Agenda item

The Chief Executive explained the background to the report.  The County Council alongside other Local Service Board (LSB) partners had signed up to the Employers’ Promise on 3 April 2014 because as employers, LSB partners were committed to developing a skilled workforce equipped to meet the challenges of the future.  Earlier that week, the Single Integrated Plan had been submitted to Community Profile and Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee with the first priority being “Leading by example as employers and Community Leaders”.  Within that priority a commitment had been made to the adoption of the Employers’ Promise.

            The Director of Lifelong Learning introduced the report and said the LSB partners believed the Employers’ Promise would support employees and residents in the County by creating additional opportunities for all residents, however there was a specific focus on improving the routes to employment available to young people.  The partners had committed to:

1. be aspiring employers of choice
2. develop, promote and support a range of lifelong learning opportunities for people at work, at schools, college and universities, and in communities; and
3. develop, promote and support a broader range of education, employment and training opportunities for all people, with young people aged 16 to 24 years a priority.

Partners would develop new ways of delivering public services that had the potential to make a difference to peoples’ lives at the same time as making better use of public money.  This would be achieved in partnership with the public, private and voluntary sector partners.  In partnership with other organisations, partners would develop new frameworks for: basic skills; employee development; workforce planning; reducing inequalities in employment; and well being.

The report provided full details on how all partners would maximise chances to support opportunities in employment, education and training. 

Progress to date included:

·         The launch of the Employer’s Promise in the public sector to promote and enhance the roles as employees

·         Key early projects which included supporting the development and implementation of the Young Engagement and Progression Framework, ensuring tracking and support for those vulnerable at transition to training or further education at 16

·         Flintshire County Council had sponsored development of the BEN network, which encouraged creativity in people wanting to start or grow a business, develop entrepreneurial skills needed.  Most crucially it supported and enabled young people to access opportunities in Flintshire

·         The renewal of the apprenticeships programme to ensure equity of access to apprenticeships at all appropriate levels.  Flintshire County Council had promoted development of new partnership shared apprenticeship and traineeship programmes, such as those developing in the construction sector and through the Deeside Enterprise Zone

Councillor Aaron Shotton, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance proposed approval of the recommendation.  He welcomed the report and the opportunity to endorse the principles of the Employer’s Promise in what was a difficult time ahead for the public sector.  This demonstrated a way forward with partners and a public commitment to invest in the workforce.  There would be increased opportunities across the county and businesses that employed local people should be recognised.

Councillor Hilary Isherwood supported the principles of the Employer’s Promise but felt that the bus services in semi-rural and rural areas needed to be more frequent to enable the opportunities for young people to be county wide and not inhibited by the infrastructure.  In response, Councillor Bernie Attridge, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment said all such aspects would be considered in the forthcoming Local Development Plan (LDP) process however it was equally important that semi-rural and rural areas absorbed some of the growth in affordable housing required in the county.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the principles of the Employers’ Promise support as an active partner be endorsed; and

(b)       That the monitoring of impact from implementation of the Employer’s Promise, to take place in November 2014 and subsequently, be supported.