Issue - items at meetings - Employment and Skills update and City Employment Skills (Recovery) Plan 2021-2023

Report of the Executive Director Families, Children & Learning (copy attached)

RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee –

(i)             Approved the City Employment and Skills (Recovery) Plan 2021 –2023;

(ii)            Noted the general Employment and Skills update.

41.1    The Sub-Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning regarding the City Employment and Skills (Recovery) Plan 2021 – 2023.

41.2    Councillor Clare was pleased to note that the Council’s bid to the DWP for the Youth Employment Hub had been successful. She asked if third sector providers could be involved in the recovery plan and noted that the number of youth employment was going down and asked if that was a trend. The Head of Skills and Employment said that she would welcome involving third sector groups and would discuss that further with Members and said that there had been a reduction in youth employment but it was too early to say if that was a trend or would change once lockdown was over.

41.3    Councillor Platts asked what funding had been secured and approximately how many people we were expecting to help, and how sustainable those jobs may be, and if those people would be paid a Living Wage. The Head of Skills and Employment said that there were a number of incentives which the Government had implemented such as the Kickstart scheme, and employers could top-up the salary if they wanted to pay a living wage. The funding which had been secured was from the DWP for the flexible support fund, and the de-carbonisation academy.

41.4    Councillor Miller suggested that there should be more focus on creating jobs within the IT sector, and attracting investors into the City, and for the Council to look at how it could create more jobs such as encouraging early retirement for Council employees to create vacancies. The Executive Director Economy, Environment & Culture said that this was a short-term recovery plan and looking at current employment. There were skills which were needed for the Tech economy but that was not a direct need due to the impact of Covid. Item 43 on the agenda provided further information on the economy within the Greater Brighton Plan.

41.5    RESOLVED: That the Sub-Committee –

(i)             Approved the City Employment and Skills (Recovery) Plan 2021 –2023;

(ii)            Noted the general Employment and Skills update.