Employment and Skills Committee - Thursday 19 October 2023, 2:00pm - Feedback Tab - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

Employment and Skills Committee
Thursday, 19th October 2023 at 2:00pm

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Speaking:

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Tim Craven Private Representative

1 Apologies for Absence

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Tim Craven Private Representative
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Mr Ben Kearns (Governance Services Officer)

2 Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

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Tim Craven Private Representative

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

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4 Minutes of the Meeting Held 13 July

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230713 - ESP Minutes - 13 July 2023 DRAFT

Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative

5 Economic Strategy and Digital Blueprint

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Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Nikki Davis
Colin Booth, Advisory Representative (Further Education)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Sobaan Ali
Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Peter Glover, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Anika Gilbert
Peter Glover, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Sobaan Ali
Tim Craven Private Representative
Dr Peter O'Brien, Advisory Representative (Yorkshire Universities)
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
Jo Barham Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Natasha Barbar-Evans, Advisory Representative (Voluntary & Community Sector)
Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council)
Natasha Barbar-Evans, Advisory Representative (Voluntary & Community Sector)
Colin Booth, Advisory Representative (Further Education)
Natasha Barbar-Evans, Advisory Representative (Voluntary & Community Sector)
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Colin Booth, Advisory Representative (Further Education)
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Natasha Barbar-Evans, Advisory Representative (Voluntary & Community Sector)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Natasha Barbar-Evans, Advisory Representative (Voluntary & Community Sector)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative

6 Devolved Adult Skills

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Phillipa Syers, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Colin Booth, Advisory Representative (Further Education)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Sharon Riding, Advisory Representative Department of Work and Pensions
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Phillipa Syers, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Phillipa Syers, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Nikki Davis
Colin Booth, Advisory Representative (Further Education)
Nikki Davis
Phillipa Syers, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative

7 All Age Careers

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Anika Gilbert
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Anika Gilbert
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Dr Peter O'Brien, Advisory Representative (Yorkshire Universities)
Tim Thornton, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council)
Dr Milton Brown, Private Representative
Sharon Riding, Advisory Representative Department of Work and Pensions
Anika Gilbert
Tim Craven Private Representative
Nikki Davis
Colin Booth, Advisory Representative (Further Education)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Danielle Choma
Sobaan Ali
Danielle Choma
Tim Craven Private Representative
Danielle Choma
Tim Thornton, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Dr Peter O'Brien, Advisory Representative (Yorkshire Universities)
Tim Craven Private Representative

8 Employment Support

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Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Sharon Riding, Advisory Representative Department of Work and Pensions
Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Tim Craven Private Representative

9 Skills Support for Business

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Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Peter Glover, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds (Kirklees Council)
Tim Craven Private Representative
Tim Craven Private Representative
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Disclaimer: This transcript was automatically generated, so it may contain errors. Please view the webcast to confirm whether the content is accurate.

1 Apologies for Absence

Tim Craven - 0:00:00

do you have any questions that are not good enough for us?

if I can call the call the meeting flutes to start,

Tim Craven - 0:00:12

Good afternoon.

a few things at the top of the meeting, please, if that's all right

Felix Kumi-Ampofo - Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:20

first.

we will do introductions later on with the Chair, but our Chair and Deputy Chair both cannot be with us today.

the both, I think, a bit poorly.

so we've asked one of our private sector representatives Tim Craven, to chair for today.

I'm asking now if that's all right with everybody or if there's anybody who really wants to sit here and chair it, and if so please say screw now, and we'll toss it quite or something.

thank you very much.

partly because are too agenda a PE teacher, but not here, but also father reasons, a couple of are.

elected members also cannot join, which means that meets, which means the meeting is not worried, unfortunately.

that should not detract from the conversation that we're gonna have, hopefully, that actually releases us to talk more freely if we want to this is another kind of meeting that we usually make investment decisions for all sorts of reasons, so we shouldn't affect that either.

practically what it does affect is that, for our quorate and formal meetings, we record everything.

we would still like to do so.

but if colleagues and members do not want us to do so, then let us know now and we can switch that off or not turn it on us away.

are we happy for the session to be recorded, thank you.

finally, we'd normally would.

after the meeting, you know will have detailed minutes, which will be checked, approved and then published, because this is not quorate.

we will not do that or Manchester. We do not have to do that

instead we will probably just we will take a note of this meeting and we will share the note you know a few days afterwards, so at least we have some kind of record of the conversation that was had, it's not gonna be four minutes in the way that we normally would, but again I just want to make sure,

members are happy with that

it would be anonymous as much as it's possible so we can have a free conversation.

