’s personal issues is also an
important part of getting them back to work. When
someone’s been unemployed for at least a year –
and often longer – it’s easy to get used to not having
to think about paying bills such as council tax or
rent. But as soon as a person gets back into work,
those benefits often stop – and that’s when there
can be difficulties.
Overcoming obstacles
Emma McConaghy is an employer partnership
officer (EPO) at A4e Smethwick. Her role is to
source the right kind of employment for the clients
THE BIG once they’re ‘job-ready’.
NUMBERS ‘I establish what line of work the client is looking
5.4% Current rate of for and see whether it’s realistic,’ she says. ‘I also
unemployment in the UK find out what needs they have. A lot of our clients
6.3% The unemployment are returning to work as parents, and the biggest
rate in the West Midlands obstacle they have is childcare.
8% The rate of ‘I go out and source whatever childcare is
unemployment available in their area, and ensure they know how
in Sandwell much money they will be getting once they’re off
2.7% of people are benefits and working.
claiming benefit in the UK ‘Once they take control of their own finances,
we help them with budgeting,’ she explains. ‘It’s no
This is not good giving them just any job with the wrong hours
or the wrong pay, because they’re not going to be
just quick-fix able to sustain it.’
McConaghy’s role is also to be there for the
training – we client when they start work. She and her team
work out have devised incentives for the newly-employed
to keep in touch with their EPO, with initiatives
the journey such as text-back competitions to win MP3
forward players and mobile phones top-up vouchers, as
well as taking clients out for lunch.
Samantha foy, ‘Part of my job is being a friend to the client,’
A4e contracts
manager
says McConaghy. ‘I’ve even visited them on
a weekend to reassure them if they’re having
a “wobble”. We have a really good connection
with the employers, too, so if there’s any issues,
the employer can contact me. We’re here to
support the clients, so if we can help,
we will.’
focus on: West Midlands
‘I wasn’t after just a job –
I was after a career’
Craig Thompson, 20, is an A4e client from
Tipton. After working through the LACES
programme, he has just landed his first job.
He hopes it will lead to a steady career.
‘I didn’t have much direction, and that’s one of the
things A4e has helped me with. I drifted from basketball
coaching to doing temping work in a factory because
of the lack of opportunities, and although I went
back to college and gained qualifications, I still hadn’t
found anywhere where I could apply those skills,’ says
Thompson (pictured below).
‘Fortunately, I was spotted by Sunder, my advisor
at A4e, at the local library, and he got me on to some
courses. From there, a lot more options were opened
up to me.
‘The major problem for me was that I come from an
area where there’s not a lot of opportunities available.
And I wasn’t after just a job – I was after a career.
‘I stumbled upon a job vacancy for an assistant quality
engineer at Doncaster Castings and, on the off-chance
Xxxx xxxx xxxxxx
that I would be skilled enough, I went for the interview.
Luckily, I had a good day – and I got it.
‘The job opens up a lot of doors for me. The company
is planning to train me up to work in their entire business
– it’s a fantastic opportunity. A4e gave me a lot of help
with interview techniques beforehand. I wasn’t very
confident as I hadn’t been to an interview for ages, and
they really helped me with my communication skills.
‘They also gave me a lot of support as to what I was
entitled to from the job centre, such as the suit I wore to
my interview – I never knew that I could get money for
clothing.
‘Having a new job is fantastic, it gives you a lot more
freedom. A4e have been really flexible and willing to
help. The best thing is that they don’t just get you a job
and leave you alone – they carry on supporting you.
It’s like having someone else
to back you up who’s got
a lot more strength.’
BLUEPRint autumn 2008 23
feature: LONE PARENTS
Being a single parent needn’t mean staying
at home holding the baby – there are lots
of opportunities to get back to work, if
you know where to look
Home alone
‘I
’m wicked with people,’ says Kitty Wright, 36.
A single mum from Sheffield with six children
– aged from 20 to six – she’d never had a
job until recently, and struggled with low
self-esteem for years. But thanks to a course designed
to help lone parents back to work, Kitty now has a job
and even managed to take her family on holiday this
year for the first time. ‘It was to Cleethorpes and it was
lovely!’ she enthuses.
The course – Elevate – is a programme that’s been
developed in the north of England by Jobcentre Plus
and A4e, with the aim of encouraging single parents
back to work by helping boost their confidence, skills
and motivation. But not only that, it also helps them
overcome common barriers to getting back to work,
such as lack of childcare and self-belief.
