3. Introduction from the chief
executive
4. Stansted marks first
successful first year new
ownership - Anniversary
Dinner
5. Stansted Airport job fair
attracts hundreds
6 & 7. Interview with Granville
Barrand
8. Raising Aspirations &
Inspiring Success in
Employment (RAISE)
9. Brand New Urban Futures
Website
10. Interview with Michael
Locke
11. Growth Voucher
Programme
12. Community Work
Placement Programme - G4S
13. Goodbye to Robert Prague
- Former Marketing Manager
13. New Hammersmith Office
14. Workroutes
15. What to expect in our next
edition
16. Find us Online
Urban Futures welcomes new staff
Gareth Evans - Head of Employer Accounts
Soji Olukunle - Interim Ops Manager - CWP
Lalita Sandhu - Employment Advisor
Candice Dinnal - Receptionist
Rosharn Vitalis - Engagement Officer
Stephanie Donawa - Receptionist
Amit Mandalia – Employment Advisor
Wafaa Sunkur – Work Experience Coordinator
Hartley Wilkinson - Employment and Placement Co-ordinator
Roweena Walker - Account Manager
Vitaliy Zaporozhets - Account Manager
Anthony Lowe - should be Account Manager
Christophe Ah-Hang – Business Manager (CWP contract)
Jamie Nicholas – Employment and placement co-ordinator
2
It’s June already and we are late with this
edition of the newsletter so my apologies for
that. However, with all that has been going on,
Robert Prague leaving, and new offices and
contracts coming on stream it has been a very
busy time for us all.
In our accounts to the end of March 2014 we
recorded a modest surplus after some write
downs for bad debts and this represents a
good barometer of where we have been and
where we are going. Operating in the
employment and skills market is not for the
faint hearted and we have had to endure a
couple of years where we had to establish
ourselves more fully in the market place here
in London which can be rather crowded at
times.
Which is a long way really of saying we have
done well to solidify our position with funders,
local authorities, and the wider sector
providers and continue to win contracts that
we will deliver over this financial year and the
following. And not least, a huge new contract
working with G4S in the delivery of
Community Work Placements (CWP)
programme. This programme will focus on
those customers who have gone through 2
years on the Work Programme and are still
unemployed. We will work with them to get
them a quality work placement in the
community sector enabling them to gain
confidence and support to get back into paid
employment.
In addition we have
also won a smaller
sub contract with
Reed in Partnership
to deliver an ESF
employability
programme in
Hammersmith &
Fulham and will build
onto a significant portfolio of work in that
borough including the Work Programme, our
own RAISE ESF programme, and now CWP.
However, there are potential dark clouds on the
horizon and Urban Futures cannot remain
immune from the austerity cuts affecting the
public sector and particularly the FE sector.
Already we have had notification of a significant
reduction in one of our college contracts and
we need to continue to minimise the impact of
this through acquiring other contracts
elsewhere.
The year 2015 – 15 promises to be difficult but
potentially rewarding. Through our on-going
quality work and the excellent front line
delivery we currently have I expect us to do
well. This is not guaranteed however and I
continue to urge all staff to do their utmost to
support the continuation and development of
the company. Remember we are a social
enterprise and all surpluses are reinvested.
I look forward to working with you all this year
and beyond.
Steve Delaney, Chief Executive.
3
The Stansted Employment & Skills Academy is proud to be part of the first anniversary event of Manchester Airports Group’s (M.A.G) acquisition of Stansted Airport. The £1.5bn acquisition has opened up an exciting chapter in the airport’s history. More than 200 invited guests ranging from MPs, regional business leaders to representatives from councils, airlines and transport operators gathered at Duxford Imperial War Museum near Cambridge on Thursday, February 27, to mark the airport’s first anniversary under new ownership. Guest speaker for the evening was senior travel editor for The Independent, Simon Calder, who gave an amusing slide show and speech about his experiences of Stansted and adventures as a travel writer.
