Vocational training services

Tender description

European & Structural Investment Fund has been secured to support D&G's Employability Pipeline Strategic Intervention. This will support unemployed and inactive participants with multiple barriers to employment living in the D&G Council Area, to gain qualifications and skills in order to progress to sustainable employment or self-employment. Another provision would be to deliver an outreach programme, identifying the cohort of young people not currently accessing any mainstream employability services and engaging this cohort to progress along the employability pipeline. It is anticipated the requirements under this procurement will be split into the following lots: Lot 1: Stage 1 — Outreach Engagement; Lot 2: Stage 2 Digital Skills — Introduction to IT courses; Lot 3: Stage 2 Personal Development/Confidence Courses. Service Providers will be required to provide eligible match funding for the contract. Delivery will be to identify the cohort of hard to reach young people aged 16+ who are not currently accessing any mainstream services and to engage with them in order to help them access and progress along the pipeline. The delivery agent will be required to engage, register and complete initial needs assessments in order to refer participants to the Employability and Skills Service, who will then determine the appropriate stage of the Employability Pipeline to access. The overall goal of the project is the reduction of barriers to employment resulting in improved access to employment and reduced social isolation, exclusion, poverty and disadvantage of participants. Delivery should be specific to individual need but cover all elements of the Digital Inclusion Learning Framework with the aim to provide employability and vocational skills to meet the demands of the local labour market, to include training such as job search skills, Universal Credit sign up and maintenance, updating CV's etc. Referrals to provision will be from the Employability and Skills Service who will register participants and identify barriers. If the successful tenderer identifies potential participants direct, there would be a requirement to refer the individuals to the Employability and Skills service for registration and determination of eligibility prior to the commencement of training. Delivery should be specific to individual need but should deliver an appropriately accredited programme such as STEPS to Excellence for Personal Success, PX2, XL or other applicable course. The provision should be aimed at developing motivation and self-belief, creating goals and increasing participation leading to progressing towards and into training and employment. Referrals to provision will be from the Employability and Skills Service who will register participants and identify barriers.