Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendation, with the additional recommendation below:

(2)       That the details, including a resume of the programme, be shared with all Members.

Councillor Healey introduced the report and explained that the Communities for Work programme was created by Welsh Government (WG) in 2016.  Funded from a mixture of European and WG resources, it provided local government in Wales with resources to support people furthest from the labour market to overcome barriers to employment and learning through long-term mentoring support.  As a European funded programme, it ended on 31^st March 2023.

In December 2022 it was announced that Flintshire would receive sufficient WG funding to continue to provide the Communities for Work support and enable the Council to retain the entire staff team to do so.

The report provided an update on the programme and the changes which had taken place and its future priorities.

The Service Manager, Enterprise and Regeneration added that the report had been submitted to the Environment and Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee the previous week where it was supported.  He welcomed the support from WG to continue delivery for the next 12 months.

Councillor Johnson welcomed the report and suggested an additional recommendation of “that the details, including a resume of the programme, be shared with all Members”, which was supported.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the closure of the Communities for Work programme and the new arrangements to support long term unemployed people be considered and supported; and

(b)       That the details, including a resume of the programme, be shared with all Members.