In the first 12 months of new ownership, Stansted has already made some big
achievements, including: 4
launching a £260 million investment programme to improve the passenger experience;
agreeing long term growth deals with Ryanair, EasyJet and Thomas Cook;
attracting new airlines: Air Moldova, Atlantic Airways, Loganair, Aegean, Transaero;
returning the airport to growth for first time since 2007;
securing CAA agreement to free Stansted from economic regulation;
gaining corporate business support for direct long-haul services.
Andrew Harrison, Stansted Airport’s Managing Director (pictured above) said: "This has been a fantastically exciting and fast moving year at Stansted when you consider what we’ve achieved in just 12 months. It’s been challenging at times but we all should be proud of what we have done in a short space of time.
5
"In M.A.G ownership we’ve launched a £260million investment programme which includes an £80 million terminal transformation project to improve the passenger experience. We have signed long term deals with airlines that will add an extra 11 million passengers over the next decade and our regulator has agreed to free us from price controls so we can get on with building long term commercial partnerships with airlines – something that will be great for passengers. To top it all off, we have started to see positive results with passenger numbers on the increase for the first time since 2007.”
Hundreds of jobseekers attended a free job fair at
Stansted on March 27th, 2014 to see the array of
employment and careers opportunities on offer at
the airport.
Almost 700 recruits packed Stansted’s Enterprise
House keen to meet and speak to a wide range of
airport companies that were offering over 120
vacancies and advice on how to get on the job
ladder. Among the firms attending were JD
Wetherspoon, Premier Inn, No.1 Traveller, M.A.G,
Empark, World Duty Free, Boots and The Restaurant
Group.
The fair was organised by the Stansted Airport
Employment and Skills Academy which acts as a ‘one
-stop-shop’ employment agency at the heart of the
airport’s operation. Thousands of jobseekers have
benefited from the Academy since it opened in 2008
with help in finding a job or to sign-up to a wide
range of training programmes.
Anita Garrard, Stansted Employment and Skills
Academy’s Training and Quality Senior Manager,
said: “It was an extremely busy day with a
tremendous amount of people coming from all parts
of the region and London to see what opportunities
there are at Stansted. Employers will be sorting
through applications over the coming weeks and we
look forward to seeing some of the faces we have
seen here today at the airport in the future.”
Q1. What is your official job title and how
long have you worked with Haringey
Education Business Partnership (HEBP)?
A1. I was seconded by Haringey Education
Service in 1987 to support the development
and delivery of the Haringey EBP and I have
worked for the organisation ever since.
Initially my role was defined as Education
Director, then Operations Manager and
currently as HEBP Manager.
Q2. What are your key programmes?
A2. We currently work with 15 schools /
colleges in Haringey, delivering work
experience and a wide range of enterprise
and work related activities, including
Interview skills on employer premises,
Health & Safety Awards, Enterprise
Challenges, student visits to business and
reciprocal visits by employers to schools.
We also manage/deliver three Government
funded programmes:
The Pre Apprenticeship Programme, an ESF
funded project managed by the London EBP
network which seeks to help young people
learn about and access apprenticeship
opportunities.
The Innovation Fund (DWP) and Changing
Futures (ESF) programmes supporting young
people who are at risk of underachieving and/
or exclusion from school and of becoming
NEET at 16+. Support includes the delivery of
group and individualised learning
programmes, mentoring and work related
learning activities.
Q3. How many young people are you
currently engaging with?
A3. On average we provide learning
opportunities each year for about 3,000
students. Numerically our largest programme
is work experience, providing over 1700 one-
week work placements for school and college
students. The remaining 1300 students are
involved on work related and Government 6
funded projects / courses lasting from one
day up to a full academic year.
Q4. What does HEBP do?
A4. Haringey Education Business
Partnership (HEBP), established in 1999, is
the strategic organisation located within
the borough, which acts as the interface
between Education and Business. We are
the oldest surviving EBP in the country.
HEBP seeks to connect young people with
the world of work through development
of learning opportunities that inform,
inspire and prepare them for their future
life and work. This is achieved through the
delivery of a menu of education-business
activities which develop young people's
knowledge and understanding of the
world of work whilst enhancing their
employability skills. Whenever possible
we seek to ensure that activities are
delivered in partnership with and through
business and community organisations.
Q5. What now for HEBP?
