Purpose: Employment supporting cohesion

Stimulus/Rationale:

Process:

In Manchester (United Kingdom), the Manchester International Festival’s Factory Academy partnered with the construction firm Laing O’Rourke to provide employment opportunities for a diverse range of young people based in Manchester. Key to the offer was the support and training provided over the course of a six-month programme, meaning that those currently furthest from sustained employment could benefit both by gaining experience of paid work and gaining qualifications to take into future roles. This helped to address multiple disadvantages at once, increasing the diversity of those working in the construction sector.

In addition, The Co-operative Group, a large retail consumer co-operative, has developed an online platform to coordinate volunteering opportunities for colleagues, members and interested members of the public. The platform, called ‘Co-operate’, has the express purpose of developing more resilient communities by connecting community groups and opportunities with those who want to support them.

Originally piloted in the Manchester area of Stretford and since expanded nation-wide, a key aspect of the platform is its bottom-up nature, enabling local groups to advertise opportunities to volunteer which are local to them. At the time of writing there are over 20,000 volunteering opportunities advertised across the UK, addressing the Co-op’s national missions of opportunities for young people, sustainability and fair access for food plus a broader range of community issues. In addition, the Co-op’s community fund has raised over £100m from members to support local causes voted for by members.

Finally, the local city council has been at the forefront of rethinking the procurement process, focusing on how it can better support local regeneration. Since 2011, contracts awarded by the council have been judged partly on the social value they offer to the local community.  This approach has increased the proportion of council funds spent locally, from 51.5% in 2008/09 to 69.2% in 2019/20, while also generating over 47,000 hours of support for the local voluntary and community sector. This approach has also influenced local businesses, with some adjusting their approach to procurement to focus more on supporting local suppliers.

Impact:

Key reference documents: