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3. Chapter Three Evaluating BLA Delivery

Pilot delivery arrangements

3.1. Before moving on to consider the specific delivery arrangements adopted for BLAs, it is worthwhile drawing out some of the key issues arising from the design criteria adopted for BLAs which have underpinned some aspects of delivery:

• Firstly, for the most part, the eligibility criteria define the target client group by what they do not do and on criteria which require some detailed knowledge of company practice;
• Secondly, the pilots are not allowed to market their services to companies in general - this is to limit the level of deadweight (where companies who might already be considering eligible training would apply to the programme to access the public subsidy) and to avoid attracting more companies than the limited financial resources available in the BLA programme would be able to support; and,
• Thirdly, at the time the pilots were launched there were a wide range of business support and skills products in operation at LEC level and a number of similar programmes funded by local authorities across the SE area. Consequently, the 'market' for the BLAs (particularly as funder of last resort) varied considerably depending on the particular mix available. In HIE, just one similar programme was in operation (Company Training Grants) which were also being delivered by the HIE network ².

3.2. The fact that there are four BLA pilots has meant that there are four distinct delivery arrangements. Broadly speaking, the three SE pilots follow the same five-step pattern:

• A company is referred to the pilot manager by SE account managers, Business Gateway client managers or - occasionally and especially towards the end of the BLA programme - LDS training partners;
• The pilot manager refers the company to a 'local delivery agent', responsible for guiding the company through the BLA process;
• The local delivery agent guides the company through the BLA process, in particular the training needs analysis ( TNA) and/or Business Health Check ( BHC);
• LDS sources information on available training provision at the request of the local delivery agent;
• The company selects the preferred training, undertakes the training, pre-financing this training, and claims 50% of the money back via the managing LEC.

3.3. The geographic HIE pilot follows a different, two-actor approach with cooperation between the lead LEC and the local delivery agent only:

• Unlike the three SE pilots, the HIE geographic pilot is limited to one LEC area only, which means that RACE does not depend on other LECs for (part of) its referrals;
• Also, because there was only one LDS training partner responsible for the whole HIE area, LDS and HIE agreed that the local delivery agents themselves would be responsible for sourcing training provision - there was LDS involvement in the HIE area in that the LDS training partner was kept informed and could comment on the training provision sourced by the local delivery agents, but the responsibility for sourcing training provision sat with the delivery agents.

3.4. The remainder of this chapter looks at the different steps in the BLA delivery process and the role of the different actors and, where relevant, highlights details of the differences between the four pilots or between the SE and HIE approaches.

Targeting and selecting BLA companies

3.5. The BLA rationale stipulates that the BLA programme should try to engage with those companies that have not previously engaged with business support agencies for workforce development. There was to be no active marketing of the programme to limit the level of deadweight and to avoid creating expectations that the BLA pilot, with only limited financial resources at its disposal, would not be able to meet.

3.6. The stakeholder interviews show that different lead LECs used different approaches to engage companies with the BLA pilot. RACE ( HIE geographic pilot) organised a handful of presentations about the BLA pilot for local businesses. HIE staff report that 80% of referrals to the HIE pilot were achieved through self-referral, partly because of the presentations at the start, but also because of RACE's past record of providing workforce development support to small companies (through the Company Training Scheme). This is reflected in the company case studies and, to some extent, in the employer survey results which suggest that the levels of word-of-mouth referrals are higher in the HIE pilot. However, sample sizes in the survey are very small.

HIE pilot case study
The manager of a micro company in the HIE area specialising in waste management knew about the RACE training grants, because the company he had worked for before setting up his own company had been heavily involved in training. When he identified the need for HVD (Heavy Vehicle Driving License) training in his company, calling RACE was the logical next step.

HIE roll-out case study
A marine supply company's HR director identified the need to train their staff to work with new company equipment; more generally, the director identified a need to develop a training programme to update staff skills. He went to the manager to discuss this, hoping to convince the manager to free some money for the training. The manager, however, knew that there were training grants available and contacted the LEC who then told them about the BLA programme.

3.7. Engaging companies over wider geographic areas, as in the SE area pilots, presents different issues. The SEBLA pilot managers focused their recruitment efforts on their colleagues in the other SELECs, explaining the BLA programme to them and asking them to refer potential BLA candidates to the programme.