A5. Since joining with Urban Futures we
have been on a steep developmental
curve, learning how to manage and
deliver ESF and DWP projects whilst at the
same time maintaining our work
experience and work related learning
programmes. Thanks to the dedication of
our staff we have survived the period of
economic and education restraint and our
challenge now is to continue improving
the quality and range of our services.
7
Martyn Johnson receives his ISOH Certificate in Health & Safety for Work Placement Personnel from Granville Barrand, HEBP Manager.
RAISE is a new programme delivered by Urban Futures and co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council. The project aims to help unemployed and economically inactive residents of Hammersmith and Fulham into employment.
RAISE offers tailor-made practical support including training, work experience and initial support once employment is found. It will also help to bridge practical barriers such as language and literacy skills by building the confidence of the long-term unemployed. More importantly, the aim is not only to find a job but to develop the confidence and ability to keep it.
RAISE offers access to job opportunities in a variety of occupations to clients claiming benefits.
Later this year, all RAISE stakeholders will be invited to attend an event to celebrate the successes of the project. Guests will include clients who have completed training or secured employment, employers and local councillors for Hammersmith & Fulham.
Soji Olukunle is the current manager of the RAISE project who is now operating out
of our new Hammersmith Office (see page 12 for more details.)
Further information on RAISE can be found at http://urbanfutures.org.uk/?services=raise or by emailing: [email protected]
8
9
Urban Futures are proud to announce the
launch of our new website. The new
website has been created from feedback
from Urban Futures customers. It is much
easier to navigate and more aesthetically
pleasing.
New features on the website include a
drop down menu that allows easy
navigation across all of Urban Futures
services, brands and programmes. Links to
our updated social media accounts
(Facebook, Linked In & Twitter). You will
also find new sections about our
accreditations, reports, case studies,
senior management team plus much
more.
The site gives Urban Futures a new
platform to build on and continue to
develop our communication with
customers.
The new website can be found at
www.urbanfutures.org.uk.
10
Q1. What’s your official job title and how
long have you worked at Urban Futures?
My official job title is SFEDI Accredited
Business Advisor (and SFEDI stands for
Small Firm Enterprise Development
Initiative) and I’ve just passed the 4 year
landmark on the 12th April working for
Urban Futures.
Q2. What are your main duties and
responsibilities?
My main duties are to provide business
advice and support to people looking to
start a business and to existing business
owners needing business support. Recently,
I have been supporting other areas of
Urban Futures using my training skills and
qualifications to deliver the 5 days
“Preparation for work and Construction”
workshops. My responsibilities include
reviewing and managing Health and Safety
Procedures and Policies for all UF offices,
and recently, facilities management
locating potential new premises to work
from.
Q3. What projects are you currently
involved in and what do they involve?
I am currently working on the Growth
Voucher Programme. It explores what type
of advice really makes a difference to small
businesses that are looking to develop
their business and provides matched
funding of up to £2,000, i.e. for every £1
the business owner spends on approved
suppliers, the government scheme will
match it up to a maximum of £2,000.
Urban Futures are provided referral from
Cavendish Consortium to meet with
existing business owners to help the
business owners develop an action plan on
one of five themes, which are Financial,
Developing skills and employing staff,
improving Leadership and Management,
Marketing and making the most of digital
technology. I have found meeting these
business owners very enlightening and
enjoyable, as there are businesses out
there doing well and thriving and the
majority of clients have been successful in
11
The Growth Vouchers
programme is a £30
million research project
announced in ‘Budget
2013’. It is used to test
how best to help micro
and small businesses grow
through the use of
subsidised business advice.
Urban Futures are delivering the initial action plan
for clients based in North or West London based in
our Wood Green and Wembley offices.
The Growth voucher programme is aiming to
explore what type of advice really makes a
difference to small businesses that need support.
The programme stimulates demand for expert
advice by helping small businesses to access the
support they need to see its benefits. Also, it makes
it easier for businesses to access good quality
business advice by establishing an online
marketplace and encouraging competition between
suppliers.
The Government programme helps small businesses
with up to 49 employees get expert advice on:
Financial Management
Recruitment and development of employees
Building leadership and management capability
Sales and marketing
Using digital technology
Clients could also get a voucher for up to £2000 to
help finance specialist business support.