Kitty was at home alone with her children before
she signed up to Elevate in Sheffield at the beginning
Nine out of 10 lone
parents are mothers.
24 blueprint autumn 2008
of the year. ‘My greatest hurdle was my own feelings,’
she says. ‘All I’ve done for the last 19 years is bring
my kids up, and I had pretty low self-esteem. So I
started coming to Elevate classes and it gave me the
confidence I needed. I thought: “It doesn’t matter how
many kids I’ve got, I can do this for myself.”’
The 13-week course is split up into six weeks
spent in the centre, where clients are helped through
personal issues and begin learning job-search skills,
followed by seven weeks on a work placement to give
them experience. Mentors gently help and encourage
participants through the programme, giving them
lots of support, until they feel that they’re ready for
a work placement.
‘I really, really wanted a career, but because I had my
first child so young, I didn’t get the opportunity,’ says
Kitty. ‘I’d forgotten all my dreams about what I wanted
to do when I grew up, but Elevate helped push me in
the right direction.’
New challenge
Allison Clear, 42, is an Elevate trainer from Sheffield.
She ran the first Elevate pilot in Sheffield in May 2007
and, since then, has been refining the programme to
reflect the clients’ needs. ‘I was a single parent and I
wanted a new challenge,’ she explains. ‘I thought that I
could really help people based on my own experience.
I know how you can lose confidence when you’re at
home raising children, especially when you’re out of
work for a while. I’m really good at motivating people,
so I thought I’d go for it.’ 
The biggest step for clients, says Allison, is walking
through the door.
‘Once they’ve done that, I tell them it gets much
easier.’ The staff carry out lots of group training
feature: LONE PARENTS
sessions with the clients, and balance that with using local childminders and nurseries, but we support
one-to-one support, gradually stepping back and them. If they were working they’d have to do the same,
pushing them very gently to build their confidence. so we try to make it as realistic as possible for them.
‘We encourage lots of support,’ says Allison, ‘and the We give them the opportunity to find out that they can
clients also support each other. It works really well.’ manage 16 hours working a week. If the childcare is
On Mondays there’s a drop-in service where people sorted out during the course, then by the time they get
can come in and discuss any issue they have or get a job, it’s no longer an issue. It’s a big boost for them.’
extra one-to-one support with things such as interview For Kitty, her time on the Elevate programme had a
techniques. Or they might simply drop in to meet up positive outcome. Her work placement began on the
with each other. By week four, the clients compile a reception desk at A4e, which didn’t suit her, so she
wish list of jobs they think they’d like to do, and by started helping Allison with new Elevate clients. And
week five, Allison begins matching the clients to work when Allison was away, Kitty stepped in and covered
experience opportunities. ‘Most businesses are quite her role. As she puts it: ‘Us single parents don’t half
receptive, and once I have explained what Elevate is all know how to organise things!’
about, they are willing to give people an opportunity.’ She now has a job as an A4e trainer, and absolutely
My kids loves it. ‘I’ve seen women coming in, unsure of
Child support themselves, and by the end of the course they’ve got
are so proud Issues such as finding childcare are helped by the their heads held high,’ she says. ‘My kids are so proud
staff at the centre. ‘The clients might be leaving their of me – it’s made a big difference. I wanted to show
of me – it’s children at home for the first time,’ says Allison. ‘The my kids that there’s a better life out there. I’d advise
made a big idea is that they sort out the childcare themselves anyone to go out and get a job.’
difference
LONE PARENT Childcare is a major
facts Kitty wright, issue for many of
SINGLE MUM AND Elevate’s clients.
• 70 per cent of single A4e trAINER
parents who aren’t in
work say lack of flexible
hours is the biggest
barrier
• 57 per cent of lone
parents are currently
employed
• One in four children live
with a lone parent
• 1.8 million children in
the UK live in a workless
household
• Nine out of 10 lone
parents are mothers
• Elevate is one of a
number of lone parent
programmes run by A4e
in different parts of the
country.
blueprint autumn 2008 25

I was worried that my oldest
daughter would be unable to find work.
In Gelsenkirchen a lot of people are
unemployed Christa
26 blueprint autumn 2008
Keeping it in
the family
A mother and daughter took a new approach
to job hunting and skills training when they
embarked on a new family programme in
Gelsenkirchen, Germany
T
he A4e Work First Family Programme is
designed to help families where at least two
adults and young people in the household
are unemployed, aiming to bring family
members together to share goals, learn new skills and
find work.