3.8. Communication and coordination is much more complex. In some areas in the SE region, the pattern of existing support for businesses across LEC and non- LEC programmes meant that some LECs felt there was a limited role for BLAs in their own area. Given the requirement for the programme to be funder of last resort this is entirely appropriate, although at the time the pilots were being established, no-one had an overview of provision and it took some time for the managers to build up a picture of the potential for BLAs.

3.9. This was especially the case for the two sectoral pilots which operated across the whole of the SE area. The tourism pilot benefited from the existing sector support structures but had to establish a niche in a sector which already has a number of training mechanisms and funding support. 'Manufacturing' is not in itself a recognisable sector and tends to cut across a wide range of business sectors and therefore required the pilot manager to establish communications across a number of LEC teams in each area and sector organisations at a national level.

3.10. Most LEC representatives report that their involvement in the programme did not extend beyond signalling the existence of the BLA programme to the SE account managers and the Business Gateway client managers and asking them to refer companies to the lead LECs whenever they came across a potential BLA candidate. During interviews the LECs recognised the limited nature of their involvement but at the same time evaluated this involvement as perfectly sufficient: they might not have undertaken any active outreach but this was not expected of them. Ownership of the BLA programme (and of the BLA targets) was very clearly assigned to the managing LECs.

3.11. That said, BLAs were seen to fill a much wider gap in the market in other locations and some LECs invested more in delivering BLAs. One LEC used its own funds to provide financial support to its Business Gateway partner to hire additional staff for BLA referrals. Another LEC, operating as a delivery agent for their area, felt that both sectoral pilots were particularly relevant to their local businesses and provided a major source of referrals to both pilots.

3.12. More recently the skills and business support agendas have come together much more within SE delivery and it was clear from interviews with BLA pilot managers and LEC staff that, whereas at the outset of BLAs cross-referral from different business areas of the LEC operations were limited, this had improved. The ' Improving Market Segmentation & Consistent Customer Management' ( SE, February 2005) now sets out the scope and focus of business support intervention for SE and partners.

Manufacturing pilot case study
The HR director of a manufacturing company had previously spoken to a Business Gateway advisor who had told him: 'If you ever need anything, do not hesitate to contact me'. As the company was going through a growth scenario, the HR director called the Business Gateway advisor, who mentioned the BLA programme to him.

3.13. The distribution of BLA referrals demonstrate that all pilots were successful to some degree in engaging companies across the LEC areas. For the reasons outlined above, there is some unevenness in the details. For example, one LEC area represents 23% of 'Other LEC' referrals to the tourism pilot; the managing LEC provided 40% of the referrals for the manufacturing pilot (although this is an area which has a predominance of manufacturing companies). Tourism was the only pilot which appears to have benefited to any great extent from referrals from non- LEC sources such as Tourism Boards.

Table 3.1: Origin of BLA referrals in SE area (%)

Source: SE Monitoring Information (July 2005)
Note: The databases of the geographic and manufacturing pilots only distinguish between LECs; the tourism database contains separate information on LECs, Business Gateways and other sources of referral. Business Gateway referrals have been counted as 'other LEC' referrals since most LECs asked for Business Gateway cooperation in recruiting BLA companies; all other tourism referrals have been included in the 'other' category.

3.14. Alongside referrals from SE account managers and Business Gateway client managers a number of alternative engagement methods were used in the SE area. The tourism pilot in particular initially only received limited referrals and in an attempt to raise the number of BLA companies, this pilot used the cold-calling services of a marketing company. Twelve companies engaged with the BLA programme through the marketing company, but a number of them withdrew from the programme. At least one of the local delivery agents expressed serious doubts about the effectiveness of the marketing approach: companies engaged through the marketing company often did not remain engaged.

3.15. Other sources of SE referrals included referrals by the training partners of LDS for Business. LDS for Business was established in 2002; the Scottish Executive's Lifelong Learning Strategy (July 2003) explicitly refers to the development of LDS for Business as an effort to address the barriers businesses face in accessing information on appropriate training opportunities. LDS for Business focuses in particular on SMEs, which made their inclusion in the BLA pilot programme seem logical. The LDS training partners offer a brokering service: they undertake a Business Learning Needs Analysis ( BLNA) for the company and then source training provision to match the learning needs, using the LDS database of training providers. They do not provide funding for training.

3.16. Over time, more referrals came from the LDS training partners: when, during a BLNA, a LDS training partner realises that his/er client is a potential candidate for the BLA programme, s/he refers them to the lead LEC. Unfortunately, the set-up of the BLA pilot is such that the lead LEC then sends in a different broker, the BLA local delivery agent, who takes the company through a TNA, risking a partial duplication of the BLNA exercise and creating some confusion with the employer.

SE geographic pilot case study
The manager of a tyre company in the SE geographic pilot noticed an LDSTV advertisement for Individual Learning Accounts. She contacted LDS to check whether something similar existed for companies and LDS referred her to SE Renfrewshire for the BLA programme.

3.17. A final source of SE referrals are personal contacts of local delivery agents. Local delivery agents also played an important role in engaging with companies in the HIE area. Many of the local delivery agents are existing commercial consultancy agencies, offering business support services to companies or previously involved with the Enterprise Networks in the SE or HIE areas. They realise that some of their previous clients could be eligible for the BLA programme and encourage these companies to get in touch with the lead LECs. Interestingly, one of the local delivery agents indicated that they had had no difficulty achieving their original referral target and could have exceeded this target, but never put in any additional efforts because they were never asked for additional referrals.

Tourism pilot case study
The manager of a tourism company in Glasgow had previously met one of the local delivery agents. The manager did not remember the exact details, but he believed that the local delivery agent tutored a course he once attended. Then this local delivery agent got in touch with him to tell him about the BLA programme.

3.18. The employer survey offers information about the engagement routes most commonly used. Confirming the impressions created by the stakeholder interviews, the biggest group of companies (31%) first heard about the BLA programme after a LEC or Business Gateway contacted them; this percentage might be higher still (38%) because some companies responded that they first learned about the BLA pilots 'through Scottish Enterprise' (4%), not specifying which party took the initiative, or 'through a letter' (3%) which might have come from a LEC or Business Gateway. 17% of companies first heard about the initiative when they themselves approached their LEC or Business Gateway and a further 10% learned about the BLA programme through word-of-mouth which presumably led to further self-referrals. Unfortunately, the sample size does not allow for a clear distinction between the engagement routes for each of the pilots.

Table 3.2: How did companies first learn of BLA Pilots?

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)
Note: The percentages do not add up to 100% because of averaging.

Why did companies engage with the BLAs?

3.19. The overwhelming reason survey companies gave for participating in the BLA initiative was the financial support available (94%). Unprompted, a minority also suggested that the programme would help create a culture of systematic learning (16%) or be beneficial to the company (13%) or staff (12%). When prompted, companies selected a variety of business development reasons from support to help them develop a more professional product/service (80%), to training new staff (43%) and adapting to new regulations (47%).

Table 3.3: Reasons for participating in BLAs

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

3.20. Alongside a similar range of reasons, the vast majority of case study companies also confirmed the importance of the financial support as a trigger for their involvement in the BLA programme. Only a couple of times did case study companies indicate that the money had not really influenced their decision to join the BLA pilot.

SE geographic pilot case study

A manager's first reaction to the BLA programme was disbelief: they had tried before to get financial support but without success. The company decided to get involved because it meant an opportunity for staff development and business streamlining. The financial support was not that important: the company spends £20,000-30,000 on training annually anyway. What was important was the guidance; someone else doing " the monkey-work, the leg-work".

The BLA delivery process

3.21. The typical BLA process is set out in Figure 2.1. Following an initial visit (and possibly subsequent visits) from the BLA local delivery agent:

• In a SE pilot, the company may have undertaken a Business Health Check (usually delivered by the local Business Gateway) and the agent and the company would complete the Training Needs Analysis. LDS would then help source possible learning activity to help construct a training plan.
• In the HIE pilot, the delivery agent follows through the whole process with a learning and development review combining business planning and training needs assessment. The training agent then helps source relevant learning activity.

Figure 3.1: BLA Process

3.22. All four pilots contracted 'local delivery agents' to guide the companies through the BLA process. However, each pilot used its own specific approach:

• The geographic HIE pilot decided to work with 2 local delivery agents - 2 small commercial HR consultancies (sole traders) known previously to RACE as excellent service deliverers;
• The geographic SE pilot decided to work with 1 local delivery agent only, likewise a small commercial HR consultancy;
• The 2 sectoral pilots worked with a wider range of local delivery agents:
  • A number of small commercial HR consultancies;
  • A couple of Business Gateways;
  • One LEC - this type of delivery agent was later also used during the roll-out of the HIE pilot;
  • One Chamber of Commerce - but no companies were actually serviced by this local delivery agent.

