Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendation.

Councillor Butler provided a progress update on the creation of an apprentice academy and sought approval to enter into a service level agreement with Future Works, who would employ the apprentices and manage the scheme in partnership with the Council.  This was a flagship for Flintshire which he was proud to present to Members.

            The Council planned to spend circa £150m on housing construction over the following five years which created the opportunity for 50 completed apprenticeships to level 2, with a number achieving level 3 and beyond.  The type of job roles needed included plumbing, joinery, plastering, gas and electrical, bricklayers.  Also required were Tenant Liaison Officers, Clerk of Works and Quantity Surveyor.

            Work had been underway to set up a scheme to take forward the establishment of “an academy” and a summary of four options was outlined to take the scheme forward with the recommended route being to work with Future Works.

            Future works would employ the apprentices and would charge the construction companies for the apprentices placed with them.  They would ensure the apprentices were provided in the numbers needed at any one time and would work jointly with Flintshire staff to recruit.  They would also work closely with Coleg Cambria and any other Further Education providers to ensure that students were working successfully through their training qualifications.

            Recruitment had taken place for the first cohort of apprentices with the first scheme to be on site by the end of February.  An Apprentice Fayre was taking place on 16^th March to which Flintshire secondary schools had committed to send young people to.  The Council was also exploring opportunities to establish a “skills centre” as part of the significant construction contracts being delivered across the Council.

            Cabinet Members welcomed the report, commenting on the link between capital investment, local jobs and apprentices and the opportunity to complete the courses in full.  It was also hoped the scheme would be adopted regionally.

            Councillor Bithell said he was pleased to represent the Council at a presentation ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London on 4 February in recognition of the work undertaken by Flintshire on apprenticeships who were the only public body to be nominated for an award.

RESOLVED:

That it be approved that the Council enters into a service level agreement with Future Works, a community interest company, who will employ and provide apprentices in Flintshire, branded as Future Works Flintshire, for an initial period of five years commencing in March 2016.