WIREDGOV

The i2i Can-do Toolkit provides guidance to registered social landlords building new affordable homes and working towards the Welsh Housing Quality Standards (WHQS) on making targeted recruitment and training a condition of contract when they appoint companies to carry out work on their behalf.

The report was launched yesterday by the Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration, Jocelyn Davies AM ahead of a debate in the Assembly about the merits of using the approach across the whole of the Assembly Government’s procurement programmes.

The report on the first two years of the project shows that 1183 training opportunities have been created by the 20 organisations that have adopted the model. The report estimates that if the model was adopted right across the public sector, 4,000 job and training opportunities would be provided in Wales every year.

The initial success of the scheme has also led to other organisations such as local authorities adopting the practice and projects across the UK, such as the Peace Bridge in Northern Ireland have also followed the guidance and used procurement to deliver jobs and training.

The Welsh Assembly Government is using  the guide itself for its groundbreaking energy efficiency scheme ARBED, where 156 weeks of training will be provided per million pounds of contract. The first phase of the scheme will see £30million spent and over 4,500 weeks of training provided this financial year.  

A second instalment of the guide, the  i2i Can-Do Toolkit 2 – SME friendly procurement was also launched last year to build on the success of the Can-Do Toolkit. The guide helps Registered Social Landlords ensure that SMEs meet procurement criteria or that the supply chain includes SMEs.

Speaking during the debate, The Deputy Minister, said:

“I am very proud of the achievements we and our partners have made in the housing sector thanks to the Can Do Toolkit. It is an excellent example of how an innovative approach can bring real benefits to the whole community and the local economy and contribute far more than just a roof over people’s heads.

“Wales is leading the way with this and is taking the model further to help small and medium enterprises and local employers to benefit from the investment we are making. But we can do more; the public sector in Wales spends approximately £4bn a year on goods and services. If the housing sector alone can achieve 1183 training and job opportunities through their investments, imagine what could be achieved if we used the Can Do approach on even more of this 4bn spend.”