3.23. At the start of the BLA programme, LDS was asked whether they would be able and willing to act as local delivery agents. LDS declined because at the time they did not think they had sufficient capacity to undertake the TNAs for all BLA companies. The LDS training partners are used to undertaking BLNAs but they thought the TNA would require more time and business skills than LDS might be in a position to offer. In hindsight, LDS believes that they would have been able to take on the role of local delivery agents, because in reality the TNA does not differ immensely from their own BLNA tool. Other stakeholders vary in their assessment of a future LDS role as local delivery agent: some saw an obvious role for LDS because of its government mandate on learning; others wondered whether LDS had sufficient capacity/experience or already built up sufficient credibility with the wider business community.

3.24. Discussions with stakeholders and delivery agents raised a number of issues relating to the effectiveness of different delivery arrangements:

• A significant number of stakeholders stressed the advantage of in-house delivery using either a LEC (e.g. SE Dumfries and Galloway) or Business Gateway (e.g. Lanarkshire) as local delivery agent. This was seen to improve the integration of services and improving communication over referrals and delivery of different aspects of the BLA process.
• Others stressed the need for integration, but did not believe that this necessarily required in-house delivery and could also be achieved through commercial HR consultancies. These 'independent' advisors are also valued because of their experience; they have the necessary credibility for companies to be willing to give up a couple of hours of their (valuable) business time for a discussion.
• In a number of cases, this view was reinforced by a perceived lack of sufficient resources to deliver the programme in-house. Set against this was the view that external delivery by independent consultancies was more costly.
• In a minority of cases it was felt that the credibility of some Business Gateways and LECs among SMEs might hinder BLA delivery. An issue raised by BLA stakeholders concerning Business Gateway delivery was that some Business Gateways might not be perceived by employers to offer a fully impartial service as they are organising some training courses themselves.

3.25. The table below summarises the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the different types of local delivery agents. It is important to stress that these perceptions are those of the different BLA stakeholders (local delivery agents, LECs or LDS staff) as opposed to the BLA companies themselves. Indeed, company satisfaction with the BLA agent support was almost universally positive.

Table 3.4: Perceived strengths and weaknesses of different types of local delivery agents

Source: CPC stakeholder views

3.26. It is also the case that while there were initial teething problems in ensuring the company moved smoothly through the BLA process in some areas, stakeholders were unanimous in their view that this had improved as partners had developed more effective working arrangements to suit local circumstances.

Business health check and training needs analysis

3.27. The local delivery agent visits the company to discuss the business objectives and, linked to these business objectives, the training needs of the company. Specific tools were developed in both the SE and HIE area to help the local delivery agents identify the companies' training needs.

3.28. In the SE area local delivery agents have two existing tools at their disposal: the 'business health check' ( BHC) tool and the 'training needs analysis' ( TNA) tool. The BHC is an existing Business Gateway instrument on offer to all businesses in the SE area; a Business Gateway advisor takes the company through a questionnaire aimed at highlighting areas of potential business weakness. The BLA programme specifically aims to link training activities to business objectives and potential for business growth and as a result, the three SE pilots decided to offer the BHC to all BLA companies who had not previously undertaken one.

3.29. The TNA is a software tool, developed by SE Lanarkshire prior to the BLA pilot, including a range of information on job roles, skills required and current skills levels for each job in the company. The BLA programme adopted this TNA software with a view to provide the local delivery agents with a handy tool to facilitate their analysis of company training needs. The intention was that the software could then be left with the companies for them to use themselves in future. There were, however, some drawbacks in practice:

• Whilst it has the advantage of being comprehensive, the TNA software was very data-hungry;
• This combined with some unfriendly software features (the user is not able to copy and paste details between similar job roles) meant that the time spent entering the data was too long. One stakeholder pointed out that the TNA software drove some "local delivery agents to the verge of a nervous breakdown"; and,
• There was no 'plan b' for very small companies so the overhead of the TNA and BHC procedures is relatively large: there are examples of companies who only received a couple of hundreds of pounds but still had to go through the process of undertaking a full TNA.

3.30. This meant that local delivery agents stopped using the TNA software in front of the employers, preferring to work with a notepad instead and copying the information into the TNA software later. Unfortunately, the original aims and objectives of the TNA software tool were lost along the way: the TNA software was meant as a tool, to be used and adapted by the local delivery agents as they saw fit, taking only those elements of the software they considered most useful and relevant for each individual company.

