The Powerhouse Pathway – For Employers
The Powerhouse Pathway seeks to provide a solution to areas of labour shortage in the greater Didcot area, especially for entry level roles in areas such as catering, cleaning, office administration and warehousing based on a community approach, by supporting:
· Local employers - To find and retain the right staff
· Local young people -To gain meaningful employment
· Local schools - To offer progression to all students
The Powerhouse Pathway enables Employers to recruit suitable young people into vacant roles and receive support to retain and progress those new employees.
If you are interested in participating in the Powerhouse Pathway click here
For Employers
Local employers are struggling to recruit and retain good staff in entry level roles in service industries such as hospitality, cleaning, admin, care, facilities. The Powerhouse Pathway supports employers to address this challenge:
Making Recruitment Easier for Employers:
· The Powerhouse Pathway gives employers access to a new source of local young people. SOFEA liaises with local schools to identify those young people suitable for such entry level roles, and supporting them until they are employment ready.
· SOFEA works with the employer to understand the specific needs of the role and supports the employer by identifying suitable candidates for interview.
Making Retention Easier for Employers:
· Young people in their first job can need a lot of support. SOFEA continues to support the employer with a partnership of pastoral care.
· SOFEA provides the young person with training in employability skills for up to two days a week
· SOFEA provides free training to the employer on areas such as neurodiversity to ensure the employment is a success.
Local employer Hachette tell us “After connecting with SOFEA through the Powerhouse Fund, we have seen first-hand the benefit of working with SOFEA and the young people they support. We are delighted to continue our partnership and support for work experience and development.’’
The aspiration for The Didcot Powerhouse Fund is to create more links between business and the community than just funding. Powerhouse Pathways directly responds to concerns raised by local employers about the difficulty of recruiting locally for entry level roles.”
Elizabeth Paris, Chair of The Didcot Powerhouse Fund
Stage 1 - Recruitment
The Employer
The Employer identifies specific role requirements e.g. strict adherence to health and safety
The Employer is asked to offer an interview for all candidates selected by SOFEA, but is free to recruit only those found suitable.
The Employer engages the participant under a part-time, fixed term, one-year employment contract with a probationary period in line with their usual recruitment practices.
SOFEA
SOFEA identifies candidates suitable for the role and prepares them for interview
SOFEA supports the participants in understanding their commitments under the employment contract.
Stage 2 - Employment
The Employer
The participant will attend the workplace on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (year-round, not just term time only, with the exception of annual leave and other statutory requirements in line with their contract of employment).
SOFEA supports the Employer should any concerns arise with the participant’s employment.
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SOFEA
Participants will attend SOFEA on Mondays and Tuesdays during term time only. Where they will work on a bespoke learning programme designed and led by the participant, SOFEA and the employer to work on their employability skills, this could include retaking their English and/or Math’s GCSEs, if they haven’t already achieved these, employability skills and work readiness, pastoral support and enrichment activities (sport, art, citizenship).
Stage 3 - Progression
After the one-year programme, all three parties (the employer, SOFEA and the participant) will work towards a positive progression outcome such as a permanent contract of employment with the employer, with a progression plan, or an apprenticeship with the employer (SOFEA will be able to provide a free advice and guidance service to employers on apprenticeships).
The employer:
Identifies specific role requirements e.g. strict adherence to health and safety
Is asked to offer an interview for all candidates selected by SOFEA, but is free to recruit only those found suitable.
Engages the participant under a part-time, fixed term, one-year employment contract with a probationary period in line with their usual recruitment practices.
Will have access to free training from SOFEA for their employees to ensure the success of the programme, this could include training on neurodiversity, autism awareness or mental health in young people as examples. SOFEA with work closely with the employer to ensure their training needs around supporting the participant in the workplace are met.
The law on Post 16 Education states:
‘In England, you can leave school at 16, and you must then do one of the following until you’re 18:
Stay in full-time education, for example at a college
Start an apprenticeship or traineeship
Spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training’
Employers Supporting the Local Community
Employers participating in The Powerhouse Pathway are not just benefitting themselves, they are also supporting young people in the local community by offering more choice:
Half the young people in Didcot leave the town for their post 16 education.
Below level 3, there is only one provider of post 16 education in the town (SOFEA).
Some young people embark on a post 16 course at level 2 with no clear idea of what the outcomes will be and often don’t make successful transitions from that programme
Some young people are not ready for an apprenticeship at 16
Young people, parents and schools do not have a clear pathway available for young people aged 16 for whom full time further study is not suitable
I wasn’t doing anything. I couldn’t get an apprenticeship or any sort of education elsewhere because of my grades from school. So I was sat at home for quite a few months doing nothing because no one would take me on. Then someone suggested SOFEA. I came and gave it a go to see how I got on – and I’ve been here ever since.
-Sophie, SOFEA employee
Commitments
The Employer
Identify vacant roles and role requirements.
Offer an interview, with no commitment to employment, to candidates put forward by SOFEA.
Offer a part-time contract of employment (3 days per week / 21 – 24 hours per week) for a minimum of 12 months (fixed term contract / permanent).
Pay the real living wage (currently £10.90 per hour).
Have a clear progression path for the participant on entry.
Engage with the support programme for the participant (monthly three-way meetings with employer, SOFEA and the participant).
Make a donation to the Didcot Powerhouse Fund (link to homepage, not donation page) in lieu of a recruitment fee.
SOFEA
Work closely with employers to identify the most suitable participants.
Provide a flexible bespoke programme for each participant.
Provide a coach for each participant, working closely with the employer and the participant to ensure progress.
Conduct regular reviews will such that progression pathways are made explicit.
Work with employers and apprenticeship providers to progress young people onto apprenticeships where appropriate.
Work closely with schools to progress young people successfully.
Identify and work alongside apprenticeship providers.
Provide ongoing support to participants and employers.
Develop the Powerhouse Pathway programme in response to employer and participant feedback.
Participant
Commit to the programme and to the Employer.
Sign a contract of employment.
Engage with the support programme (monthly three-way meetings with employer, SOFEA and the participant).
Immediately alert their coach at SOFEA of any problems that would prevent their progress on the programme
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