For more information and/or if you’re interested in
the service: please contact Michael Locke at
receiving the Growth Voucher.
Q4. What are the best aspects
about working at Urban Futures?
Working with everyone at Urban
Futures is like working with a family
where we can rely on each other
and make a difference. The
challenges that I face on a day to
day basis and coming up with the
solutions, also gives me satisfaction.
I truly believe that if you put the
effort in, you will get the effort back
and more and that’s what you get in
Urban Futures.
For more information please contact
Michael Locke at
12
Urban Futures will, from the 02nd June
2014, be delivering under contract to G4S
the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP)
Community Work Placement (CWP)
programme over a significant part
of London and encompassing the boroughs
of Haringey; Enfield, Waltham Forest;
Redbridge, Havering; Hackney; Harrow;
Barnet; Brent; Tower Hamlets; & Hillingdon.
This contract significantly increases the
scope and scale of welfare to work services
that Urban Futures now delivers across
London and from a network of 10 offices
serving over 15,000 thousand customers
annually including the Work Programme,
Skills Funding Agency (SFA) Adult Skills
Budget (ASB) accredited training, SFA
Apprenticeships, European Social Fund (ESF)
employability programmes, and our
renowned specialist airport recruitment &
training services (both Heathrow &
Stansted).
Through this new CWP contract, Urban
Futures will be working closely with
thousands of London’s long term
unemployed adults supporting them back
into a culture of work and employment
initially through a quality community
focused work placement opportunity and
then ultimately through paid employment
opportunities.
Urban Futures Chief Executive Steve Delaney says:
‘’We are absolutely delighted to be associated with G4S in the delivery of th is new and i m p o r t a n t government strategy in supporting the long term unemployed back into work and thus supporting the governments overall welfare strategy of ensuring that work always pays.
We will strive to ensure that all our customers are meaningful engaged in the programme and are offered quality opportunities to progress their skills and opportunities supporting themselves to sustain in long term employment for their future and the future of their families.
By signing this contract with G4S, Urban Futures continues to increase its footfall across London boroughs particularly in the north, east and west, delivering a range of support services consistent with its Aims & Objectives of supporting London’s unemployed and economically inactive people to get back into employment and
rewarding careers.’’
Rob Prague, Marketing Manager will be leaving Urban Futures at the end of May 2014. Rob is leaving to pursue his career in the big city. Over the last four years, Rob has
transformed the perception of Urban Futures and has significantly contributed to the company’s success. Rob has implemented new communication channels with customers and aided in the procurement of new contracts and delivery partners. We will sorely miss his input and wish him all the best for the future.
What a weird and wonderful four
years it has been. I would like to
take this opportunity to thank
everyone that I have had the pleasure to
work with. Urban Futures has seemed like
home and provided me with so much
support and many opportunities. All this
being said, you cannot get rid of me that
easily and I will be checking in every now
and again. I have every faith Urban
Futures will continue to thrive and will
one day accomplish Steve’s dream of
world domination. As Vinnie Jones once
famously said… “it’s been
emotional”.
“
”
Our Hammersmith office has moved to…
5th Floor Landmark House
Hammersmith Bridge Road,
London.
W6 9DP
Tel: 0203 249 1930
13
15
Contact:
Alternatively, you can contact by telephone on 020 8352 5900 or via the website and other electronic connections detailed.
Here at Urban Futures we welcome input and ideas from all staff and customers. If you have any ideas for articles of interest then please forward these to the marketing department.
What to expect from our next edition
Newsletter coming soon…
Feature on the new offices
Interview with Gareth Evans and the
new Employer Accounts team
Interview with Victor Stephenson-
Henshaw
New Programmes
www.urbanfutures.org.uk
www.urbanfuturesjobs.org.uk
www.facebook.com/urbanfutures
www.twitter.com/urbanfuturesuk
Email: [email protected]
Urban Futures, Unit A012, The Chocolate Factory,
Clarendon Road, Wood Green, London, N22 6XJ
Urban Futures is a company registered in England & Wales.
Company registration number: 04131420.
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