3.31. Since the local delivery agents preferred not to use the software in front of the employers, few employers actually saw the tool functioning. The few case study companies that did commented negatively on it referring to its user-unfriendly and time-consuming nature. This has meant that very few employers have expressed any interest in using the software themselves in a later stage. There is evidence of only one employer asking for the software for future use.

3.32. In the HIE pilot the TNA software was not used; nor did the HIE pilot work with two separate instruments for the TNA and BHC. The HIE pilot decided to make the process as easy and uncomplicated as possible and to give the businesses as much assistance as possible from the local delivery agent, in recognition of the client group the BLA pilot aimed to engage with: companies who had never previously engaged in company training. The local delivery agents in the HIE area worked with one paper-based questionnaire containing questions on both business objectives and training needs. The format has evolved as the pilot has progressed, to reflect the lessons learned.

Survey company responses to training needs analysis

3.33. Just over half the survey companies reported that they had completed a TNA, with a further 21% saying that they expected to do so shortly (see table 3.5). Of those who had completed their TNA, almost nine in ten had not undertaken a TNA previously. On the face of it, having one in five companies saying they are unaware of the TNA is a concern. This echoes the findings of the company case studies: employers were sometimes not aware of a 'training needs analysis' having taken place; they only remembered that a local delivery agent came in and had a useful and interesting 'chat' with them. Moreover, case study companies found it difficult to differentiate between the TNA, BHC and training plan: when asked about their TNA, companies often showed the research team a copy of their training plan. This is probably a result of the BLA advisers trying to 'shield' companies from the different BLA processes and doing much of the TNA and BHC work on behalf of these companies. As mentioned, the HIE pilot made the conscious decision to make the BLA process as uncomplicated as possible for the companies involved, and the local delivery agents in the SE area appear to have followed the same rationale.

3.34. The HIE pilot uses a less detailed TNA process than that employed in the SELEC areas and this is reflected in the results by a lower TNA recognition in the HIE pilot (29% in the HIE area did not recognise the TNA compared to 20% overall). However, the lower recognition might also be a result of the terminology used: the local delivery agents in the HIE area referred to the process as a Learning and Development Review or BHC.

Table 3.5: Completion of a TNA

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

3.35. In general, companies were very positive about the TNA process. Almost 90% of companies felt the TNA process had helped identify company training needs, four in five that the TNA established a relationship between training and the wider needs of the business and over 90% said they would use the TNA again in future (see table 3.6). Indeed, most felt confident that they would be able to complete the TNA process themselves.

3.36. The latter results are surprising as they go against the findings of both the company case studies and the discussions with the different BLA stakeholders. These findings point towards companies attaching great value to the TNA process but admitting that they are unlikely to use the TNA in future, when there is no longer a local delivery agent around to 'hold their hand'. Again, the good work undertaken by local delivery agents to 'shield' companies from some of the detailed legwork involved in the TNA may be behind this very positive response.

Table 3.6: Company perceptions of the TNA process

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

HIE roll-out case study

The manager of a small high-tech company in the HIE roll-out area was very positive about the TNA process. He remembered having a good, in-depth interview about the company with the local delivery agent. The local delivery agent visited the company three times and the manager had the impression that the local delivery agent was very gently educating him. The manager admitted that he tended to show some inertia and to feel a slight reticence to spend any money but the local delivery agent succeeded in making him really think about training. The manager pointed out that one might have all these ideas, but that something like an interview is needed to focus on priorities and encourage you to actually spend the money. The manager remembered that " there were a number of forms and one might have been the TNA", but he did not know for sure.

Survey company responses to business health check

3.37. Not all companies required a Business Health Check ( BHC) and this is reflected by over half of the companies either not remembering the BHC process or not recognising the BHC instrument. Just over a quarter of the companies said they had completed a BHC and a further 18% said they expected to complete a BHC shortly.

Table 3.7: Completion of a business health check

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

3.38. The BHC was seen by some case study companies as being necessary for the effective delivery of BLAs but not especially relevant to their understanding of their business - i.e. it helps the advisers do their job better. Those companies interviewed in the telephone survey appear to be more positive about the benefits of the process - in terms of both assessing the state of their business and challenging their perceptions. As with the TNA, almost all companies said they would consider using a BHC again in the future.

