6 seminar emma thomas

Slide 1: 

Business Brokers pilot programme

Why business brokers? : 

Why business brokers? Business involvement

Why business engagement ?: 

Why business engagement ? Strong local economy the backbone of sustainable communities Vital views as employer, investor, supplier, partner and user of services (REALITY CHECK) Specialist skills and staff time Possibility of financial and pro bono support INPUTS OUTPUTS

Community needs & LSP priorities: 

JOBS: 33% of SMEs experience skill shortages, yet 1.5m unemployed (ILO) ENTERPRISE: 6.6m in deprived neighbourhoods - all are consumers (NRU) CRIME: crime costs UK business £18.8b per annum (BCC) HEALTH: staff absence costs business £11b per annum (CBI) HOUSING: 2.7m in sub standard housing (Shelter) EDUCATION: 7m people in the UK have a numeracy or literacy level below that expected of an 11-year-old. Of these, 3.5m are employed in UK workforces (DfES) Community needs & LSP priorities JOBS: ENTERPRISE: CRIME: HEALTH: HOUSING: EDUCATION:

Key barriers: 

Key barriers Knowledge Time Language Culture clash Ineffective networks Relevance Geography Devolved decision making Previous bad experiences Partnership overload Business diversity Usual suspects

Pilot programme: 

Pilot programme National pilot worth £3.2 million over three years Funded by Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, Active Community Unit & DTI Phoenix Fund Delivered by Business in the Community in partnership with The British Chambers of Commerce Concentration on enterprise, employment, retail support & employee volunteering

Slide 7: 

Plus: Southampton Lewisham Leeds Bradford Proposals: Croydon Kirklees Bristol

Potential business broker roles: 

Potential business broker roles An intermediary between business & LSPs: translating strategies into practical menu of business actions proactive marketing of activity to local firms one-stop-shop mechanism for local companies bridge between sectors - matching need & chasing progress targeted work with SMEs, BME businesses, etc engaging business in decision making & communicating business needs

Potential structure : 

LSP Board Steering Group Enterprise support Employabilitytraining Education links EmployeeVolunteering Support to VCS Anti-crime initiatives Retail support Potential structure B r o k e r Local businesses - large & small

Broker Employers: 

Broker Employers North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce East Durham Business Service 1066 Enterprise Agency Initiative Burnley Brent Council East London Business Alliance Employment Service Business in the Community

Results in pilot programme : 

Business benefits gained Business Action Group of 180+ businesses in Luton - including work with Marsh Farm NDC 91 businesses at launch of CommunityMark(45 committed) in Sheffield Learning centres in Easington& new Business Forum Hastings local sourcing event for 70+ firms Results in pilot programme

National support - Partnership Academy: 

National support - Partnership Academy National broker network & events Helpdesk - one to one support and advice Research, publications & monthly newsletter Training & development programme around core brokerage competencies Templates, guidance and ‘how to’ handbooks