Issue - items at meetings - City Employment & Skills Plan 2011 - 2014

Report of the Strategic Director, Place (copy attached) and presentation from Phil Frier, Chair of the City Employment and Skills Steering Group.

2.1             That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Employment, Economy & Regeneration notes the content of the report and endorses the City Employment & Skills Plan 2011-14 and its priorities and action plan.

2.2             That the City Employment & Skills Plan 2011-14, as a component of the council’s Policy Framework, be reported to the Culture, Tourism & Enterprise Overview & Scrutiny Committee for information, and referred to full Council for endorsement.

51.1               The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Strategic Director, Place concerning the City Employment & Skills Plan (CESP) & Action Plan 2011-14.

51.2               The Cabinet Member welcomed Phil Frier, Principal of City College and Chair of the City Employment & Skills Steering Group (CESSG) to the meeting to give a presentation on the CESP (Appendix 1).

51.3               Mr Frier explained that the purpose of the CESP was about enabling people to obtain the skills to be successful in the labour market and providing employers with the skills they required to develop their workforce. He highlighted key priorities focused upon job creation and better preparing local residents to apply for and secure the jobs that were created, as well as the importance of promoting the city’s employment and skills needs to internal and external partners. He explained the three priorities for action: (1) apprenticeships/internships, including the launch of a one-stop-shop for employers and jobseekers; (2) Eco Tech Industries Development, making use of the Wired Sussex Model; (3) supporting the creation of graduate jobs to ensure jobs created were at the right level for jobseekers.

Mr Frier thanked the council for it’s support for the CESP. He stated that it was an ambitious plan that would take time, but that the joined up approach it provided was offered the necessary framework for moving forward.

51.4               Councillor Morgan welcomed the CESP and advised that he had attended the successful launch at the Amex Stadium. He agreed with the focus on creating graduate jobs and advised of reports predicting that public sector cuts would have a significant impact of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). He noted that the announcement from the Government about reduced Feed In Tariffs (FIT) was bad news for Eco Tech industries.

51.5               Councillor C Theobald also welcomed the CESP and stated that limited progress on the city’s major projects had prevented jobs being created. She requested more information on the role of the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) in the CESP.

51.6               Mr Frier agreed that SMEs would experience specific problems and that the focus would be on helping them to access subsidised training and supported apprenticeships. He advised that the link between the CESP and the LEP was very important; work of the CESSG would operate within schemes set up by the LEP and the joined up approach would promote entrepreneurialism.

51.7               The Cabinet Member explained that Section 106 provisions required large developments to use a significant number of local workers and that this would be seen on upcoming developments. She welcomed the launch of the one-stop shop for apprenticeships and thanked Mr Frier for attending and giving the presentation.

51.8               The Lawyer to the meeting explained that the recommendations would be amended to reflect the fact the CESP was part of the council’s Policy Framework and therefore required Overview & Scrutiny input and full Council endorsement (see 51.9(2) below).

51.9               RESOLVED - That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the following recommendations be accepted:

(1)    That the Cabinet Member for Planning, Employment, Economy & Regeneration notes the content of the report and endorses the City Employment & Skills Plan 2011-14 and its priorities and action plan.

(2)         That the City Employment & Skills Plan 2011-14, as a component of the council’s Policy Framework, be reported to the Culture, Tourism & Enterprise Overview & Scrutiny Committee for information, and referred to full Council for endorsement.