Table 3.8: Perceptions of the BHC process

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

Survey company responses to training plan

3.39. Companies' perceptions of the quality and relevance of their BLA training plan were very positive (see table 3.9):

• Over half considered it to be very good in meeting the training needs of the company and 91% good or very good;
• A similar proportion felt it met their training needs and delivered training to all those staff who needed it;
• The significant input from the BLA advisers in developing the training plan was recognised in particular - 60% rating this as very good; and,
• More than half the companies reported that the process had provided them with an opportunity to input and shape the training plan.

Table 3.9: Company perceptions of their BLA training plan

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)
Note: Percentages do not necessarily add to 100% because of averaging.

3.40. The employer survey indicates that almost half the companies who had completed a training plan at the time of the survey had involved their staff in putting together the plan - usually through discussions with individual employees.

Table 3.10: Involvement in developing the training plan

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

Sourcing training provision

3.41. At the start of the BLA programme, a division of labour between SE and LDS was agreed: SE would be responsible for the overall management of the BLA programme and the cooperation with the local delivery agents, while LDS would be responsible for sourcing training provision for the three SE pilots. The rationale behind the LDS involvement was that the BLA pilot clearly aligned with the existing objectives of LDS for Business and its focus on SMEs. Since LDS training partners work on a geographic basis, BLA companies were assigned to LDS training partners on the basis of their location. LDS and HIE agreed a more informal arrangement whereby the LDS training partner was kept informed and could provide comments and suggestions on training solutions already sourced by the local delivery agents. In addition, the HIE local delivery agents periodically availed themselves of the central LDS support team for assistance in sourcing appropriate provision.

3.42. There appears to have been a degree of misunderstanding between the two main partners at the start: some SE staff raised doubts about the effectiveness of a shared process and the need for LDS involvement in the BLA programme; some LDS staff detected a lack of willingness to cooperate on the SE side. It is important to note that, despite the initial difficulties, the relationship between SE and LDS has improved as the pilots progressed. It is fair to say that the BLA programme has helped facilitate better working relationships and a mutual understanding of the organisations' respective strengths.

3.43. Operational integration has been supported by the introduction of a service level agreement between SE and LDS. All local delivery agents were positive about the one-on-one cooperation with their LDS training partner - and vice versa. One training partner pointed out that she had never seen or read the service level agreement and was convinced that the same was true for her colleagues - but this had not stopped any of them from developing a good working relationship with their respective local delivery agents.

3.44. This is not to say that there were not a number of teething problems at the start of the BLA programme. The most important issue was that training provision was limited to those providers that were included in the LDS database. The BLA stakeholders initially agreed to only use the LDS database because of the problems encountered in the earlier Individual Learning Accounts scheme; it was meant to provide some degree of quality assurance and minimise the risk of fraud. However, it meant that companies who wanted to work with a specific training provider - which they knew either through word-of-mouth or because they had worked with this training provider in the past - could not do so if this provider was not registered on the LDS database. This was particularly problematic for a number of highly technical courses for which the LDS database did not offer any alternatives.

3.45. This problem was overcome through a system of fast-track inclusion of providers on the LDS database: it was agreed that the BLA funding could still be used for training providers that were not initially included on the LDS database, provided they applied for inclusion. To some employers the fast-track inclusion inevitably appeared as an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle: they already knew the training provider they wanted to work with and did not need the LDS support to source training provision - why did they still have to go through the fast-track inclusion process? However, the system of fast-track inclusion led to a win-win situation with an enhanced database for LDS and its ( BLA) clients (with around 240 additional training providers included throughout the BLA programme) and additional flexibility for employers to work with the training providers they preferred.

3.46. There were some complaints from local delivery agents about the length of time taken by LDS training partners to source provision. In principle, training partners were given 10 days, but especially during the busiest time of the programme, LDS did not always manage to sustain this turn-around deadline. Some local delivery agents wondered what was taking the training partners so long, as access to the LDS database was available online to the local delivery agents themselves.

3.47. LDS, however, points out that their service is not limited to a mere printout of the information available on the LDS database: LDS training partners make sure to contact all training providers to double-check that prices and availability are correct before including them in the training plan that is sent to a company. Also, LDS does not limit their searches to the LDS database, but use other Internet resources or their wider knowledge of the Scottish learning infrastructure. LDS aims to always offer employers the choice between three training providers. This is, however, not always possible: even the enhanced LDS database provides little or no guidance when it comes to alternative learning opportunities (as opposed to more traditional training courses) or bespoke courses.

