Agenda item

To consider the update report of the Chief Officer, Employment and Skills, providing a high level update on activities delivered through the Employment and Skills service aimed at improving skills and increasing job outcomes in the City

The Director of City Development submitted a report providing a high level update on activities delivered through the Employment and Skills Service intended at improving skills and increasing job outcomes in the City.

The report provided a comparison of the situation in the East Inner Area Committee locality with the city-wide position, outlining the role of Jobshops; Community Learning and the Employment Leeds Team. Additionally, the report highlighted the role of the third sector through those programmes provided.

Ms S Wynne, Chief Officer, Employment and Skills, attended the meeting to present the report.

Members welcomed the information contained within the report in respect of apprenticeships and the Education Business Partnership and noted the new and emerging initiatives outlined in the report.

The Area Committee discussed the following matters:

Publicity – Members noted the figures showing take-up from across the three wards and commented that further work was required to publicise the availability of events, assistance and training available. It was agreed that the location of provision would prove to be an issue for some prospective trainees and it was further noted that work was ongoing with LCC Communications to improve publicity for the schemes to encourage wider participation. The Service also made use of social media to publicise events and the Jobshop website was due to be refreshed in November.

Links to development and procurement – Members noted the success of the initiative to link large developments and contracts with the local workforce and the continuing work being done in schools and colleges to ensure the local labour market included prospective employees with the skills and qualifications to support future large developments, such as Victoria Gate and Thorpe Park. It was agreed that information on developments and opportunities would continue to be supplied to local ward members.

Resources – Comments regarding the accessibility of the Jobshop service in certain parts of the locality were noted. Members were advised that the Service had been rationalised but that this also presented an opportunity to reconfigure the service through use of the Community Hubs and provide better linkages with other providers.

Overall Strategy – Members supported comments that an overall strategy and action plan was required to formally target resources - such as those available through the Social Inclusion Fund established after the granting of the Large Casino Licence - to the inner city wards with the highest of unemployment and were keen to be involved in the development of a plan for EIAC area. It was noted that the three Area Leads were due to meet with the Councillor Mitchell, Chair of the Inter-Agency Steering Group, to discuss the development of such a plan.

In response, it was agreed that further discussions would be held between the Area Support Team and the Employment Skills Service to identify areas where EIAC Members could appropriately support the development and implementation of an action plan

RESOLVED –

a)  That the contents of the report and the comments made by Members be noted

b)  That a further report be presented to the December meeting in respect of the role of the Area Committee in supporting initiatives to ensure local employment and the establishment of an overall strategy to ensure employability in the locality

c)  That further information on the Social Inclusion Fund resources and management be presented to Members in due course

(Councillors Hyde and Khan and Grace Mangwanya withdrew from the meeting for a short while at this point).