Agenda item

Report of the Acting Strategic Director, Communities and Environment and the Strategic Director, Care Wellbeing & Learning

The Committee received the final report which sets out the findings of the Committee in relation to work to address skills shortages and increase employment opportunities in Gateshead.

 

The scope of the review was to examine the existing approach to tackling skills

shortages and maximising the take-up of local employment opportunities with

appropriately skilled individuals from the resident workforce.

 

It was agreed that the above would be considered in terms of the context of:

 

·                  Educational attainment – improving the performance of young people in early years and at school (up to Key Stage 4).

·                  Post-16 education and training – the opportunities for post-16 learners  both in full-time education and work-based settings.

·                   Post-18 education and widening participation in HE; Workforce Development – training and progression for those in-work

·                  Skills support for the unemployed and those at risk of unemployment  addressing skills requirements for the unemployed and economically inactive.

·                  Increasing employment opportunities for local people – maximising the take-up of local jobs by unemployed and under-employed residents

 

The review comprised five evidence gathering sessions. Evidence was sought from the Economic Development Service, LearningSkills, Care, Wellbeing and Learning Service, Gateshead College, Emmanuel College, Northumbria University, the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, Skills for Care, the Education Development Trust and a local resident. The sessions were designed to examine the current approach to skills, careers, getting in to and remaining in work and can be grouped into these five main activities:

 

·         Improving pre-16 careers guidance

·         Increasing participation and understanding of post-16 and post-18 opportunities and choices

·         Addressing skills gaps and improving career progression opportunities

·         Reducing unemployment and barriers to work

·         Addressing the skills needs of the future and maximising opportunities for  residents

 

The review identified the following issues/challenges:

 

·         Patchy careers education, information, advice and guidance

·         Lack of localised labour market information

·         Increased complexity in funding following the national apprenticeship reforms

·          Increased social support and mental health needs of individuals

·         Funding limitations within skills and employment provision

·         Incorrect perceptions of certain sectors and lack of commitment from within  the sector to tackle issues to overcome myths and attract talent

·         Complexities of the whole employment and skills system

·         Direction from nationally commissioned programmes, driven by unit cost rather than localised need

·         Over reliance on European funding and uncertainties around Brexit

·         The perception centrally, based on an increasing employment rate, that the

            unemployment problem is addressed

·         Restrictive eligibility criteria on the provision of support services

·         Fragmented provider market

·         Time limited nature of provision can lead to a lack of continuity

 

The following recommendations have resulted from the evidence delivered over the

term of the review:

 

Recommendation 1: Childminders provide the most flexible childcare provision,

allowing parents to return to work. There is a need to actively encourage more

residents to consider childminding as a self-employment option, including opportunities of start-up support, particularly around funding and training, through to completion of registration.

Recommendation 2: North East Ambition aims to ensure every young person in the

region can identify routes to a successful working life. We need to continue support to schools around careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) and

ensure young people understand the opportunities available to them in Gateshead and the North East, through the delivery of a programme of sector insights.

Recommendation 3: Support the interactions developed between businesses and

schools through the Work Inspiration pilot via the establishment of a Business and

Education Partnership.

Recommendation 4: Continue to support schools, including school staff CPD, to work towards and achieve the eight benchmarks of good careers guidance and supporting young people through the CEIAG Network.

Recommendation 5: Encourage and support the development of mentors, through

alumni from our partners and schools, to inspire and motivate other young people,

particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Recommendation 6: Encourage the relationship between FE, wider training provision and schools to develop a more collaborative approach, ensuring young people are aware of all the pathways available to them post 16, including IAG support for Apprenticeships.

Recommendation 7: Develop pathways for young people who may have been

unsuccessful academically but would be successful in vocational training

Recommendation 8: Actively work with businesses to engage with post-16 learners

and offer practical and meaningful work placements as part of the national shift towards technical education.

Recommendation 9: Advocate for those residents with special educational needs  and disabilities to ensure parity of provision, including tailoring specific interventions to meet the needs of these residents.

Recommendation 10: Encourage the uptake of apprenticeships, in both levy and non-levy paying businesses.

Recommendation 11: Work with the NELEP and partners to ensure up to date,

regional, labour market information is available to young people when they are making important FE and HE study option decisions.

Recommendation 12: Ensure all residents, including young people are encouraged

and can access the appropriate routeways into higher education, post 18.

Recommendation 13: Continue to support the Graduates in Gateshead scheme to

encourage graduate entrepreneurship.

Recommendation 14: Strengthen partnership arrangements with FE & HE institutions to retain talent and ensure Gateshead graduates and alumni are supported into local employment.

Recommendation 15: Myths and perceptions of employment in certain industries and sectors can result in skills gaps and hard to fill vacancies having to be filled from

outside the region or not at all. We must continue to ensure young people and job

seekers understand what industries can offer and the skills required to access those

opportunities.

Recommendation 16: Improve access to career progression opportunities for all

Residents

Recommendation 17: Promote career change opportunities for those residents in

work, but who may be underemployed, at risk of redundancy or looking for a career

change.

Recommendation 18: Promote the Fuller Working Lives contract and undertake

further work with businesses to ensure they understand the support available to them

to support their ageing workforce.

Recommendation 19: Deliver Gateshead Works, a Gateshead based, demand-led

recruitment service, in partnership with Gateshead College, Northumbria University and DWP to maximise employment opportunities for residents and actively encourage businesses to employ local and think beyond their normal routes to access their workforce.

Recommendation 20: Through early preparation for opportunities resulting from

development, influence training and employment support partners to ensure those

residents furthest from the labour market are well placed to access opportunities when they arise.

Recommendation 21: Increase advocacy to encourage employers to take on a more diverse workforce, to drive up job quality and to support career progression.

Recommendation 22: Increase the use of Social Clauses and Targeted Recruitment

and Training (TR&T) methodology to secure wider Community Benefits for Gateshead residents from procurement and planning / development activities.

 

It was agreed that additional recommendations be included in the final Report relating to the demand for employment support and the impact benefits have on a person’s ability to take up employment.

 

It was noted that this was a very well written report.  All Councillor expressed their thanks for the work that had been submitted.

 

It was agreed a note would be circulated to show the ‘big picture’ ie, where we are now and the gap between the skills of the workforce and the needs of different industry sectors.

 

It was queried what the position was with the LEP, in terms of what it achieves and what its objective is.  It was noted that the Leader sits on the LEP Board and there are a series of officer level working groups sitting underneath the Board, however, the LEP is not a delivery body, it provides a Strategic Picture within region and undertakes a policy and programme management function.

 

It was suggested that some of the success stories would have been good to see.

 

RESOLVED -  That the recommendations within the report be agreed subject to suggested amendments and the final report be submitted to Cabinet for consideration.