OK, thank you very much, I won't do any more housekeeping because I'm expecting that we all know where the Jensen staff are rounded side that we came in, I know there are a couple of new members, but the Chair will cover that as we go on, thank you very much.

yeah, I gave him a good health plan I came from invite to do the

Tim Craven - 0:03:21

to deliver the prepare role today, I will yeah so, but at first line to do is to thank Councillor James Lewis.

he has been, he has stayed driven this year throughout this Committee, over the last are able to ask the players.

and really just want to pass on our thanks to him.

for all the work that he does, that he has done.

this is also first meeting for a number of new appointees, so not not here, but Councillor Elizabeth Reynolds, who has been appointed to the Committee from Kirklees Council, and replaces Councillor Graham Turner.

we have Natasha, Barbara Evans, Chief exec of the better connect limited organisation representative of the GCSE community, welcome Natasha.

we also have more.

on the Committee we have Councillor Joe Hepworth.

from Wakefield council replacing Councillor Michael Graham, unfortunately can't be here today.

we also have Nicky Davis.

so CEO principle, the Leeds College of Building and Chair of the West Yorkshire Consortium of colleges, so Nicky is replacing Nav Chauhan principal of Shipley College, so again we can welcome to the welcome to the committed.

Ben would you be able to cover of apologies, please shopping, we had apologies from Councillor Scott, Shirley Cunningham, Councillor

Mr Ben Kearns - 0:05:11

Decker, Councillor Khan Councillor Hepworth, Claire Paxman and Fielding.

OK, thank you.

2 Declaration of Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Tim Craven - 0:05:21

so move on to Item Item 2 on the agenda, so a declaration of disclosable pecuniary interests, so this committee has asked to make decisions about the adult education budget and bootcamps yeah, so, in the interests of transparency, can all members of committee with an interest in the delivery of the adult adult education budget and skills bootcamps,

please please declare at this point.

OK.

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

yeah, right, thank you.

and 1.3 in terms of the exempt information. So there is one section in the that you will have seen in the in the pack that has come out to the committee so Appendix 1 for item 6. There is some exempt information around the adult skills update in that the Combined Authority cannot release certain data publicly ahead of it being approved, reviewed and approved by the DfT. So again, if there are any questions or issues on that, we will need to specifically yeah stop the meeting iksil that yeah, I am cameras recordings, et cetera of Andy and then have that discussion, so please shout if you're going to launch into any

any conversations on that section OK.

4 Minutes of the Meeting Held 13 July

so I said anything else on 2 and 3, if we move on to the the minutes so minutes of the meeting held on the 13th of July.

are there any?

comments, questions, thank you, Chair and I've just been asked to refer to the the notes, I think it's.

Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council) - 0:07:24

ITEM 46 under the governance arrangements, that the minutes note that Members suggested that the chairs of local schoolbus should be invited to the Committee as advisory representatives, that there wasn't a specific action captured, but it would be good to have an update if possible please and there is a passing reference in item 8 I understand thank you.

Tim Craven - 0:08:02

thanks for on the on on on the chose, update, no to the minute, she

Mr Martin Hathaway - 0:08:33

talks about the match funding for the UK shared prosperity fund, which we had a conversation about two aspects of it was the lot size that was likely to be the also.

it might have just been made, but I think it was the feeling of the group to look at the match funding requirements and not make them a particularly onerous is or, as anything happened with that group.

Tim Craven - 0:09:01

yeah, so so again the your your you're ahead of a soulmate in the the Chair was about to ask me to give, they had no say on an the UK said

Michelle Burton - 0:09:11

prosperity fund, so if that's OK I can I can do that now absolutely there was some really clear feedback from.

the Committee last time and and invitations to bid for the pillar 3 call will be published next week and with the application portal, closing on the 5th of January and applications being assessed throughout January, and I can assure you that the feedback of the Committee was taken on board and you will see that when they are published,

as a reminder for committee members.

just over 16 and a half million pounds that was allocated to the people and skills pillar of shared prosperity fund.

6 point to a 2.6 5 million pounds of that is for hyperlocal delivery,

which has delivery via partner councils and the remainder remaining 14 million pounds was allocated to regional projects, the employment and skills pipeline which has been overseen by this Committee over over a year and,

via that process that 40 million pounds has been allocated to for region wide interventions and they will be reflected in those because so 4 million pounds to be allocated to the delivery of implement West Yorkshire so as a named investment programme in the local investment plan that that isn't going out to come to call that's that's already in place and that's an employment support programme which you will get a detailed update on later on the agenda today for million pounds to be allocated to an open call for projects and support work and health. 4 million pounds as a community grants programme across three themes of work and health support for those furthest from the labour market and digital inclusion and then finally 2 million pounds to be allocated to an open call for a partner to support the delivery of a pilot.

for youth unemployment and again, there is a lot more detail on that in item 8 on employment and support and then finally, an update will be provided at at the next Committee and prior to formal approval and Co, and we'd expect contracting to take place following that meeting with delivery commencing from the 1st of April next year.

other on autumn does not cover.

on control.

Tim Craven - 0:11:55

so just to just to formally close it out, was that anything else on the for the minutes from the meeting on the 13th July?

okay, so terms of the chairs update.

5 Economic Strategy and Digital Blueprint

so.

Michelle has covered the first part of the update, but the second part of the update

from the the Chair, I was going to be it round the advanced British Standard.

and again.

Michelle, if you're happy, yeah so yeah, you haven't said the obesity to to do that so.

Michelle Burton - 0:12:32

it are unlikely to have escaped the attention of committee members that, in a speech that the prime minister gave at Conservative party conference on the 4th of October, he outlined intention to replace A levels ante levels with a new qualification for all school leavers in England and called the advanced British Standard.

he set out a long term ambition really in this space, with a new proposal taking up to 10 years to fully implement.

the v. The view of of officers is that of the Combined Authority is that it's key for.

for the growth of West Yorkshire, the education and progression pathways, give our young people and the tools and knowledge that they need to find employment in their chosen career.

and we'd be really keen that if the proposed implementation goes ahead, there must be opportunities not only for mayoral combined authorities but for other local key local organisations to influence and coordinate an engagement and the role of local local education, I am elected leaders and institutions and providers in that design phase is absolutely essential to ensure that future plans reflect the needs of our region and are and our young people.

yeah just to know, because.

Tim Craven - 0:13:56

I think we show you said that if it if it goes ahead and obviously

Nikki Davis - 0:14:01

there's a general election in not too distant future, and it was

Colin Booth - 0:14:07

announcement from the current secretary of state.

although the title is a very poor title, the principle of a similar baccalaureate-style qualification is wholly supported by the Labour party and the Lib Dems'.

so in terms of a direction of travel, if not the title of the qualification at something similar looks like it's on the political agenda, whichever party is in touch.

Tim Craven - 0:14:42

like you come any other comments from the committee.

okay, okay, Michelle.

closes Item MA Item number 4.

so item 5 on the agenda so inflaming the system, economic strategy and the digital blueprint, so building on the new West Yorkshire Plan that was launched in the spring this year, work is progressing to develop a new economic strategy and supporting policies such as the digital blueprint for the region.

so Joe

if I can ask you to take the floor, sorry Joe and so on.

to take the floor to give an update on the economic strategy, please, thank you, charm at high volume, Joe Byrne policy manager at the Combined Authority.

so there's there's quite a lot going on at the moment in terms of

Sobaan Ali - 0:15:49

policy development and that's reflected in the agenda we've gotten conversations on on different elements of this, so there's gonna be three parts to this item so I'm gonna talk through the process in the context for the economic strategy and I'll pass to Saban who's gonna talk about one of the deep dives aligned to this work on digital and Peter is gonna talk through some of the data around skills and how that's feeding into the development of our work.

sorry, I should have done, not the other way round, I did it in the way they were sitting, but Peter's gonna talk through the data and then he'll pass dispensed upheld the digital blueprint.

so where we are in terms of this, this policy cycle, so it really reflects a number of political and economic events that take place over the last few years, and this is reflected in the in the

Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:16:33

strategies that we've had. So we were working to a strategic economic plan that was aligned to our growth Deal and set out how we would spend that funding and, as we were coming towards the end of the strategic planning and the gross deal, we move towards a more agile framework of strategic economic framework, and that was to reflect a number of our them. Different policies and strategies that are aligned around a core set of objectives for West Yorkshire and at that time we were also working on a local industrial strategy reflecting the national government policy at the time, but there was a change in that policy and that change occurred at the same time as the pandemic and lockdown. So as a response we used a lot of evidence to develop an economic recovery plan which was to respond to the challenges flocked down and the impact that had on the West Yorkshire economy,

we're now in a position where we have agreed a devolution deal and we now have our elected Mayor, and so it's a real opportune time to look again at our our policies.

and with devolution, can we real strengthening of some of our priorities, particularly around equality, diversity and inclusion, around putting net 0 at the forefront of our work and and really pushing for an inclusive economy?

so as them, as the Chair said in the introduction we published to reflect those priorities, we published the West Yorkshire Plan earlier this year, this was agreed by the Mayor and the five political leaders of West Yorkshire, and what that does is it sets out a really high level a framework for West Yorkshire there's a a vision to 2040 with five ambitious missions which set out what we want to achieve and the transport transformational change we want for for West Yorkshire.

but what it doesn't go into detail in is how we're going to achieve that change, and so the next layer of work, then, is to develop our economic strategy, which is really going to set out how we will go about achieving those missions, particularly emission one for an inclusive economy with well-paid jobs. But speaking to to all of those missions across the plan and then within that then there are specific deep dives into areas which we're gonna cover or throughout the conversation today that the first of which being being digital, so that that's the context where we got through this process, so in terms of what we're doing, then so there's a big programme of evidence collection going on at the moment, so we are refreshing our economic assessment that we carried out in 2019 that was aligned to the local industrial strategy work I mentioned, so Peter will talk about some of the emerging highlights and that, particularly in relation to skills, we've also got a commission that's out at the moment to look at growth opportunities and particularly trying to really understand the net 0 growth opportunities for West Yorkshire. What the economic economic,

opportunity that we have for Net Zero and that transition.

we are working with the universities on a call for evidence across three areas, so Peter O'Brien's here today and he is part of a network whippet, which

has a role to specifically work with policymakers to help us to embed academic experts, expert expertise into the policymaking process, so that call for evidence is on three areas that we know are really important to our core economy, but where we don't have as much intelligence and research currently, so we're looking at childcare and the the role of that in the economy. We're looking at the informal economy to try to understand what that looks like in West Yorkshire, and that's all about being an inclusive economy and making sure we do understand all elements of our economy and we're looking at the future of work. The impact a, I will have the challenges and the opportunities and what that means for West Yorkshire. The Mayor recently launched a West Yorkshire scientific advisory group and that's being chaired by Professor John Wright from the Project Institute for Health Research and this group is to really explore the relationship between health and the impact that has on productivity and people in the workforce, it from economic activity and people that are in work and and that impact. So that is a very much early stages, but I think there's gonna be some really useful insights and evidence that come out of that as we develop the strategy and also as we go on to deliver it as well.

so, alongside the evidence gathering that a programme of consultation that's taking place, there's a link in the paper to a questionnaire, but that's gone out.

I would ask members of the Committee, if they haven't already done so, to have to complete that and to share it with your networks and contacts, so we can get as many responses as possible we've had about 120 so far, but we want to get a lot more, so please do please do Sharon and complete we've got various consultation.

conversations happening, so both times on this committee been involved in discussions recently, so we had an event last week at Bradford impact hub, really really interesting discussion, particularly around business support, and how we can strengthen our relationships with different communities and what we need to be doing. What what was the role of the Combined Authority here? We really trying to unpick that and understand it and see where we can best add value and what we should be doing. We were having place specific events, so Tim Thornton was involved in a Coakley's discussion about the issues there and how really trying to unpick unpick and explore that relationship between local strategies and regional strategies, and that's where the West Yorkshire Plan is really helpful at that top level framework that everything can flow down from and given that coherence and consistency across not only our strategies here but also across to our partners in local authority, so we are planning more events and again would really welcome the opportunity to come and join any existing meetings. Groups, consultations that you have going, that we can come to and add value and speak to people, so we can really be clear that we've spoken to as many people as possible, engage as many different voices and communities in this process.

so that's obviously a lot going on and we want to by the end of this year be in a position where we can look at this first wave of evidence collection and consultation and then start to sort since that since synthesizer into a series of priorities thinking about what's the best framework to do that and then there'll be another process of going back out to everybody and sort of sense checking that this is what we think based on the evidence based on the consultation, these are the priorities at the high level we've come up with.

getting feedback on that and then going back again and drafting something to to share, so it's an addictive timeframe because it's difficult to predict some of you know there can be delays and holds up on things, but hopefully we'll be in a position by late spring early summer next year to have a document to share for for comment, so I'll pass to Peter at this point who's gonna talk through some of the data before we go on to to explore one of the deep dive elements of of the strategy in relation to digital,

the role of employment and skills in this context, and also sets out

Peter Glover - 0:23:37

some of the issues and constraints that West Yorkshire faces. So this

Anika Gilbert - 0:23:41

is just to focus on selected high level issues. I select, as I shared some slides earlier this week, but there won't be enough time, I think, to go through all of those slides. As you mentioned, we're working on the full evidence, the development of a full evidence base to support the economic strategy, and that will give a fuller picture of the opportunities as well as the challenges that we face around employment and skills in terms of developing economic strategy. So I think this first chap provides a really good

illustration of the relationship between skills and external economic performance at local level, and it really brings to the fore dissolve the nature of the challenge in terms of using addressing skills challenges as part of a wider economic strategy, and not in the chat we have two variables we have.

high level skills are high level qualifications and the vertical axis, and then we have productivity GDP per hour, worked and productivity is really important, it's a central measure of economic performance really in the sense that it's the main driver of business and economic growth and it also drives

is the main driver of improvements in living standards and pay.

so what you can see is that low skill areas.

leadership, low skill areas also tend to be low productivity areas, you can see that West Yorkshire is positioned towards the left of the distribution man, indicating it's got low skills and low productivity performance.

and that is in common with most areas in the north of England, but at the other end of the spectrum we can see areas primarily in the south-east of England and London which have high productivity and high skills performance, so there is a strong correlation between skills performance and productivity which shows essential importance of addressing skills issues as part of the economic plan and skills. Aren't the only issue under consideration, of course, and the only issues on the issue that's important

there are, there are also other factors, including transport agglomeration, capital in intensity that are also important, and these various factors tend to work in combination in terms of driving productivity and economic performance.

and it's also not just a case of raising skills to improve cognitive performance in isolation, the effect works in the other direction as well, so productive and prosperous areas with well paid jobs tend to attract highly skilled people.

and in fact, resolution Foundation in their recent reports on Birmingham and Greater Manchester have argued that homegrown solutions to improving the skills base are not enough, and we also need to promote net inward migration of skilled workers, so there's a need to address the demand side as well as the supply side as part of a coordinated strategy.

within the economic strategy, but there is no doubt the expansion of the West Yorkshire skills base is a sort of precondition for progress on productivity.

so just quick, quick looking at the demand side of the economy we can see. There is a deficiency of demand, reflecting the proportion of workers who are employed in high-skilled and high-paid jobs in West Yorkshire so effective were the West. Yorkshire economy offers fewer high-skilled opportunities than nationally. There is a 4% point gap in the share of people working in management, professional and associate professional roles in West Yorkshire, so it is 52%. This is 48% and in real terms that means we've got 44,000 fewer people working in these kinds of roles in West Yorkshire and, as you can see from the chat as well, there is variation across local authority areas within West Yorkshire against that indicator.

but just an important point piece of context there is that.