The programme is based on research showing
that children in families where one or both parents
are unemployed find it particularly difficult to get
their career started. Second and third generation
unemployment is common in Germany, which
naturally impacts on the health and social lives of
those families.
By helping parents find work and interacting with
children at the same time, the A4e Work First Family
programme can provide the whole family with a
more positive outlook on life. And not only that, but
they can also further their education together in a
relaxed learning environment. Here, Christa, 43, and
Rebecca, 19, share their experiences.
Christa, how did you get involved with the
family programme?
‘We were the programme’s very first group, together
with a Turkish family and a Polish family. The IAG
(Integrationscenter für Arbeit, employment centre)
encouraged us and said it would involve field trips,
along with training in computer skills and preparing a
job application.
At first I didn’t think I would ever be able to find a
new job. But I wanted to learn something new. I had
kind of resigned myself to the way things were – at
international: family programme
the time I had a so-called job as a cleaner.’
And what was it like for you, Rebecca? Did you
have any reservations?
‘Well, I had been on my school holiday and shortly
after that I took my exams, so I really didn’t want to
go at all, but I did. When school started again, I went
to A4e in my free time. On Tuesday mornings, for
example, we always had the first four hours off, so I
would go along to the centre. It was a lot of work, but
it helped me a great deal.’
What did you learn during the programme,
Rebecca?
‘At first, we spent most of our time having group
discussions. And to tell you the truth, the other
families sometimes got on my nerves. But I learnt a
lot, especially about how to prepare a job application.
We had been through that in Year Seven at school,
but the classes were not very effective. At A4e it
was different. They showed us how to make our
CV more effective and presentable – we included
headers and footers and learnt, for example, that you
could include graphics on your CV to attract more
attention.’
And how was it for you, Christa?
‘She’s right! We learnt a lot. But at first I had to
go home and get my papers in order, and collect
references and job certificates. Like I said, when
I came to A4e I never believed I would be able to
apply for a job. But the consultants showed me a
variety of job advertisements right from the very
beginning, even before I had finished preparing my
job application folders. So we just sent the companies
a fax of my CV – we didn’t want to miss out on a
single chance.’
Rebecca, what kind of job did you want?
‘I was hoping for a job in a hospital, and I even had
a job interview in Dusseldorf. But they told me I
blueprint autumn 2008 27
international: family programme
was too thin for the job and said that I wouldn’t be
physically able to do the hard work in the hospital. I
said that I would manage and that I wanted to give it
a go, but I didn’t get the job. And actually, I’m sort of
glad about it now.’
You were offered another job as a result of the
programme. How are things going?
‘Yes, that’s right. I started professional training
as a physician’s assistant in August, working in a
dermatologist’s practice in Essen. I get up at 5.30am
every morning and take the bus to work at 7am,
which takes 20 minutes. I need some time alone for
myself in the morning, which is why I like to get up
a little earlier. I don’t mind it. Besides, I’m doing it
because I want to – I want to work. School was more
of an obligation, something I did because I had to.’
You must be very pleased about your daughter’s
success, Christa. What was life like before?
‘As a mother, I was worried that my oldest daughter
would be unable to find work. It’s difficult here
in Gelsenkirchen – a lot of people are unemployed.
But I also knew that she would do something.
That was the example I set for her. I always found
I had heard a lot of
horror stories in my
circle of friends about
joblessness
rebecca
28 blueprint autumn 2008
some kind of work, even if it was just cleaning for
€160 per month.’
In Gelsenkirchen there are lots of unemployed
young people. Rebecca, were you worried about
being unemployed?
‘Oh sure, it was something I thought about and
was concerned about. A lot of kids hang out on the
streets and have nothing. But also, I didn’t know
what I wanted to do. Was what I was doing my true
vocation, or was there another job I was more suited
to? That was hard for me. We also had school field
trips to vocational orientation fairs and universities
in the region, but for a long time I wasn’t sure what
to do.
‘I had also heard a lot of horror stories in my circle
of friends about joblessness and I knew how hard it
could be – and unless you get up and do something,
it just gets more and more difficult. Some of the
stories I heard were very discouraging, so I was
determined to make the most of the A4e programme.’
Christa, you also found a new job – how did that
come about?
‘During the programme, a large municipal company
got in touch with me. I had submitted an application
a year earlier, then they called me in May this year
and asked whether I was still interested in working
for them. I immediately said yes, and went in for
an interview.
‘But all of a sudden, things weren’t so clear
anymore. The personnel manager told me she
doubted whether I was up to the difficult work
because I’m overweight. I said I was absolutely
positive I could do it, and that I had been cleaning
professionally for 15 years. I really wanted the job.
