Agenda and minutes

Observers

Dean Langton - Strategic Director and Head of Paid Service, Pendle Borough Council.

Sharon Riding - District External Relationship Manager, Cumbria and Lancashire District.

Also in Attendance

Martin Kelly, Director of Economic Development, LCC.

Dr Michele Lawty-Jones - Skills Hub Director.

Lisa Moizer - Coordinator, Lancashire Skills Hub.

Mike Neville, Company Services Team, LCC.

Andy Walker, Head of Business Growth & Innovation, LCC.

Oliver Chapman, Associate Director, Regeneris.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made around the table. It was noted that no apologies had been received.

No declarations of interest were made under this heading.

Mr Neville informed the meeting that following a recent review of the Terms of Reference for the eight Committees of the LEP a number of minor amendments had been approved by the LEP Board on the 5th April 2016.

The Committee noted that the changes to the Terms of Reference related to the inclusion of wording to state that any observers who attend meetings are subject to the LEP Assurance Framework protocol on observer attendees and a reduction to the quorum required for the Committee to be able to conduct business. A copy of the revised Terms of Reference is set out in the Minute Book.

Resolved: That the revised Terms of Reference for the Lancashire Skills and Employment Board, as approved by the LEP Board on the 5th April, 2016, is noted.

Sharon Riding clarified that the digital service for Universal Credit would be rolled out nationally from July 2016.

Resolved: That the Minutes of the meeting held on the 23^rd March 2016 are confirmed and signed by the Chair.

It was noted that in accordance with the decision at the previous meeting Oliver Chapman, Associate Director from Regeneris, was to give a presentation in relation to his report on the economic impact of Lancashire training providers.

In presenting his report Mr Chapman highlighted the following points.

·  In terms of an economic footprint Colleges represented a major employer within the Lancashire LEP area providing around 7,800 FTE jobs worth £305m gross value added. In terms of Labour Market returns the net profit value of qualifications from Colleges etc. in Lancashire was £1.6bn.

·  London had the highest number of Higher Education enrolments at FE colleges by LEP with Lancashire a close second.

·  With regard to the future challenges it was noted that the Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing, Financial and Professional Services and Creative, Digital and Media Sectors all indicated current and future skills shortages.

·  Engagement with smaller employers, who often did not have sufficient resources to enable employees to attend College on day release, was lower.

·  HEIs in Lancashire were successful in raising the skill level of residents and a good number of graduates went onto graduate level employment in Health and Social care in Lancashire though retention rates of graduates in other sectors were not as high.

The Chair thanked Mr Chapman for his presentation and asked members of the Committee to comment on the report on the Economic Impact of Lancashire Training Providers.

Whilst the report was generally well received the Committee recognised that much of the data used related to 2013/14 and Bev Robinson undertook to send Mr Chapman some additional updated information in relation to Blackpool and The Fylde College outside of the meeting. It was also suggested that the title of the report be amended as the term 'Training providers' was not generally used to describe Colleges/Universities which were covered in the report.

Mr Chapman presented an updated version of the bar chart regarding the number of employers receiving publicly funded training via Lancashire training providers which would be substituted for the one in the report (Figure 3.1).

The Committee also considered the issue of qualifications/competencies in relation to skills gaps and noted that care needed to be taken to ensure that in the future qualifications and training was more aligned to demand from employers and directed toward those sectors with identified skills shortages. It was also suggested that for the future the Committee would benefit from having sight of information related to employment levels/vacancies within each Sector.

The Committee recognised that a significant level of spend within the system was directed towards 16-18 classroom based education rather than Apprenticeships within the workplace and often choices made by young people in terms of qualifications were not aligned with those Sectors with the most employment opportunities.

It was suggested that changes to the system such as the Area Based Review and Apprentice Levy would provide an opportunity for the Committee and Skills Hub to develop a co-ordinated approach to encourage specialisation and commission provision in order to address existing and future skills shortages.

Resolved: That the comments of the Committee as set out above are forwarded to Mr Chapman and taken into consideration when finalising the report.

Michele Lawty-Jones informed the Committee that the Lancashire Young Ambassador Network had been launched on the 21^st April 2016 in partnership with the Work Based Learning Forum and the Skills Funding Agency and currently involved 20 Ambassadors. Members of the Committee were asked to encourage providers and employers to recommend more ambassadors to join the network.

It was further reported that the Lancashire Consortium had been successful in securing the Skills Funding Agency ESIF tender for young people at risk or not in education, employment or training.

Resolved: That the report is noted.

The Committee considered a report regarding potential items for business for future meetings up to the end of 2016 and noted that private sector members of the Committee had requested that future meetings be held at skills provider venues, particularly those which had benefitted from Growth Deal Skills Capital investments.