3.48. At the start of the BLA pilots LDS for Business had only recently been established and whilst there were some resource issues early in the process, overall the 10-day time period was not often exceeded. Also, the delays in turn-around time that did occur were often a joint responsibility of the training partner and the local delivery agent. The TNA delivered to the training partner by the local delivery agent did not always contain sufficient detail to allow the training partner to source training provision which meant the training partner had to wait for the local delivery agent to forward additional information. Delays were sometimes also caused by lack of or late responses from training providers.

3.49. As the BLA programme developed, each pair of local delivery agent and training partner created its own specific operating methods. In some LEC areas, the training partner and local delivery agent jointly visited the company before LDS sourced training provision, thus ensuring that the LDS training partner would get the level of detail necessary to enable them to search the database; in other LEC areas, the joint visit took place after LDS had sourced training provision, thus giving the LDS training partner a chance to explain more about the different options available. A third option entailed the local delivery agent acting as sole point of contact, transferring the LDS training partner's information about training provision to the employer. Local delivery agents and training partners appear to have adapted their cooperation in a flexible way to the requirements of joint BLA delivery.

3.50. One of the biggest complaints from case study companies and local delivery agents alike concerning LDS input was the length of the training plans delivered, sometimes more than 100 pages. One delivery agent considered many of the training plans as " truly unprofessional documents" which had the potential to undermine the credibility of the whole process. Many case study companies were clear that they wanted advice on which were the best courses for their needs (i.e. some view of the relative quality of training on offer). This does conflict with LDS' position of being an honest broker and therefore not able to recommend one training source over another.

3.51. LDS staff pointed out that a summary sheet (typically one or two pages) is always provided and that full details, included to allow clients to make a fully informed choice, were for reference only. However, considering that time constraints appear to be the biggest barrier to training in the BLA companies, it is hardly surprising to find several case study employers admitting that they never bothered reading or even printing the whole document, leaving the local delivery agent to skim through the document and make a recommendation.

Survey company responses to training provision

3.52. In the employer survey most companies reported that they had (71%) or were in the process of selecting (17%) their training providers.

Table 3.11: Selection of courses and providers

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

3.53. Survey companies were equally positive about the process of sourcing training as with other aspects of BLA delivery in almost all respects. The process was efficient and focused on the training activities the companies were seeking. Reflecting the delivery agents' view, companies were more likely to disagree with the statement that the information provided also gave an indication of the quality of training on offer (although even here the majority of companies were positive).

3.54. The amount of information provided was seen as appropriate, which runs counter to the information provided by the local delivery agents and some case study companies. As already mentioned, some advisers reported that they often filtered the 'longer lists' before presenting them to companies and this may explain some of the differences in these findings. A second explanation might be that there were relatively few cases of exceptionally long training plans but that these caused such annoyance that the local delivery agents and case study companies involved highlighted these when describing the training plan process.

Table 3.12: Company perceptions on sourcing appropriate training

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

3.55. Most stakeholders consider that there were too many parties involved in delivering BLAs in the SE areas. That said, local delivery agents and LDS training partners have worked to ensure that the employers get the best from their respective expertise. Importantly, LDS responded throughout by developing its approach and operating methods. In a different context, the HIE pilot is not believed to have missed out on anything because of its decision to adopt a more informal collaboration with LDS.

3.56. Overall, companies rate the support they received from the BLA process very highly and in particular appreciate the support of their BLA advisers.

Table 3.13: Overall satisfaction with BLA process

Source: MORI/ CPC Telephone Survey (Employers)

Degree of company commitment to the BLA process

3.57. Striking the right balance between sufficient 'hand-holding' and 'chasing' of the company by the local delivery agent and securing company commitment and action has exercised all local delivery agents. A great deal of agents' time has been spent encouraging companies through the various stages of the BLA process. Almost all felt that companies were relatively happy to progress on to the next stage towards the BLA account (with varying contributions from the delivery agent). However, once the account has been opened it is up to the employer him/herself to contact the training providers, to plan and organise the training courses and, importantly, to commit their own money.

3.58 Inevitably, small companies' ability to devote the required time, firstly to progressing the BLA process but crucially to committing themselves both financially and (to some degree) to a timetable they do not fully control, appears to be a key barrier. Local delivery agents try to persuade employers to keep to their plans but this is very resource intensive. If employers do not react after a number of e-mails and/or telephone calls from the local delivery agent, the agent contacts the lead LEC to discuss taking the company off the list of live contacts. The view of most delivery agents is that minimal company commitment and efforts are needed; they cannot continue to try to contact the employer in vain.

