Key components of the scheme
Indicative costings for employers (annual)
London Pilot: recruitment of trainees - 2009 timeline
The Encompass positive action trainee scheme aims to recruit and place 100 trainees from BME backgrounds with employers over five years, with the object of each trainee gaining a professional library and information qualification at MCLIP level (Member of CILIP - the main professional qualification in library and Information work). The first year - 2008/9 - will be a pilot, restricted to employers in the London area (defined as within the M25). Thereafter the scheme will be rolled out nationally.
Key components of the scheme
• The participating employer converts an existing post (or creates a new post) to become a Trainee post. The Trainee receives an allowance rather than a salary. The employer saves on NIC and possibly on pension contributions. It is probable that once all costs have been factored in the Trainee position will be cheaper than the full-time post it replaces
• The Traineeship will last for 3 years and, subject to a Trainee satisfying the necessary criteria, will result in an MCLIP qualification (Member of CILIP - the main professional qualification for library and information practitioners)
• The Traineeship will include part-time or distance learning at a University Department of Information & Library Studies.
• On average a Trainee will spend 4 days a week at work and one day a week studying
• Path National will manage the placement of each Trainee. This will include collecting the funds from employers to pay the fees of the chosen HE institution providing the postgraduate library and information studies course, reimbursing CILIP for the support programme provided by them and paying the allowance of the Trainee. It will also include a fee of £4000 a year per Trainee for which Path will provide: support and mentoring for Trainees; a Training and Development programme for the Trainees; and support for the employers from the recruitment of Trainees to the completion of the Traineeship.
• CILIP will provide membership for the Trainee, and attendance at a 1 day CILIP Training Course and/or Executive Briefing (or a day at a conference) and the registration fee for the MCLIP qualification. CILIP will also provide a mentor during the chartership process
• The pilot project, and the subsequent national scheme will be overseen by a Steering Group drawn from the Library & Information sector and include representatives from Path National, MLA and LLUK.
Indicative costings for employers (annual)
A post is vacant, and would normally be advertised at £18,000. Instead of recruiting on the open market, a PATH trainee is taken on. The advertising costs are ignored in this example.
Normal recruitment costs:
Gross pay: £18,000
Total take-home for employee: £13,980
Employer NIC: £1,660
15% pension contribution and benefits: £2,700
Total cost to employer: £22,360
PATH Trainee costs:
Training Allowance: £12,980
PATH fees per annum: £4,000
(Includes all recruitment and contract administration, personal development and individual and supervisory support throughout the programme.)
CILIP costs: £500
Course costs: £2000
Total cost to employer: £19,480
* Please note all fees are subject to VAT
London Pilot: recruitment of trainees - 2009 timeline
2008
Dec: Employers sign up to Encompass
2009
Jan/Feb: Advertisement for candidates as trainees
Feb/Apr: Recruitment of trainees by employers
Apr: Trainees start with employers
May/Jun: Trainees register on courses with universities
Sep: Trainees start at university