‘Luckily, it worked out. They offered me an
initial one year part-time contract, and
I had a physical examination at the
public health office. If everything
goes well, there’s a good
chance they’ll extend my job
contract. At the moment I’m
working between 18 and 39
hours per week.’
Christa and Rebecca attend
A4e’s Work First Family
programme in Gelsenkirchen.
Families will benefit from the
back to work pilot in Wales.
PILOT IN WALES TAKES THE LEAD
Building on the success of the programme in
Germany, A4e Wales has recently launched the
first service in the UK that focuses on getting whole
families out of unemployment at the same time.
The A4e Work First for Families initiative is currently
being piloted in Newport, and engages with families
and households where there are a minimum of two
unemployed adults and young people.
According to Phil Silverthorne, executive director of
A4e Wales, family unemployment has a very real social
and financial impact. ‘For families where neither parent
is working, the likelihood of their children also facing
long-term unemployment is more than doubled,‘ he
said. ‘This can lead to child poverty that can continue
into adulthood.’
The Welsh Assembly’s deputy minister for skills, John
Griffiths, announced the programme. He added that
nearly a quarter of working-age adults in Wales are
economically inactive. ‘The A4e Work First for Families
initiative is about providing a practical response to the
problem of generational economic inactivity,’ he said.
‘I hope the pilot achieves its aim in moving households
from unemployment to meaningful employment.’
Each family on the programme will be allocated an
A4e family job councillor who will provide support
and advice to the whole family. Depending on the
individual, they will be placed on one of A4e’s existing
support programmes, such as Work-Based Learning,
New Deal – which works with young people, adults and
disabled people – or Pathways to Work, which works
with people on incapacity benefit to help them find a
job and supports their move into the workplace.
international: family programme
PEILOT YNG NGHYMRU AR FLAEN
Y GAD
Gan ddefnyddio’n sylfaen lwyddiant y rhaglen
yn yr Almaen, mae A4e Cymru newydd lansio’r
gwasanaeth cyntaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig sy’n
canolbwyntio ar ddod â theuluoedd cyfan allan o
ddiweithdra ar yr un pryd
Ar hyn o bryd rhoddir peilot i fenter Gwaith yn Gyntaf i
Deuluoedd A4e yng Nghasnewydd, ac mae’n ymgysylltu
â theuluoedd ac aelwydydd lle mae yna isafrif o ddau o
oedolion a phobol ifanc yn ddi-waith.
Yn ôl Phil Silverthorne, cyfarwyddwr gweithredol
A4e Cymru, mae diweithdra teulu yn cael effaith gymde-
ithasol ac ariannol mewn difrif. ‘I deuluoedd lle nad ydi’r
naill riant na’r llall yn gweithio, mae’r tebyg y bydd eu
plant hefyd yn wynebu diweithdra hirdymor yn fwy
na chymaint ddwywaith,’ meddai. ‘Mae hyn yn gallu
arwain at dlodi plant a all barhau hyd nes y byddan nhw
mewn oed.’
Nearly At hynny meddai Dirprwy Weinidog dros Sgiliau
Cynulliad Cymru John Griffiths, a gyhoeddodd y
a quarter rhaglen, fod agos i chwarter yr oedolion oed gweithio
yng Nghymru yn economaidd segur. ‘Hanfod menter
of working- Gwaith yn Gyntaf i Deuluoedd A4e ydi cynnig ymateb
age adults ymarferol i broblem segurdod economaidd a drosglwyd-
dir o’r naill genhedlaeth i’r llall,’ meddai. ‘Gobeithio y
in Wales are bydd y peilot yn cyflawni ei amcan yn symud aelwydydd
economically o ddiweithdra i waith ystyrlon.’
Rhoddir i bob teulu ar y rhaglen un o gynghorwyr
inactive swyddi teulu A4e fydd yn cynnig cefnogaeth a chyngor
John Griffiths, i’r teulu i gyd. Gan ddibynnu ar yr unigolyn, fe’u rhod-
welsh assembly dir ar un o raglenni cefnogaeth A4e, megis Dysgu yn y
deputy minister Gwaith, Bargen Newydd – sy’n gweithio gyda phobol
for skills ifanc, oedolion a phobol anabl – neu Llwybrau
i Waith, sy’n gweithio gyda phobol ar
fudd-dal analluogrwydd i’w helpu
nhw i ddod o hyd i swydd ac sy’n
cefnogi eu symud
i’r gweithle.
