08 May 2008 – Publication of DWP research report 495: Evaluation of the Fair Cities Pilots 2007
The final report of the Fair Cities Pilots evaluation is published today. Fair Cities was an experimental initiative devised by the National Employment Panel. It ran between November 2004 and March 2008. Its aim was to improve ethnic minority employment using a demand-led (employer-led) approach in Brent, Birmingham and Bradford.
Main findings:
- Ethnic minorities have been effectively targeted;
- Success in getting employers to lead the initiative;
- Success in building demand-led ‘pipelines’ into high quality jobs with reputable employers;
- Success in building independent operations outside of the mainstream (i.e. Jobcentre Plus);
- Successful, but restricted employer engagement.
The report highlights several problematic areas of the Pilots:
- Job outcomes: the pilot has missed its targets (1,000 job entries compared with the target of 4,400);
- High cost: (gross cost per job average £7,500 per job);
- Low hiring rates of participants completing employer training;
- Lower than expected job sustainability in two of the pilots;
- Not reached the most disadvantaged.
Notes to Editors
- The DWP research report: Evaluation of the Fair Cities Pilots 2007 is published on 8 May 2008.
- This publication represents the final stage of the evaluation of the pilots. The period of evaluation ran from implementation to September 2007; six months before the Pilot ended. An interim report was published in May 2007 and is available on http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/report_abstracts/rr_abstracts/rra_428.asp.
- The final phase of the evaluation used a range of methods including case study qualitative research with Pilots and the central Secretariat; qualitative research with stakeholder and community organisations; case study qualitative research with employers and qualitative research with providers.
- The purpose of the final phase of the evaluation was to review and assess the Pilots as a means of delivering labour market interventions in disadvantaged communities; identify and assess the immediate and ongoing impacts of the Pilots on the beneficiaries; assess the impact of the Pilots on participating employers and on the employer community; and review and assess the effect of the Pilots on the local employment, training and community support infrastructure.
- The evaluation was undertaken by the Institute for Employment Studies. The report’s authors are John Atkinson, Sara Dewson, Harriet Fern, Rosie Page, Rachel Pillai and Nii Djan Tackey.
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