Even though we underperform compared with the national average, there has been strong growth in ICE high-skilled employment in West Yorkshire over the last decade.

so the number of people working in those high skilled jobs has increased by about 29% or 119,000 and the share of those high-skilled

Peter Glover - 0:28:20

jobs has increased from 41% 48%, and saddam's gonna be talking about digital, that's been a key source of growth in terms of high skilled employment, so we estimate that the rate of growth for digital jobs has been about seven times that for jobs as a whole.

turning now to the supply side, we've noted there was a need to increase the proportion of people with high level qualifications or just like to look at that in more detail and sought to quantify that, so at the moment we've got a 7 point deficit percentage point deficit in terms of the proportion of people with higher level qualifications. That's level 4, so what that means in real terms is that we need an extra 90,000 people of working age with high level qualifications, to bring it up to the national average and at the other, end of the spectrum is also an issue around

people with either no qualifications or lower level qualifications that has a big impact on employability and some people's prospects in the labour market, and we've got around 200,000 people at the moment why the lack qualifications are qualified below level 2 to match the national average we would need to reduce that by 50,000 and as you can see again there are big variations between local authority areas in terms of this.

and Leeds, performs relatively well that seems to be due to attract attracting high skilled workers rather than.

rather than homegrown attainment, if you like now, I've now got a series of slides around some of those constraints around skills development, and this first one is around.

the purpose of the low proportion of young people in West Yorkshire who reaching the age of nine of 19.

and achieving qualifications at level 2 and level 3 by the age threshold, I'm not gonna go into this life in detail duty in in view of the shortage of time, but the next slide is around the reduced level of investment in government investment in further education and skills programmes over the last decade.

the next slide, then, is about government, about employer investment in training, so we extrapolate some things on the employ skill survey on what we can see there is that the level of investment in workplace training, which is central to productivity, has reduced by 31% over the last decade.

and we also have issues around mixed mixed and mixed entry rates, entire education across West Yorkshire, so another aspect I've talked about productivity, but another aspect of the equation relates to employment and I mentioned well when we looked at the Scots' chat before we saw that areas with low productivity tend to have sorry areas of low lower skills basis tend to have low productivity if we produce a similar Scottish chart looking at employment would find the areas with.

low skills also have low employment rates and we can see from this chart that West Yorkshire, which stands at a deficit in its employment rate of 3% points.

we would need to get 40,000 people inactive and unemployed people into employment to bring the wish to bring West Yorkshire up to the national average around them and again, as you can see, there are variations at local authority level in how local authorities perform in terms of their employment rates and just building on that access to employment various different groups within the population, so the economic strategy will need to consider how we improved economic performance can be translated into opportunities for everyone for all groups you can see here, for example, disabled people have much lower employment rates.

then then, the overall population.

and again the issue is primed, the issue is primarily around economic inactivity rather than sort of unemployment as such, so I think the main point here as well, is that with an ageing population.

we've got a challenge in terms of maximising participation in the labour force.

amongst all groups in order to support economic growth, so just a chat here about some of the issues around mismatches, I won't go into this in detail, but we've talked about the overall picture of supply and demand of skills, this picture looks at the

these were mismatches where there are mismatches between the pattern of supply and demand, and we can see here that around a third of vacancies in West Yorkshire skill shortage vacancies which are difficult to fill due to a shortage of candidates with the right skills, so I will just proceed them to the conclusions but I won't go through these in detail.

but the the therefore people to review, but it's reflecting some of the previous ponds, so I'll hand over to Sudan, thank you.

afternoon everybody beyond Spinelli and the policy officer for business Innovation, I'm settling for Marianne hoots, should each pay for the skill stuff.

she's only sorry.

we've been working on a digital blueprint for West Yorkshire, which

Sobaan Ali - 0:33:45

the successor document to the combined authorities 2019 Digital Framework, and it builds on last year's digital skills plan.

the blueprint aims to be the foundation for the region's activities regarding digital, up to 2030 having a plan for the digital economy is crucial for the region, as it will help us boost productivity, reduce skills, get some shortages, improve our connectivity, make us attractive for investment and make residents' lives better.

feedback at the Combined Authority committee on the digital skills plan acknowledge that digital skills are just one piece of the puzzle and that digital skills enable the wider economy.

therefore, we are working on a holistic digital policy that into lots of three horizontal elements of people in education, place and businesses and organisations.

people in education refers to digital skills, inclusion, workforce development and educational pathways or place refers to smart city initiatives, infrastructure development, connectivity and to connected places businesses and organisations refers to the digital transformation, investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, research, trade and export promotion the next step is adverts because these are the agents that will bring about change and were developed by analyzing what was most important in trending through prior consultation and desk research. The digital agenda is broad, so there are going to be inevitable gaps, but by Greenpeace about schools, it's ensures we're capturing the most important focal elements for West Yorkshire, the VET schools are as follows in be other prioritised by the private sector committee member consultation we held last month

ensuring that we are benefiting from advanced technologies, for example a machine learning showcasing there will be additional opportunities, though a structure has to offer ensuring that digital technologies make day to day life easier for West Yorkshire residents and businesses.

tackling digital exclusion, collaborative working with digital stakeholders in West Yorkshire understanding and using data to make West Yorkshire a well-connected digital destination and establishing digital as a method to help West Yorkshire work towards tackling the climate emergency each of the VET schools will be addressed in the blueprint through the horizontals of people in education place businesses and organisations in order to provide around the document on digital in the region and provide the foundation for effective policy development.

it would help to inform the process.

if the feedback that we get is particularly about whether it be horizontal and vertical purchase clear.

captures digital skills sufficiently and if, as officers approved to develop a first draft of the blueprint using this approach.

thank you for the next update.