Skills
minister
John
Griffiths,
left, with
A4e’s Phil
Silverthorne
and Brian
Hancock.
blueprint autumn 2008 29
international: poland
W
ith the Polish economy booming, partly
thanks to European Union accession,
it should be a time of plenty for the
Poles. After all, with a fast-growing
consumer market, events such as the UEFA Cup Final
arriving in 2012, and huge potential for future growth,
Poland ought to be seen as a desirable country for
investment. In fact, 1.6 million jobs will be created by
the time Poland becomes the UEFA host country.
But instead of being able to sit back and reap the
rewards, the country faces problems in the wake
of large-scale unemployment and job gaps where
unskilled workers are simply unable to fill vacant
roles. The problem is worse for the over-50s; since the
demise of industries such as ship building, mining
and steel works, the majority of people available for
work are not skilled in the areas which need workers.
In fact, only one in four people over the age of 50 is in
employment. What’s more, there is limited vocational
training in Poland, coupled with very little experience
in preparing people for employment in a market
economy.
Making a change
If the situation were to continue, there might be little
hope for Poland’s unemployed, despite the fact that
the Polish government is trying to provide the funding
necessary for employment experts to make a change.
The problem is that the changes are happening too
A new horizon
While there may be jobs-a-plenty in post-industrial Poland, finding
skilled workers able to fill the roles is becoming a problem
30
slowly, according to Martin Oxley, CEO of the British
Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw.
‘What we need the Polish government to do
is appreciate the problem and create the right
environment for the employment experts to get to
work,’ he said. ‘That’s happening, but slowly. Pressure
is building for more radical action.’
And when you consider that Poland has the highest
number of people out of work in Europe, it’s clear that
action is needed. But help is at hand, thanks to a new
programme set up by A4e Polska.
Katarzyna Ostapowicz, 26, lives in Warsaw and
helped to set up A4e Polska two years ago. Thanks to
the hard work of Katarzyna and her colleagues, the
company has recently received funding to start two
programmes to help the long-term unemployed – in
other words, those who have been out of work for
12 months in a 24-month period – learn the skills
necessary to get back to work.
‘The programmes offer the same type of activities
that A4e offers in the UK,’ said Katarzyna. ‘The first
one is aimed at helping people through a range of
complex situations, and is tailored to the individual.
It has 300 unemployed people on it, 20 of whom are
disabled. ‘The second programme will have 350 clients,
and is set in a typical post-industrial, post-mining area.
Here, the clients will be in a worse position to start off
with because of the history of the town.’
The first programme, which will begin in the
autumn, is set in Szczecin, an industrial city in north-
west Poland which borders Germany. According
to Martin, Szczecin is ‘a ship building centre in the
wrong place at a difficult time’. The city has significant
unemployment in the outlying areas, so A4e’s task is
We believe to prepare people for employment in new industries
which are establishing themselves in the area.
that the Also due to begin in the autumn, the second
programme, which is similar in terms of course
unemployed content, will run in Zabrze, southern Poland. It’s a city
person is like which is at the heart of the Polish coal mining industry,
and until recently, it had 13 mines. Now it has just six.
a pearl for ‘This area is not only the heartland of Polish coal
the employer, and steel, it also has the largest and most dynamic
special economic zone in Poland,’ explained
if the match- Martin. ‘There is a massive opportunity for A4e
to prepare people for re-employment and an even
making is bigger opportunity to establish a “train to gain” type
done properly vocational, accredited training initiative. This is South
Yorkshire all over again, 20 years later.’
Katarzyna
Ostapowicz, Both programmes are funded by the European
A4e polska Social Fund (ESF), with the initial contracts lasting 14
months and 20 months. If the programmes go well,
the hope is to extend the programmes with the aim of
helping even more people to get back to work.
Supporting role
Both programmes run for 26 weeks, and begin by
engaging the clients. ‘People here will tell you that it’s
hard to engage people, but I don’t agree – I think it’s
just a misperception,’ said Katarzyna.
‘So far, people have only been helped by public
institutions such as the public labour office, and
while they would have received some help from
personal advisers, they don’t get the individual
support that they would from A4e. ‘We give the
clients one-to-one time where we work on getting them
interested and enthusiastic about the programme, so
that they want to stay on the programme.’
The course progresses to teach clients the skills
they might need for future employment, and then
international: poland
A4e supports them in compiling letters, CVs and
finding work. Finally, when the client is ready, they
are either sent on a work experience placement to get
a feel for their new working environment or else sent
on vocational training courses. ‘We find out what the
clients want to do and send them on courses suited
to that,’ said Katarzyna. ‘For instance, they may want
to become shop assistants, security guards or go into
secretarial work. We take the approach of first getting
to know the clients before we organise training.’
