A different approach to create real value and relationships with businesses

The team at 4front Partners have recently completed a 6-month project in partnership with City of York Council, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The project sought to increase employment opportunities for some of York’s most vulnerable residents.

I am sharing some of our key learnings, as I believe some of the project’s successes can be replicated elsewhere.

The project had a number of workstreams; the first was providing skills, tools, and methods for practitioners to have more meaningful conversations with businesses. The practitioners were amazing at engaging with their participants, yet 79% reported that they had no training, or just annual training, in business engagementprior to this project.  After undergoing some basic ‘business to business’ training in employment support, 82% reported that they were more confident in engaging with businesses, and 91% said they had taken away more methods and tools to help them in business engagement.

The second workstream focused on labour demand, i.e. working with businesses to help them to attract a more diverse workforce. A series of business focused Inclusive Recruitment Masterclasses were held to provide businesses in York with information, signposting, and methods to help them put in place Inclusive Recruitment Strategies.

The purpose of this was simple – the evidence shows that businesses, on the whole, want to help and employ people from diverse and underrepresented communities, but often lack the knowledge and methods to do this.

The amazing thing that I want to share:

From having no employer relationships in York to draw from, the 4front Partners team, in partnership with City of York business engagement teams, the local Chamber of Commerce, and The Good Business Charter team (amongst other superstars), secured nearly 100 registrations from York businesses to attend these Inclusive Recruitment Masterclass sessions. This is hugely significant because we weren’t asking them for vacancies, relationships, or even favours. We offered them something that was viewed as valuable and relevant to their businesses. It caught their interest, and they gave us their time!

Anyone who’s ever tried to engage businesses knows how difficult conversations can be, but one of the key takeaways from this project was that if you have something of value to offer businesses, they will meet you at the table to discuss it.

The employability sector can provide immense value to their business communities, and in doing so, create more meaningful relationships which ultimately create opportunities for our participants.  Within the sector we have experts in disability, neurodivergence, employing people who have been in prison, migrants, young people, returning carers….the list goes on and on.  Take your expertise to market, help your businesses become the willing and supportive environments they want to be.

The team at 4front Partners are talking to devolved commissioners, providers, and even employers about how to better include businesses in the design and delivery of employability and skills support.

·      So if you’re designing commissioned services and want more businesses to be involved, get in touch.

·      If you’re delivering employability or similar services and want to increase the number of valuable business relationships, get in touch.

·      If you’re concerned your team need more tools and confidence to have effective employer conversations, get in touch.

4front Partners will collaborate with you to achieve better outcomes for everyone.