Tim Craven - 0:36:50

can I open it out to the Committee them, please, in terms of feedback questions?

just a comment really, I guess 2 2 pizza.

Dr Peter O'Brien, Advisory Representative (Yorkshire Universities) - 0:37:06

universities, UK, which is a national body for universities, had its annual conference recently in Manchester and Ian Diamond, who is the national statistician and chief of Owen S Seddon s. We're conducting a study which had put great store in on the relationship between high level skills and productivity and I was just wondering, could we, as a Combined Authority connect into our NHS either through the regional kind of awareness statisticians to make sure that where

influencing that work, which he suggested could be incredibly important for whole series of reasons.

I am joke.

Mr Martin Hathaway - 0:37:49

3 comments, really the first thing around the goo a good job, although you refer to it as a well-paid job.

and I these are really strange.

at times in the economy and really strange times in the labour force, and I'm not sure what we traditionally think of as a bad job is abuser is a well-paid job pennyworth, so I saw my local pub was advertising for bar staff on 15 pounds an hour this week and of course lots of warehouses that I think we we just need to think around what that means for the Fair Work charter and everything as well.

and then, just on the the local plans, it really is really important that we we get those matched up, because at the moment there are being developed in isolation and on I think we need to start that, bringing them together much earlier on because you know consultants have been appointed by various organisations deliver their plans who don't have the internal skills of the combined authority has and it's just making sure that there is a

a final thing is on business support, which I know we're talking about a bit later on.

and business support is that there's a real danger, but we think that what we all do here and what we talk about here with very, very limited funding, is business support, and it's a tiny element of all of the support that businesses access every day from from their accountants and solicitors premium.

them, with those other deliverers of business support to make sure that they are developing their products and services that help the ambitions of the Combined Authority and the and the region.

yeah just to come back on that. Thank you for those comments,

Jo Barham, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:39:45

completely agree, and thank you for your time yesterday because we had a really good conversation with Martin and some of the other business representative bodies along these themes and that you know absolutely hit the nail on the head about the challenge around resources, so how do we add value in the best way that we can and bringing together this all of these great partners that we've got in the region? How do we really come together in a coherent way and make sure we're all adding value at the right level, not duplicating but working together because we know, as we said yesterday, we'll have got the same aims. You know we do want the same thing, so it's finding the best ways of working, so we really do want the strategy to reflect that and on the local point again, yes, completely agree, and we are working closely with the local authorities on this, so the different stages for the different authorities, in terms of where they are with the cycle. So there's some that we're in a great position to really align because it's happening at the moment in Kirklees and in Calderdale in particular, and we have had conversations with Leeds, have recently launched their inclusive growth

strategy refresh, but you know, we've been parked that and again the West Yorkshire Plan is in that strategy is a high level, but agree that you know, it's more than just that, that broad much what we do really need to make sure they're speaking together and that is a big piece of this work low for us at the Combined Authority that you know the diagram in the paper that shows all the adjustments, policies and strategies so trying to bring alignment across those internally here and and then across to our partners as well.

Natasha Barbar-Evans - 0:41:08

thank you Chair, yet so from Leeds we really welcome the opportunity and we've had to to feed into the development of documents to reiterate that that need for aligning with local strategies and the future talent plan, and yet the importance of local engagement throughout all of it thank you.

Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council) - 0:41:26

Natasha Barbar-Evans - 0:41:30

yeah, I've got a concern and a growing concern about about the skills

Colin Booth - 0:41:35

for young people and their that flows through into the future, particularly in Leeds, sorry, Leeds has a currently in terms of young people not in education, employment or training or unknown one of the worst.

statistics in the country, and it's going to get worse because in Leeds it's not about engaging with young people anymore, the capacity in the post 16 education system.

is not sufficient for the number of people in late, so the number of NEETs will grow exponentially over the next couple of years.

now that it's not a general problem, that's particularly technical education and young people at level 1, but once you get left behind at level 1 aged 16 to 18, the likelihood of catching up or being engaged in he cannot key economic activity drops off quite sharply.

Natasha Barbar-Evans - 0:42:41

thanks Convener, I was just coming back at, I wonder if you would like to repeat what you said in the middle there or you say there isn't enough capacity in Leeds for all the 16 year olds, we've got to have a place to continue with your education is that what you meant or miss?