Expectations for both programmes are encouraging.
A4e Polska has stated it hopes to get 30 per cent of
unemployed people back to work, but the real aim is
much higher than that. Katarzyna said: ‘We want to
change society, and we want people to know we do
everything to help them find a new place in society, in
work and in life.’
Overleaf: 10 questions to the chief executive of the
British-Polish Chamber of Commerce.
SO WHAT’S DIFFERENT?
While ‘back to work’ programmes are by no means
unique, A4e’s approach in Poland is. ‘We work
with the clients and provide training, but the most
important thing is that we reach the whole person,’
said Ostapowicz. ‘We have recruiters whom we call
“pearl divers”, and the clients have contact with
them throughout the programme. The pearl divers
encourage employers to give work placements or
vacancies. We believe that the unemployed person is
like a pearl for the employer, if the match-making is
done properly.’
Another unique aspect of the programmes is giving
people support once they have found work. ‘This is
new to Poland,’ said Ostapowicz. ‘No one else does
it here. When a client signs a work contract, they can
still come to the centre if they have any problems.
Their advisers stay in touch with them to make sure
that they stay in work. That’s our aim – work first.’
blueprint autumn 2008 31
 blueprint
10 in ten
Martin Oxley, chief executive of the
British-Polish Chamber of Commerce,
answers our 10 quick-fire questions
1 Tell us about the economic situation
in Poland
Poland’s economy is currently enjoying strong
growth. European accession has helped and there
is lots of potential for further growth as the country
is one of the largest and poorest of the recent
accession countries. The market economy is less
than 20 years old.
2 What are the challenges facing the
Polish economy?
One of the biggest challenges facing the country
is preparing people for employment. The
unemployment rate has halved over the last three
years from 20 per cent to under 10 per cent. Now,
1.6m jobs have been created in the private sector,
1.6m people have left the country and with a
fast-growing consumer market, Poland is and will
continue to be a roller coaster of change.
3 How will this affect the profile of
Poland’s job market?
The country is already facing job gaps in key sectors,
yet Poland has one of the highest populations
available for work in the whole of Europe.
4 What is the Polish government doing to encourage
full employment?
The Polish government is rapidly realising it has a problem on its hands. Already
we are seeing a downturn in foreign direct investment; there is a risk of inflation
and Polish corporates are having to turn away sales through lack of staff.
A4e has massive international experience
in getting people into work
5 What can A4e do to help prepare
people for the changing job market?
There is great opportunity for A4e to establish itself
as a leader in the employment services market with
a combination of employment, vocational training
and ongoing professional development.
A4e is well-placed to help solving one of Poland’s
biggest short-term challenges, which is finding and
preparing people to fill the increasing skills gap.
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In decline... traditional heavy
industry is providing fewer
jobs in Poland.
6 Why are A4e’s Polish programmes so
important?
The recent programme wins by A4e are fantastic news
for Poland. They have the potential to become icons of
employment excellence in two very difficult markets.
Martin Oxley believes A4e’s
experience of getting people 7 Describe the two areas that will
benefit
into work will be hugely
beneficial in helping to cut
unemployment in Poland. Zabrze is right at the heart of the Polish coal mining
industry and has just six mines – until recently,
it had 13. Sczcecin is a similar challenge: in the
outlying areas, there is significant unemployment.
8
What are your predictions for the future of Poland’s
employment market?
With its booming economy, Poland is on the verge of an employment crunch.
The people-shortages can only get worse as full EU-worker mobility approaches
and the country’s structural regeneration programmes develop apace. A4e is
coming to Poland just at the right time – there are many opportunities.
9 How can A4e’s experience help?
Firstly, with its expert consultancy in policy
planning and implementation, A4e has massive
international experience in getting people into work.
Many of the issues faced in the UK at the end of
the era of heavy industry are the same in Poland.
The policy issues associated with creating an active
labour market across Europe are applicable in
Poland. A4e has the experience to contribute here.
Secondly, with large-scale employment enabling
programmes, because it is very important to bridge
public and private sector needs to quickly get more
people into work.
10 How can A4e benefit Poland in
the long-term?
By promoting lifelong professional orientation
and development – it’s a superb opportunity. Very
limited vocational development takes place in
Poland, and the industry is already suffering from a
lack of market-focused education.