Agenda item

(a)  Leeds City Region Multi Area Agreement

To receive and consider the attached report of the Directorate of Planning, Policy and Improvement.

(b)  The Future of FE in Leeds

To receive and consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report regarding the Board’s Inquiry into Skills.  The first part of the report focussed on the Multiple Area Agreement (MAA) and its skills related content and the second part focussed on the future of Further Education (FE) in Leeds.

The Chair welcomed the following to the meeting:

• James Flanagan, Project Manager, Executive Support
• Roy Thorpe, Principal, Thomas Danby College
• Cristina George, Learning Skills Council
• Sylvia Perrins, National Director, National Skills Academy Financial Services
• Linda Schofield, Regional Director, National Skills Academy Financial Services
• Gillian Haddon, 14-19 Project Manager, Education Leeds

Members attention was brought to Annex A of the report which detailed an extract from the Leeds City Region MAA Delivery Plan in relation to skills and in particular the accreditation of in-house training within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Leeds City Region .  It was reported that the delivery plan had been signed off by the City Regions Leaders Board and Members were informed of other issues including worklessness, performance management and possible implications of recent changes to the economy.

In response to Members questions and comments, the following issues were discussed:

• Worklessness programmes and the role of the Learning Skills Council and Job Centre Plus to ensure continuation of training for those not in employment.
• Reduced training opportunities in SMEs due to the current economic downturn and an acknowledgement that training has never been regarded as high priority for SMEs.
• How to get funding for SMEs to provide training and gain accreditation.
• Democratic accountability for the MAA and how it can be communicated down to community level.
• Performance management issues including responsibility for performance management and tracking the delivery of the MAA.

The Board was informed that a business plan had been drafted for a financial skills academy in the Yorkshire and Humber and this would involve key employers in the financial sector throughout the region.  SMEs were considered to be an important target group for the academy and a key challenge was to develop engagement with SMEs.  Flexible programmes of training would be delivered and a range of funding sources would be available.

It was reported that the new Leeds City College would be running with effect from 1 April 2009 and that the College’s Governing Body had now been formed.  With regards to the curriculum it wasn’t expected to be too different in the 2009/10 academic year with many programmes still running across the three former colleges.  Further development would be made prior to the 2010/11 academic year.  It was stressed that partnerships with employers across Leeds and the City Region were of importance and that employers were aware of training opportunities that were available.  Further partnership engagement would involve the Council, Education Leeds and Yorkshire Forward.

In brief summary, the following issues were also discussed:

• The National Skills Academy for Hospitality and Food at Thomas Danby College.
• The development of Centres of Excellence with provision of qualifications from Level 1 through to Foundation Degree.
• The reduction of competition between FE providers in Leeds and increased opportunities for provision of courses to best meet the needs of learners..

RESOLVED  -

(1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That the Board be provided with a detailed specification of the performance management framework for tracking delivery of the MAA when available.