WMCA Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support Flexible Procurement System

Description

This notice is being used to inform the market of the establishment of a Flexible Procurement System (FPS) for Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support by West Midlands Combined Authority, which will from this point on be known as the WMCA Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support Flexible Procurement System (TESES FPS). WMCA have opted to establish an FPS under the Light Touch Regime rules, within the Public Contracts Regulations (PCR, 2015) to deliver our Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support services provision. An FPS is an overarching agreement that allows FPS Providers who are admitted onto it to subsequently compete for Call-off Contracts through further competitions. It operates in a similar way to a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) but will have set windows for evaluation of Applications to join. This will allow WMCA to continually expand our network of providers and welcome new FPS Providers that are able to meet our requirements for the duration of the FPS. The TESES FPS will follow-on from the WMCA Adult Skills Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), established in November 2022, to offer an expedient route to market and direct access to the provider base for WMCA’s Skills and Employment Support requirements. The refresh of this route to market has been made in order to align with WMCA’s Employment and Skills Strategy and to streamline the bidding process for employment and skills providers. Through engagement with key stakeholders, WMCA identified where improvements could be made to the Adult Skills DPS for the benefit of WMCA, our providers and our residents. The FPS will include five categories of delivery, linked to pillars within the Employment and Skills Strategy. In order to be included on 4 of the categories, Applicants will be required to demonstrate their understanding and capability of delivering in those category areas. The categories will include; - Building strong and inclusive communities - Providing a good education up to level 2 - Moving residents into employment and supporting career progression - Meeting future skills needs at level 3 and above through upskilling and reskilling - Innovation Although this FPS is being established in order to facilitate immediate and easy access to the Adult Skills and Employment Support Market, WMCA will not be mandated to use it for every requirement. Once established, Call-off Competitions will be run under this FPS in order to find suitable FPS Providers to deliver individual Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support provision Call-off Contracts. Call-off Contracts will be awarded to the successful FPS Provider/s in line with the award criteria stated in the Call-off ITT documents, which will be formulated using the Most Advantageous Tender (MAT) principle, comprising of Technical, Commercial and (if applicable) Social Value criteria. The deadline for submission of initial applications is Monday 31st March 2025 at 23:59. Once initial applications have been evaluated and FPS Agreements awarded to successful applicants, the FPS will re-open for further applications. Lot 1: Building strong and inclusive communities Every part of the region should have a strong local offer of numeracy, literacy, language and digital skills for communities that supports good health & well-being, builds confidence, improves inclusion & integration, develops key life skills and prepares learners for employment, self-employment or further learning. A place-based approach should ensure a focus on first engagement opportunities for communities under-represented in learning and disadvantaged in the labour market, providing a clear pathway towards level 2. This offer will take place in community settings as short first steps provision with a progression pathway onto an Adult and Community Education Service. Lot 2: Providing a good education up to level 2 Every part of the region should have a strong local offer that provides any residents who need it with a good education up to level 2. This should include: A comprehensive offer of high quality, locally available opportunities to improve literacy and numeracy, including through statutory entitlements e.g. Functional Skills Qualifications A purpose-driven offer of English language learning up to level 2 that supports the cultural capital, social capital and vocational development of learners as they improve their language skills A digital skills offer that helps residents access online support services needed for health, welfare, training or employment Integrating vocational training at level 2 as a component to support progression to further learning, work or in-work progression. This should target those occupations where high vacancy demand exists, where there is a greening of job roles to support net zero and in occupations likely to have a higher proportion of workers without qualifications The offer should be relevant and adaptable to the 47% of adult residents without foundation skills qualifications who are in work. Flexible and accessible delivery models should enable learners to study alongside wider commitments. Strong partnership arrangements and personalised support should ensure clear progression pathways into level 2 provision or good work. A place-based approach should ensure a focus on those areas/people with the lowest skill levels and lowest levels of participation in adult education. Lot 3: Moving residents into employment and supporting career progression Every part of the region should have a strong into-work offer aligned to local labour market opportunities. This should include provision that supports: young people to transition into the labour market unemployed adults into good work economically inactive adults into the labour market, including those who have a health condition or disability in-work progression out of low pay, including for those in the gig economy and on zero hours contracts people in employment, experiencing systemic disadvantage due to disabilities, gender, ethnic background or other characteristics retraining for career change, including for those without good foundation skills Working with specialist providers and in partnership with employers, the offer will deliver the skills that businesses need, providing clear progression pathways into good work alongside effective wraparound support for learners. The offer should include flexible delivery models that are accessible for residents who work shifts or who can only attend at weekends and/or evenings. A place-based approach should ensure a focus on those areas/people with high levels of labour market insecurity, including unemployment, inactivity, in-work poverty and/or risk of redundancy. Lot 4: Meeting future skills needs at level 3 and above through upskilling and reskilling Every part of the region should have a higher-level skills offer aligned to regional economic priorities. This should include: A strong and broad offer at level 3, accessible to those in employment and affordable for those in low paid work A flexible modular offer at level 4/5 aligned to the requirements of businesses, to support retraining or career progression An accessible leadership and management offer at level 4 and above that supports SMEs to improve productivity and growth and is targeted on residents currently under-represented in L&M training Working with universities, colleges, specialist providers and in partnership with employers, the offer will serve the growing requirement for higher level skills across the region – to strengthen business, improve productivity and attract inward investment. The offer should be accessible for those in work, with more part-time, evening, weekend and hybrid delivery to fit around work and wider commitments of learners. A place-based approach will ensure that higher-level skills opportunities are closely aligned to local/regional economic opportunities and strategies, including Plan for Growth and Investment Zones. Lot 5: Innovation Whilst remaining with the overall objectives and requirements of Technical Education, Skills and Employment Support services, WMCA want the capacity and capability to innovate in the delivery of skills and employment support across the region. This innovation approach may not fit within the descriptors of the other four categories but will incorporate the space to test and learn. The types of activities we’re likely to see included, but not exclusively, are: - AI and Data Driven Approaches - Gamification and Immersive Learning - Flexible and Customised Learning Paths e.g. modular, micro-credentials and badging - Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeships - Technical Education - Inclusive and Accessible Training Solutions for Disadvantaged Groups - Sustainability and Green Skills - Entrepreneurship and Innovation Skills - Community-Based and Peer Learning Initiatives - Test and Learn Programmes to Pilot New Training Approaches