Issue - items at meetings - Development of new City Employment & Skills Plan (2016-2020)

Extract from the proceedings of the Children, Young People & Skills Committee held on 20 July 2015 together with a report of the Executive Director for Children’s Services (copy attached).

That the Committee notes the report.

23.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director for Children’s Services in relation to Development of a New City Employment & Skills Plan (2016-2020). The report proposed the development of a new city employment and skills plan; the report had been agreed at the Children, Young People & Skills Committee on 20 July 2015 and referred to this Committee for information.

23.2    The Chair stated the importance of this work in tackling poverty and inequality, and highlighted this had been a key priority of the new administration in its first year.

23.3    Councillor Peltzer Dunn welcomed the report and highlighted the important role of the Council in working alongside businesses to development the workforce. Councillor Barradell agreed with this and added that it was vital that the Committee were provided with regular updates on the progress of this work.

23.4    Councillor Robins highlighted it was important to understand how different industries operated in practise, and made particular example of the construction industry.

23.5    Councillor O’Quinn highlighted her employment background in further education and sixth form, and welcomed the emphasis on skills for older people; she was also pleased to see the site at Wilson Avenue providing skills training. The Chair highlighted that the regional approach gave the authority greater access to resources.

23.6    Councillor Morris highlighted the importance of retaining engineering graduates, and it was hoped the new engineering building at the University would go some way to doing this.

23.7    In response to some of the points raised Officers explained that progress had been made to work with the construction sector, and all developments above 10 units were obliged to work with the local employment and skills team – often this meant requiring at least 20% of the labour to be local, this obligation also went down the supply chain.

23.8    The Chair then put the recommendation to the vote.

23.9    RESOLVED - That the Committee notes the report.