Agenda item

Report by Dr Carlton Brand and Carolyn Godfrey, Corporate Directors.

Councillor Fleur de Rhé-Philipe presented a report which updated Cabinet on the development and implementation planning of a new integrated Education, Employment & Skills Strategy for Wiltshire which had been developed on a multi-agency, cross-Council and inclusive partnership basis led by the Wiltshire Education, Employment & Skills Board.  It would help drive business development and economic growth and aimed to support development of a skilled and competitive workforce to meet the needs of employers both now and in the future. The range of support being provided through the Strategy was detailed to Cabinet.

The Strategy would also support the development of an inclusive economy enabling the benefits of increasing economic prosperity to be maximised by Wiltshire’s communities and individuals.

She congratulated those involved in producing such an extensive piece of work which built on the progress already made by the Council in this area. The Council was recognised as a leading authority in this area with innovative pilots informing and influencing national and European policies and having attracted significant amounts of external funding.  The Council had received national regional exemplar status for several of its programmes and outstripping national performance. The Council had received an award from Department for Works and Pensions for effective partnership between a local authority and Government department.

The report of the Education 16-19s Task Group was presented which included a number of recommendations for Cabinet’s consideration. Councillor de Rhé-Philipe confirmed that recommendations h, j and k were particularly helpful and would be incorporated into the Strategy.

Councillor Laura Mayes also commended the Strategy, commentating that it demonstrated how well the Council worked across its service areas and with its partners. She welcomed its focus on the employer, education and ensuring young people would have the right skills for the current and future job market.

Councillor Jon Hubbard was very pleased with the report. He also commended the work and professionalism of the team involved, particularly the outstanding contribution made by Haylea Asadi in supporting the work of the Task Group.  He guided members through the work and recommendations of the Task Group. The Task Group considered that transport was a key issue, particularly in rural areas which should be investigated further, perhaps in partnership with employers. The Task Group also considered that more could be done in helping young people in obtaining qualifications needed, not necessarily through the more traditional routes, to secure good employment opportunities.

Councillor de Rhé-Philipe confirmed that the points raised by Councillor Hubbard would be looked into. It was noted that the report was scheduled to be considered by the Children’s Select Committee on 9 December, although Councillor Hubbard suggested it might be more appropriate for the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee which had commissioned the work by the Task Group.

Councillors de Rhé-Philipe and Mayes responded to members’ questions.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.         note the progress made towards integration of the Education,

Employment and Skills agenda to date and the strategic direction in place and proposed activity to further this;

2.         consider the Action Plans contained within the Full Version of the Strategy which outline the important role for Wiltshire Council in this agenda and directly influence the work programme for relevant services of Wiltshire Council and a number of strategic partners. Please refer to the Apprenticeship Growth Plan and the Increasing Participation & Employment Plan laid out as Appendix 2 and Appendix 3 of the Full Version of the Strategy document (Appendix 2 starts at page 53 and Appendix 3 starts at page 58). Please see Appendix 2 of this report for the Full Strategy document;

3.         endorse and champion the Strategy as key to improving the Education, Employment and Skills base in Wiltshire, to ensure a focus on Education, Employment & Skills priorities across all our work and

4.         recommend that this Strategy is taken to the Public Service Board for consideration/endorsement.

Reason for decision:

Wiltshire needs to position itself so it can respond to the education, employment and skills challenges it is facing and the fact that there has never been a busier time in relation to key policy developments impacting on this agenda area. The Strategy provides the clear strategic direction necessary to support shared ownership of this agenda and to build on existing strengths, maximise opportunities, affect change and improvement.