3.59. A number of case study companies and a significant minority of companies contacted during the telephone survey suggested that they recognised the importance of the BLA programme and training in the longer term, but that there are so many business priorities requiring their attention on a day-to-day basis that the BLA programme can easily fall behind schedule or slip from their mind - indicating that they could have benefited from additional local delivery agent follow-up. Within the context of a time-limited pilot, the efforts of local delivery agents have gone as far as is reasonable to encourage employers to benefit from the BLA process. The fundamental problem is that whatever importance the employer places on staff learning, short-term business priorities dominate and releasing any staff for learning activity is a relatively large burden.

Tourism pilot case study

A tourism company went through the whole BLA programme, but in the end could not open a BLA account because the board of trustees did not approve the training budget. At the time they needed the money to hire an additional member of staff. The company manager recently saw a colleague of the local delivery agent they had worked with on the BLA programme and this encounter made him wonder about the BLA programme - but he did not really inquire. The discussion with CPC made him wonder again about the BLA programme. If he was contacted again and given a second chance to open his BLA account this year, he would.

Manufacturing pilot case study

A manufacturing company got off to a false start in the BLA programme. The manager was visited by two BLA consultants who asked him 'What can we do for you?' whereas he had been hoping that they would come with a concrete offer. The manager could not really clarify why he did not continue with the BLA process the first time: he was busy and just could not be bothered. He got involved again after their Business Gateway contact checked with the company wondering how the BLA programme had worked for the company. Their Business Gateway contact encouraged them to try again. The manager then contacted the BLA consultants again and the second time their BLA involvement went smoothly. However, had he not taken the initiative to call the BLA agent, he would not have been involved.

3.60. The HIE pilot has not 'withdrawn' companies from the BLA process; all companies remain registered as engaged in the BLA process. As a result, the above-mentioned comments about the benefits of additional follow-up efforts towards withdrawn companies refer to the SE pilots only. However, the general remarks on daily emergencies limiting progress on the BLA front are valid for HIE and SEBLA companies alike.

3.61. The employer survey confirms this picture. Of the 225 companies contacted, only 100 could be interviewed, and a large proportion of the companies not willing/able to participate in the survey, indicated that they had had only limited involvement in the BLA process: they remembered an initial telephone call but no further contact with any of the BLA stakeholders. The reasons for no further progress suggest that in a number of cases the companies gave a lukewarm response to local delivery agents but in many cases still professed to be interested in the BLA programme.

BLA Delivery - conclusions

3.62. Engaging with potential BLA companies happens through a number of different routes. The research found little or no evidence of proactive targeting of companies. In the HIE area, self-referrals and word-of-mouth appear to have been important. In the SE area, most referrals have come from SE account managers and Business Gateway client managers who sign-post companies to BLAs as and when they come across potential candidates. Different LECs have referred different numbers of companies, reflecting their appreciation of the role for BLAs within the wider support structure already available in their area.

3.63. Company reactions to the BLA process are overwhelmingly positive. The TNA and BHC tools are rated highly in the employer telephone survey: almost 90% of companies felt that the TNA process had helped identify company training needs and almost 80% indicated that the BHC had helped them assess the state of their business. The overall support offered by the local delivery agent is evaluated positively with 93% of employers agreeing that the BLA consultant did an excellent job and provided quality advice.

3.64. The company case-studies allowed the research team to go beyond the general impressions created by the telephone survey. The case studies confirmed the positive survey findings with regard to employer appreciation of the local delivery agent support, but highlighted a general lack of awareness and confusion among employers about the specific BLA tools used. This limited awareness is confirmed in the employer survey finding that one in five companies did not recognise the TNA tool. Stakeholder interviews with the local delivery agents show that local delivery agents tried to shield their clients and limit the burden of BLA procedures for employers.

3.65. With regard to sourcing training provision, in the SE area there were some initial hiccups in the cooperation between LDS and SE but these were dealt with. The BLA programme appears to have facilitated a better cooperation and mutual understanding between SE and LDS. Survey companies were positive about the process of sourcing training provision. The main concern of the local delivery agents and a number of case study companies related to the length of some of the training plans.

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