21. Guidance Project - Northern Arc Regeneration Scheme, Bristol
This project offers training and community based guidance to enhance the employment prospects, education and skills of local people, especially the young and those at disadvantage, particularly the unemployed and low waged, thereby encouraging sustainable economic growth and wealth creation in the area.
Working with local community organisations (to whom it will provide training in guidance skills) the project will offer education, training and careers guidance to residents across the area. Through this, it helps develop individuals' confidence, skills levels and community involvement, thus benefiting the whole community.
Key Findings
The lessons which this project offers are summed up as follows:
- It is hard to measure the performance of a guidance project where so many of the outcomes are 'soft' and/or concealed, or may not be demonstrable in the short term. The exclusion of people from outside the project's area boundaries is also seen as a constraint on the project.
- The division of the project into two stages should lead to greater sustainability and he outreach approach has helped to overcome barriers and establish trust with clients.
- A good reporting system has freed the project worker to concentrate more on guidance work.
- Recruitment of a proactive project worker who had already worked in the area enabled contacts to be developed quickly. Links were also facilitated by the SRB co-ordinator, who has been supportive.
- Networking and partnership activities involving a wide range of community groups, all working towards the same goal, has enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of the project. Similarly, having partner projects for cross referrals and sharing expertise and resources, particularly with the Employment Project, have been helpful, though the employment
related projects might have had a greater impact if they had begun concurrently.
Background - Problems to be Tackled
- Learning Partnership West (LPW) staff working in the area identified with partner organisations that the existing level of guidance staffing was insufficient to meet the needs of residents seeking guidance.
- Local TEC area profiles indicated high levels of disadvantage within the area, eg unemployment, lone parents, long term illness and poor transport facilities. Another source identified the need for community facilities in Lawrence Weston area.
- It was also noted that additional guidance would help support other developments and activities occurring in the area, such as the Youthstart mentoring project, and provision organised by Community Education.
- In addition, it was recognised that many individuals working in a variety of capacities within the community were fulfilling a guidance role, but many were untrained for this.
- Previous evaluations had shown high levels of customer satisfaction for LPW careers guidance work in the area.
How the Project was Developed
The project is one of several LPW-SRB projects within the city focusing on employment, education and training. It began in April 1998, and is the first of four projects grouped together under the heading of 'Lifelong Learning and Guidance'. The others are a family literacy project, an 'Options' programme which allows people to try out options for work, and a personal development programme. All of these, together with the Northern Arc Employment Project (examined in detail elsewhere here), are designed to aid progression into training and/or employment. The Guidance Project is the first stage in this process.
The Project
The project's main target group is local unwaged or low waged people particularly the young or those at a disadvantage, though it works with a range of people seeking guidance in the area. Guidance is provided through:
- Exploring individual training and/or employment options;
- Providing up-to-date information on training or job opportunities;
- Giving advice on funding for training;
- Job preparation activities
The project is organised on an outreach basis and offers drop-in sessions at a variety of venues and as part of other complementary activities. These include family learning centres, health clinics, community and play groups.
Improving local people's employment prospects, education and skills is carried out on a variety of levels:
- The project offers professional, informed and independent education, training and careers guidance, particularly for those who are unemployed and the low waged.
- Where appropriate, it also provides referral to other support.
- To enable the provision of this type of guidance, the project also provides accredited guidance skills training within the area.
The total funding over the lifetime of the project is £158,064, of which £45,274 is provided by the SRB, with the balance coming from public sector funding.
Outcomes and Achievements
Following an initial development period, the project is now up and running, with a part time worker in post. The project's profile has been raised in the area through a number of groundwork activities. A major achievement has been the development of local networks and the creation of links with other projects working in similar or complementary fields. Activities have included career guidance workshops with four family learning groups, and drop-in sessions are held at five centres. The project is working towards - and in some cases has already exceeded - its projected outputs.
The project is feeding into others which begin later in the scheme. The next phase, due to start in April 2000, is the provision of NVQs in basic guidance training to people working in the local community. This should enable them to give basic advice to people with whom they are in contact, who might not otherwise use a guidance service.
Further Information
Eileen Lepine
Scheme Co-ordinator
Northern Arc Regeneration Scheme
Tel: 0117 907 8823
Fax: 0117 914 3315