With regard to the Apprenticeship Growth Plan it was suggested that the Skills Hub work seek to engage with those employers who did not attend the previous event.

Resolved:

1.  That, subject to the availability of venues, the existing arrangements for future meetings to be held at County Hall, Preston, are cancelled and arrangements made for meetings to be held at 8.30am on the dates and at the venues specified below

15^th June 2016  - Nelson and Colne College.
27^th July 2016  - Training 2000.
7^th September 2016   - Runshaw College.
17^th October 2016   - Blackpool and the Fylde College. 
30^th November 2016  - Myerscough College.

2.  That the proposed items for each of the above meetings, as set out in the report presented, are approved.

3.  That an update on the findings of the independent panel on reforms to technical and professional education be presented to the Committee on 15th June 2016.

4.  That the report to be presented to the meeting on 27^th July 2016 regarding the Lancashire Apprenticeship Growth Plan be forward looking and include an overview of the issues around the Apprenticeship Levy.

5.  That a report be presented to a future meeting in connection with the
impact of the Living Wage on local employers.

6.  That in future the Committee receive quarterly reports on the number of vacancies in Lancashire together with employment rates and any significant redundancies or new employment opportunities.

Amanda Melton and Bev Robinson both declared an interest in relation to this item as the represented organisations that were involved in the Area Based Review (ABR).  Mark Allanson also declared an interest as he was a member of the Board of Blackburn College.

Michele Lawty-Jones reported that a meeting of the Working Group had taken place at which there had been a positive discussion around the ABR Guidance. It was reported that the Committees evidence base for Lancashire including the sector skills studies would be made available to the Working Group together with additional information from the County Council and Unitary Authorities in relation to school leavers, supporting students with SEND and school sixth form provision.

Mr Langton informed the meeting that both the Combined Authority and Devolution Deal for Lancashire were progressing, though at a different pace compared to the ABR.

Resolved: That the report is noted and the Committee are kept informed of further developments.

Dean Langton reported that, with the exception of Wyre Borough Council, all local authorities in Lancashire including the two Unitary Authorities, had now agreed to form the Combined Authority and work was progressing on the formal application which would be made to the Government.

It was also noted that work was progressing on developing the Devolution Deal with housing, strategic transport and employment/skills all being identified as priorities.

Resolved: That the updates are noted.

·  Identification and agreement of any recommendations for consideration/approval by the LEP Board.

·  Identification and agreement of issues for inclusion in the feedback report for the LEP Board.

Resolved: That a report in relation to the Area Based Review together with a copy of the final report from Regeneris in connection with the Economic Impact of Lancashire Training Providers be presented to the LEP Board in June.

No items of business were raised under this item.

The next scheduled meeting of the Committee will be held at 8.00am on the 15^th June 2016 in Cabinet Room D – The Henry Bolingbroke Room, County Hall, Preston.

It was noted that in accordance with an earlier decision the next meeting would be held at 8.30am on the 15^th June 2016 at Nelson and Colne College, Scotland Road, Barrowford, Nelson.

(Not for publication – exempt information as defined in paragraph 41 (Information provided in confidence relating to contracts) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  It is considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information).

Martin Kelly informed the meeting that the Lancashire LEP/Sheffield City Council joint bid to conduct a Science and Innovation Audit was one of five such bids from across the country which had been endorsed by BIS.

The Lancashire/Sheffield audit would explore the interaction between research, innovation and advanced manufacturing with a focus on Aerospace, Nuclear and Rail supply chains and a timetable for the project was presented as part of the report. 

Resolved: That the report is noted.

(Not for publication – exempt information as defined in paragraph 41 (Information provided in confidence relating to contracts) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  It is considered that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information).

Michele Lawty-Jones informed the Committee that the recommendations regarding six applications for Growth Deal Skills Capital made at the last meeting (including subsequent amendments agreed by written resolution) had been presented to the LEP Board on the 5^th April 2016 which had approved a total allocation of £4,736 308 and agreed that any underspends on Growth Deal Skills Capital be allocated towards measures to minimise the impact of the Area Based Review and other priority projects.

The Committee considered an overview of all nine projects approved during Rounds 1 and 2 and noted that they involved a range of skills sectors and geographical locations across the County.

With regard to Growth Deal 3 funding the Committee considered that in view of the timescale a combination of open tendering and direct commissioning would be used to identify potential projects which could be explored further in June/July. It was noted that final funding announcements were expected to be made as part of the Government Autumn Statement.

Resolved:

1.  That the report is noted.

2.  That a timetable be developed in relation to the remaining Growth Deal Skills capital funding in the current growth Deal programme to support the outcomes of the Area Based Review.

3.  That any details of any potential projects in relation to Growth Deal 3 be forwarded to the Skills Hub Director for consideration and inclusion in a subsequent report to the LEP Board.