Project: Prevista-Simplifying Opportunities for Start-ups (SOS)

The Simplifying Opportunities for Start-ups project aims to engage long-term unemployed and under-represented groups into pre-business start-up employment or support that will assist them in entering the labour market with the intended outcome of them achieving sustainable employment or starting a business.

Project feature

Chrissie went to meet Donna Waters from Prevista to learn more about SOS. Prevista's core business is the provision of management, training and consultancy services in education, skills and business support, funded through a variety of government social, cultural and economic development programmes.

The premise for the project is to help those in the programme's target groups into pre-business start-up employment or support that will help them enter the labour market, with the intended outcome of them achieving sustainable employment or starting a business. Efforts are made to support people from economically inactive groups in coastal, urban and remote rural areas. Geographically, the project covers the South East, including Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Kent, the Isle of Wight, Brighton and Hove.

The project offers different models of specialist support aimed at addressing needs of those unemployed and long-term unemployed (for 12 months or more), BAME (Black and minority ethnic), disability groups, women, lone parents and people aged 16-19 or over 50 into either starting a business or finding sustainable employment.

Prevista is the lead partner and is responsible for the management and marketing of the programme.

Partners engaged on the project have a track record of working with the target groups on the SOS project. Each partner provides support for a certain geographical area or target groups: for example, Learning Links cover Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Chichester, Brighton and Hove, and specialise in jobsearch and self employment. There is a 'common' offer from all providers, covering generic pre-business start-up training and skills.

Disadvantaged communities and some specific demographic groups are largely underrepresented among business owners in the South East. This is especially apparent among Black and minority ethnic groups, people with disabilities and people over 50, those from coastal and deprived communities and women. SOS is designed to tackle this disparity.

As Donna says: 'You don't have to be a Richard Branson - it's about changing mindsets. How can we encourage people to start a business?'

Many participants have low level NVQ qualifications, or did not fit into an academic environment. It does not matter, it is about getting the creative ability out. Some people have an entrepreneurial idea, others just want to work. It is the role of partners to find out what participants are good at, starting small and moving from there.

There are three progression routes:

• Get training and start a business
• Entrepreneurial idea but further away from business start up- job search, entry to employment support.
• Training for self employment.

The entry level for support is predominantly at NVQ Level 1, and a smaller percentage at level 2 a lot of people need help but are above this level, some are highly qualified. Partners can filter or signpost people on to other programmes if they do not fit the criteria for SOS. Partners use a standard template for outreach work which covers personal details, eligibility, in depth diagnostics, pre start viability and SWOT analysis (where relevant, for business idea). The participant is assigned a Mentor, and progressed to a 12 week training programme. Classes are quite small, usually less than 10. Pitman courses may be larger. All premises used in the community have been risk assessed. Some partners have access to start up grants, or participants may access this through Prevista or Business Link. Support for participants may be longer than 12 weeks.

Some of the training and recruitment programme has been revised following feedback from participants and partners. It is vital to keep in touch with participants and encourage them to avoid drop out, when returning to a class environment which may be quite daunting. A creative approach is required with NEETs, the message is very different and may be more about training than business start ups.

The partnership recognises the need to 'go local' in its marketing, and partners have their own local links into the voluntary and community sector. They also work closely with Business Link to enhance their offer. Small scale, local events and tailored literature and media have been used, for example, developing effective marketing for visually impaired participants. It was decided early on that large scale events would not attract the type of participant SOS wanted to recruit. Five events have been held, including deprived areas of Hastings and Kent, and the Isle of Wight, which used the strapline 'Be your Own Boss'. Substantial numbers of participants have been recruited in this way, and many other organisations made aware of the programme.

Marketing is distributed by business advisors, outreach workers, and organisations that particularly support the participant groups within the project.

Partners all have targets, these will vary depending on the target group. Feedback from partners is that there has been a lot of support for delivery, all have been pleased with the level of support from the Project Management team at Prevista (evidenced by Mid Term Evaluation). Partnerships have also been innovative in recruiting participants through developing relationships with Jobcentre Plus. Partners have all praised the strength of the partnership (Mid Term Evaluation).

Contact details

Donna Waters, Senior programme manager (Enterprise)
Prevista
United House, North Road, London, N7 9DP
(020) 7609 4198
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