Issue - meetings

The committee will be provided with a report which follows the report received by the committee on 17^th June 2018 which detailed progress on apprenticeships within the council’s workforce since the implementation of the apprenticeship levy in May 2017.

The committee is asked to provided comments regarding the new update.

The Committee received a report by the Director, Human Resources & Organisational Development (HR &OD), which provided an update on the progress on apprenticeships within the Council’s workforce since the last update in June 2018. The report also outlined future plans to ensure the use of the levy was maximised to support the development of the Council’s workforce.  

It was noted that the current number of apprentices employed by the Council was 145 as at 14 December 2018. 129 apprentices were employed by the Council with 24 as new recruits and 105 as existing staff who were accessing apprenticeship training to upskill. 2 new recruits were care leavers whilst 2.9% staff were Council apprentices. It was pleasing to note that this figure exceeded the target of 2.3%.  However, maintained schools had only 0.3% of their workforce as apprentices resulting in the Council’s public sector figure to report back to Central Government being 1.4%.

The Director, HR & OD explained steps that were being taken to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities.  Various events were being organised aimed at targeting apprenticeship opportunities at care leavers with the aim of encouraging applications from these young people for these entry level roles at the Council.  Further discussions were being held to explore ways of expanding these opportunities and also to encourage Council contractors to participate in apprenticeship schemes including the possibility of including such a requirement into contracts.  Members expressed much interest in this suggestion and requested that the Corporate Director, Growth, Investment & Place be invited to attend a meeting of this Committee in six months’ time to report on progress.

Resolved:

(1)          To note the contents of the report and the progress that had been made with the recruitment of apprentices.

(2)          To invite the Corporate Director, Growth, Investment & Place to a meeting of this Committee in 6 months’ time to provide an update on the employment of apprentices particularly by contractors.  

(At this point Mr John Hawkins joined the meeting.)