Equal - Digital Repository

Aim 

The London Workforce Futures Partnership brings together partner agencies at national, regional and sub-regional level led by London South Learning and Skills Council. The partnership aims to develop a new coherent strategic policy framework and a co-ordinated best practice service model to address the identified needs of both SME employers and disabled employees for more responsive and flexible support, to reduce the current perceived fragmentation of service delivery.  

Objectives

•  To develop and pilot a new accredited training programme for a new “Healthy Workplace Management and Leadership Programme”, under the EQUAL London Workforce Futures Programme.

• To build on existing award frameworks and accredited leadership and management programmes.
  

• To support SMEs to address issues of retention, by providing SME managers with effective management tools for planning with an emphasis on human resource development and preventive approaches.

•  To enable SMEs, especially small and micro SMEs (i.e. 1-20 employees), to achieve the relevant skills to develop effective strategies and actions to support and retain workforce members with physical or mental health issues and to prevent loss of workforce skills due to stress-related issues. 
  

• To specifically focus on embedding EQUAL opportunities and the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

• To embed a  programme that will work closely with the other pilots being carried out under the EQUAL programme to support retention and would specifically support the actions being carried out to provide practical support to SMEs through the Healthy Workplace Advisors pilot (a separate contract has been developed for this work). The training programme would reflect needs and issues identified among SMEs under this pilot.
  

• To design content which reflect results existing research on SME needs in South London carried out under Action 1 of the EQUAL Programme.  See Action Research report summary attached, also www.equalworkforce.org following link for London Workforce Futures for download of full report

•  To run The training pilot programme would be conducted in London South sub-region covering SMEs recruited from 6 boroughs: Croydon, Bromley, Merton, Sutton, Kingston, and Richmond.

Target Group 

Employed in SMEs, People from disadvantaged areas (top 10% most deprived wards), People with disabilities, People with learning disabilities

The Workforce Futures Partnership received funding from the European Social Fund under the Equal Community Initiative to test and promote new ways of recognising and promoting equality and diversity, developing lifelong learning and inclusive work practices which encourage the recruitment and retention of those individuals who are at risk from discrimination in the labour market.

Anthony Louki, London South Learning and Skills Council, , Hans Meier, London South Learning and Skills Council,

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