The LEPs measure is in line with the Europe 2020 strategy and in particular with the flagship initiatives “An agenda for new skills and new jobs” and “European platform against poverty”. Hence aims to address significant geographic concentrations of unemployment through coordinated local action, particularly for ‘hard to reach’ groups (e.g. people with no qualifications; lone parents; people with caring responsibilities; people with disabilities or health problems (in particular mental health problems).

It is also in line with the Employment Guidelines and with several EU instruments such as the ESF implemented under the priority to improve ‘access to employment’.

In October 2013, Scotland had an employment rate of 72.8% which is a rise of 2.2% points over a one year period.  This rate is higher than the employment rate in the UK overall which is 71.8 which is a rise of 0.6% point over the same one year period.

Indicators for Scotland, July – September 2013:

• ILO unemployment rate was 7.2% (199,000 people) – 0.9 percentage points lower than a year ago;
• Economic inactivity rate was 21.4% (726,000 people) which is a fall of 0.7 percentage points;
• Claimant count in Scotland fell by 2,800 between September and October to 118,900 and is at its lowest since February 2009;
• 20,775 people claiming Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) for 12 months or more, an increase of 12.0% over 2010 and 142.6% over the 2 years to January 2011;
• Total number of claimants over 12 months was 34,525 in October 2013 which was a 3,870 reduction from the previous year and the total number of those claiming for 24 months was 18,465 over the same period.
• The labour market stats for July-September 2013 showed employment continued to increase and inactivity fell.  The unemployment rate remained unchanged over the quarter at 7.2%, while the level increased marginally by 1,000.  The number of people seeking Job Seekers Allowance in Scotland has now fallen for 12 consecutive months.  The Claimant count has fallen 15.3 % compared to the previous year.

LEPs are addressing the specific policy to advance local action under Working for Growth, the refreshed Scotland’s Employability Framework.  Key themes are:

• Strategy and Effective Leadership;
• Greater Integration and Partnership Working;
• Towards Prevention – Tackling Inequality; and
• Improving Performance.

LEPs have been established in all of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas. The precise aims/objectives (and membership) of LEPs varies by area, but are based on advancing local action under Scotland’s Employability Framework, namely developing strategy in order to lead effectively, Promote and develop greater integration and partnership working, tackle inequality & improve performance.

The most common activities LEPs take forward include: developing a local employability pathway; mapping all relevant local services; developing specific engagement processes for ‘hard to help’ labour market groups; developing shared local management information systems; developing a coherent employability offer for employers; and combining resources to offer new services in response to identified gaps.

There is a strong focus on tackling youth unemployment at all levels and funding for services currently reflects that.

• Developing a local employability ‘pathway’ – the definition of the stages within local pathways varies. Commonly they cover: customer referral/engagement; pre-employability support/labour market barrier removal; vocational activity; employer support/ engagement/job matching; and in work support/ aftercare.
• Mapping all relevant services - to ensure all partners and potential beneficiaries understand the collective service offer e.g. establishment of service directories and databases. These are also used to plan new services and improve referrals between services.
• Developing specific engagement processes for ‘harder to help’ labour market groups - e.g. engaging vulnerable groups by working closely across employability, health, addictions, social care, criminal justice, and homelessness organisations.
• Developing shared local management information systems (MIS) - to improve client tracking and the recording of the impact of local partner interventions.
• Developing and articulating a more coherent employability offer to employers - a number of LEPs have established an ‘employer offer’ to bring together information on all the employability supports available to local employers and how these can be accessed.
• Combining resources to support new services in response to identified gaps – using local and national funding to access and match fund ESF and ERDF contributions.
• Developing Employment Framework  - To emphasis and develop the premise that employability policy and investment across Scotland should have a twin purpose of supporting economic recovery and ensuring that those who struggle most in the labour market are not left further behind in the competition for jobs.

There has been limited comparative benchmarking work on the relative performance of LEPs. The priority in 2013 has been to review existing employability performance in order to identify common measures of performance and outcomes and use these going forward.

The North Lanarkshire LEP updates from 2012/13 have been as follows:

• 6,516 people engaged with North Lanarkshire’s Working.
• 1,686 people moved into employment.
• 705 people retained employment for at least 26 weeks
• 1692 people assisted were registered unemployed for under six months, 1005 were registered unemployed for over three years.
• The most common progression barriers for adult customers were (in order): a lack of job opportunities, a lack of work experience, and that they had never worked never worked before.

The Inverclyde Council LEP updates from 2012/13 have been as follows:

• A total of 1,700 people were supported through 3 separate projects.
• 432 people moved into employment.
• 405 people gained a partial or full qualification
• 170 people gained employment via a job brokerage

The Fife LEP updates from 2012/13 have been as follows:

• 7,289 people were supported through Fife
• 823 people moved into employment with 566 full time positions being gained.
• 369 people entered into formal accredited education or training.