Agenda item

ANNEX - Revised Terms of Reference as approved by the LEP Board on the 6th October 2015

Minutes:

LANCASHIRE SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT BOARD

TERMS OF REFERENCE

 

Composition

 

1.  Unless otherwise agreed by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, the Skills and Employment Board shall comprise a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 11.

 

2.  The Members of the Skills and Employment Board shall be appointed by the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board and shall draw members from the training, skills and higher education sectors (up to 5, normally including 2 general further education colleges and 2 higher education providers) plus 6 from other private sector industries.

 

3.  The Members of the Skills and Employment Board, as at the date of adoption of these Terms of Reference, are as follows:

FE Sector (2).
Amanda Melton, Chief Executive - Nelson and Colne College (Chair).
Beverley Robinson, Chief Executive – Blackpool and the Fylde College.

HE Sector (2).
Lynne Livesey, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Central Lancashire.
Mark Allanson, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Edge Hill University.

 
Training (1)
Steve Gray, Chief Executive, Training 2000.

Private Sector (6)
Joanne Pickering, Director of HR, Training and Quality, Forbes Solicitors and Chair of the Lancashire HR Employers Network (Deputy Chair)
Paul Holme, Chair of the North West Training Provider Network.
Graham Howarth, HR and Legal Director, Crown Paints.

3 x Vacancies to be determined

 

4.  Members are responsible for declaring potential conflicts of interest at the beginning of each meeting.  It is member's responsibility to ensure that they leave the meeting for items for which the conflict of interest may result in inappropriate commercial advantage or gain.

 

5.  The Skills and Employment Board may invite any persons it sees fit to attend meetings as observers.

 

6.  Members are required to attend meetings regularly.  If a member is unable to attend a meeting apologies should be given prior to the meeting.  If a member does not attend for 3 consecutive meetings, their membership may be reviewed.  The decision to make any changes to the membership will be made by the LEP Board following recommendation by the other Skills and Employment Board members.

 

7.  When considering the appointment of additional members to the Skills and Employment Board, perceived gaps in knowledge / experience, together with sectoral and geographical coverage should be taken into account.

 

Chair and Deputy Chair

 

8.  The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Board shall appoint the Chair.

 

9.  The Chair shall not have a casting vote.

 

10.  The Skills and Employment Board may appoint one of its number to act as Deputy Chair ("Deputy Chair").

 

Quorum

 

11.  The quorum for Skills and Employment Board meetings shall be 4. 

 

12.  If within fifteen minutes from the time appointed for the holding of a Skills and Employment Board meeting a quorum is not present, the meeting shall be adjourned.  The Secretary shall arrange for the meeting to take place within two weeks.

 

Secretary

 

13.  The Company Secretary of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (or their nominee) shall serve as the Secretary ("The Secretary") to the Skills and Employment Board.

 

14.  The Secretary shall produce minutes of all meetings of the Skills and Employment Board and will maintain a list of conflicts of interests. Future agendas will include a standard item requiring declarations of interests to be made in relation to specific items of business.

 

Meeting Frequency

 

15.  The Skills and Employment Board shall meet according to operational need and currently meets 7 times per year.

 

Decisions in Writing

 

16.  A resolution in writing signed by the majority of the members of the Skills and Employment Board for the time being shall be as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the Board.

 

 

 

Remit

 

17.  The Skills and Employment Board's primary responsibility is to consider skills development priorities within Lancashire, Blackpool and Blackburn and any related issues and make recommendations on the same to the relevant bodies.  In doing so, the Skills and Employment Board shall:

 

i)  commission and maintain an evidence-base to help understand key skill demands in the LEP area and support the development and tracking of an agreed Skills and Employment Framework with agreed Key Performance Indicators;

ii)  oversee the production of a Skills and Employment Framework for the area which is consistent with the wider economic priorities set out in the LEP's Growth Plan;

iii)  develop and promote skills-related initiatives and programmes aligned with agreed priorities, as part of the LEP's Strategic Economic Plan;

iv)  will identify and work with other LEP areas on skills issues of strategic and cross-boundary significance; and

v)  advise on the deployment of skills funding directly accessed by the LEP.

 

The Skills and Employment Board will discharge its duties through the Lancashire Skills Hub to facilitate/enable a balanced, skilled and inclusive labour market which underpins and contributes to economic well-being and growth across the County.

 

Governance Relationship with the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

 

18.  The LEP is responsible for agreeing the Terms of Reference of the Skills and Employment Board and has the power to vary the same. 

 

19.  The Skills and Employment Board shall review its Terms of Reference from time to time as necessary and report their findings to the LEP Board.

 

20.  Minutes of Skills and Employment Board meetings shall be submitted to the LEP Board at the LEP's request. 

 

21.  The Chair shall provide update reports to the LEP Board at the LEP's request.

 

Relationship with Lancashire County Council

 

22.  Lancashire County Council shall provide administrative and legal support to the Skills and Employment Board.

 

23.  Lancashire County Council shall maintain an official record of the Skills and Employment Board proceedings and a library of all formal Board documents.