Building a Transitional or Intermediate Labour Market Sub-theme: Role of the social economy with ILMs Case Study: Engine Shed.

Building a Transitional or Intermediate Labour Market

Sub-theme: Role of the social economy with ILMs

Case Study: Engine Shed

What I want to do…

• What is the social economy

• What is social enterprise

• Social enterprise and ILMs

• Case study – The story of the Engine Shed

• Some issues to consider

Locating ILMs…

Defining social enterprise…

Lots of definitions - very similar…..

DTI (UK Government) definition: “A social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community…”

Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition definition:“Social enterprises are dynamic businesses with a social purpose. They have social aims, trade in competitive markets and reinvest their profits for social and community benefit”

Other useful definitions….

More precisely…

Social enterprises….… are not-for-profit … seek to meet social aims through trading activities… have all assets and wealth held in trust and for the

benefit of the community or beneficiaries … encourage participation of members on a co-operative

basis with equal rights for all members – accountability to community or beneficiaries

(EU project: CONSCISE definition)

Social enterprises and ILMs…

ILM organisations can be social enterprises but many do not refer to themselves as social enterprises (eg. the WISE Group)

Case Study

The story of the Engine Shed

The facts…

• Mission: to offer on-the-job training to people with learning disabilities helping them to make a successful transition to paid work

• Established: 1989• Turnover:£400,000 per annum• Staff: 16 and 30 part-time students• Assets: very few• Independent organisation – NGO?

Activities…

• Offers 36 training places annually • Work areas: café, bakery, outside catering, food

processing• Trainees on a 3 year programme• Programme includes work experience with local

employers; help with qualifications; gaining skills; help finding jobs

The story…

• A group of people wanted to help people with learning disabilities

• Studied the barriers to their employment in the mainstream labour market

• Wanted to create a supportive and transitional workplace as a stepping stone

• Sought funding for trainees and through trading• Real work which trades and earns an income• Engaged with future employers and

communicated with them – partnership and CSR

Issues…

• Misunderstanding – Engine Shed is not about catering skills! It is about employability skills

• 50% of funding from local authority for trainees/workers – security?

• Managing the business or providing sheltered employment – both?

• Controlling costs…

Thank you!

• Any questions?

• Further information…

www.idea.gov.ukwww.jrf.org.ukwww.theengineshed.org