Felix Kumi-Ampofo - Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:42:58

seems like quite a significant issue.

it is.

so sorry for Leeds City College, for example, the number of 16 to 18

Colin Booth - 0:43:14

year olds that we have this year increased by 1,000.

and we're now having to manage our buildings in line with fire regulations, in other words that are so full that we cannot allow all of the students in all of the time, so we can't grow at all next year, we've done as much as we can to grow to meet the demand so next year there will be a further increase and there isn't anybody in Leeds to meet it.

thank you, I'm not sure we do, but I think that is definitely a system

Felix Kumi-Ampofo - Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:43:52

level issues, it's partly to do with obviously population demographics up and down, but there is something in the system that we should we definitely should do because NEET levels are already too high and rising, so I suspect Joe and others would like to pick up this with key colleagues round the table just to see what it is our role is and how we can address this as I don't know whether it is more than Leeds but,

it claims by considerable effort considerably from local authority to local authority.

Natasha Barbar-Evans - 0:44:28

and it's just a function of the fact that, particularly at age 16.

the number of young people that the travel from Kirkley into Leeds or vice versa is quite small and 16 year olds don't travel that far.

so it's quite local.

reason.

yeah and I was just going to say we, we understand that economic activity is obviously one of our biggest problems, it would be really great if we could commission more more research into what are the challenges which are.

ensuring people are are making people not have the confidence to even think about employment, so if we could commission some of that research, that would be great, and just my second point was around the date is really interesting. Actually I did know it was to sell off 2021 and I just wonder how the cost of living crisis has impacted on those figures. It will no doubt made them worse, but I'll be interested to see

were specifically.

J just on that point and Commissioner, it'd be good if we could have a

Tim Craven - 0:45:36

follow-up chat, because there is actually opportunity from a couple of bits of networks and groups that I mentioned about things we're

Natasha Barbar-Evans - 0:45:40

looking at, so that I think we could commission something speaker to get there haven't had follow up to.

covenant.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 0:45:52

yeah, I would like to echo that a little bit from Coakley's point of view, I think the data that we've got is suggesting slightly older from 18 up to 24, but we're gonna have capacity issue, we do have capacity issues.

so it is it's being felt and it might have something to do with transport and on when they go to, but we've got some very strong colleges that maybe are coping with the 16th, but the the we've highlighted capacity issue for 18 to 24.

Tim Craven - 0:46:28

OK, thank you also got some feedback.

so we have.

as part of agenda item 5, we noted the progress.

in framing of the economic strategy provided.

feedback

and we have

noted the progress on the and the direction of the digital blueprint year ahead of that are being drafted, so thank you all for that feedback.

6 Devolved Adult Skills

OK will then move on to agenda item 6, so this is the adult skills, so focus on adult skills, specifically a proposal submitted to the DfT for the Y 5 of bootcamps. The national funding rule changes they B and the AB cross-border arrangements committee views are being sought, in particular around those last-day receives, including discussion options and the recommendation for a way forward. So Pippa, if I could and do a bit of

hello, everyone.

Phillipa Syers - 0:47:43

the paper really highlights the range and breadth, I think of our adult skills, reach and offers, and we're lucky as a team that we get out to meet our adult learners and really see the impact healthy adult learning recently we've been to celebration events across the region,

and with visiting courses to hear from Len, is about their journeys through adult skills.

our aim, while we're working with the sector, is to create an easy to navigate adult skills provision, to hide the wires of the different funding streams and to ensure that a West Yorkshire resident can gain this confidence and skills, they need to progress whether that's going through the first steps community learning provision, building numeracy confidence or gaining the skills required to support employer gaps across West Yorkshire at level 3 and above.

the adult skills team are constantly reviewing the usage of funds to ensure maximisation and greatest impact to our West Yorkshire learners, as you are aware, in 22 23 the Combined Authority approved the 10% uplift to our Adult Education Budget learning aims to reflect the rising costs of delivery and the static rate for 10 years, but this was to be further reviewed alongside any national rate changes which are now coming into effect in 24 25.

so appendix 2 highlights these government changes to the funding rates which will be introduced from next August, the changes have increased funding in priority sectors, for example health and social care, ICT and construction, whereas foundations for learning in lie which includes maths, English and ISL and,

and so employability calls would be the biggest losses to support our discussion, the paper includes for the options, although there may be alternative views from ourselves for us to consider, while while we were pulling this paper together we have consulted with our local authority colleagues or West Yorkshire colleges and the West Yorkshire Learning Partnership with overwhelming support for option 3 but we are keen to get your views at this early stage.

so option would would be to adopt the new national rates with no additional uplift option 2 would be to adopt new national rates and maintain the 10% across all aims and option 3 would be to adopt the new rate, with 10% uplift on a specific sector, which is the foundations for learning in life. This includes a functional skills, English, maths and ISL these are qualifications with a general focus on personal development and preparing for employment as well, which account, so there's a small proportion of those calls within this A sector subject area, that these calls are all within our AB strategy, priority provision, and if we didn't uplift these, we may see a reduction in delivery because of viability.

these are skills that support our individuals to progress, leading to an increase in the number of individuals who have a maths or English qualification and the language skills to improve their opportunities.

the uplift also increases the viability of the delivery, so it may encourage providers to deliver increased numbers of these aims.

Alex Miles, who is unable to attend today from the West Yorkshire Learning Partnership sent her support for option 3 as our representative from the independent training providers, so we welcome comments from the Committee.

Tim Craven - 0:51:27

OK, thank you could have been better briefed this time.

Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council) - 0:51:32

so thank you a broad agreement from Leeds on this and welcomed the work that has been done, ESOL is a critical priority and if we want an inclusive workforce, we've got to enable everybody to participate.

the uplift will say sorry support providers, especially local community, based ones to recruit talent and retain skilled staff.

and this option would have the most impact on increasing skills levels for progression, thank you.

Tim Craven - 0:52:07

yeah, just to echo that very strong support for option 3, thank you very much.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 0:52:14

just to note the the that we already have significant waiting lists

Colin Booth - 0:52:22

for Aesop provision, in particular, also some for basic skills we went with any of the other options, those waiting lists would just get longer.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 0:52:31

I would just echo that as well from.

the individuals that we come into contact with Job Centre EASEL is a primary need right across West Yorkshire and does lower level skills as well, so I think we don't want to increase waiting times to get to engage with us, those individuals, clear routes put put at level 3 the option 3.

Sharon Riding - 0:52:53

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 0:52:57

thank you all for that feedback.

Tim Craven - 0:53:01

the book handed next to that, but actually I feel like a little bit of

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 0:53:08

an echo of herself, but it's incredibly assault incredibly important in Carclaze, we have got an issue with with our Aesop provision.

we can the ability to put F ecologist to recruit appropriate work as being a challenge and we would support an option 3 given that, given the choice, we do have a little bit of an issue that we are coping just about at the moment, providing a Arry sole from local authority but our numbers are very high we know there are colleges working in the area that we don't think are actually taking up maybe as much as as they could to ease some of the pressure.

and our waiting lists are getting bigger and bigger, so we do need to have a think about, I think, and I am new to this, so bear with me, but just looking at it, we've got partners working with us that that are paid for, but they're actually not working in Kettley's so we need to redress that and actually get some support for our local authority.

OK, thank you.

Tim Craven - 0:54:17

correspondence.

high out just to say, we are working with providers across and the local authorities to really look at the mapping, what's missing and

Phillipa Syers - 0:54:35

really working with that so that if there are cold spots, we have responsiveness opportunities that we can then meet, where there are gaps in provision across all local authorities but we're working really closely with Kirk lees to to look at where we can meet that need.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 0:54:57

okay, but yeah, that that's that's good, I think there's a time issue here and I think we do need to to what kind of work on that, and it can maybe a little bit quicker.

the, as I said, that waiting lists are actually increasing literally day by day, Lisa.

we kept going to become overwhelming.

Tim Craven - 0:55:18

OK, thank you, I was a failure.

sorry Philippa.

thank you 0, so do the other an item in the paper that I just wanted

Phillipa Syers - 0:55:30

to bring to your attention, so in 2.1 in the paper the West Yorkshire ravey strategy detailed the commitment to support our grant providers that are from the wider Leeds city region areas to support learners that want to travel to learn or if they are work or out of area but want to learn in that area so,

we in the

in the A B strategy we now have two years of AB delivery and we think it's time to review the arrangement with these out-of-area providers to see if it's still appropriate and also West Yorkshire was soon to be in the unique position that will be surrounded by devolved authorities, therefore it's time for us to consider whether there are cross border arrangements that could,

ensure that West Yorkshire residents can access the provision they need at a time and a location that best fits their circumstances as easy as possible, so we are working.

with other MTA's to look at models of cross border working where it could work better, and we just.

we would like to explore this further, so open to comments.

Nikki Davis - 0:56:50

Colin Booth - 0:56:55

in terms of out-of-area providers coming in area to deliver, wouldn't be very keen.

in terms of

cross border arrangements.

we would like them to be reciprocal with the other MCI used to enable adults to travel to the best and easiest place to get to for their studies in any direction, so cross-border is really important, but reciprocal arrangements with the other MTA so people can travel in either direction.

Nikki Davis - 0:57:30

that's definitely.

Phillipa Syers - 0:57:34

that's definitely on our discussion, said that that's what we will be taking forward a cross-border arrangement both ways.

Tim Craven - 0:57:46

any other or any other comments, any other questions.

option 3 was a very, very strong.

a recommendation from the committee

7 All Age Careers

OK, thank you, so if I can move on to agenda item 7, so the the All Age careers, so effective careers, education, information and guidance for residents is key in ensuring support for individuals and businesses across West Yorkshire.

if I can invite Annika Gilbert, please, to to give an overview.

I will ask a partial item on the project itself regarding the restaurant shortage blueprint before handing over to Danielle, to give

Anika Gilbert - 0:58:38

a quick update on delivery activity as well, I would then alternate invite members to comment and ask questions about the interim report that is appended to the paper.

and obviously Mark many people they have and what we are not at the end of the first stage of the project.

Donald, thank you Scott couple of slides just to give you a bit of context about the project itself, them to working with our local authority partners, we are developing in old age queries blueprint for West Yorkshire, and we have provided a previous update at the July meeting.

there are three main drivers and for the project, one of which is that obviously, as Chas mentioned, careers support raises aspirations and covery readiness of individuals, which has a direct link to improve productivity and increase employment participation, and we've obviously helped from Jo earlier about the economic strategy and the West Yorkshire Plan and this would be one of the deep dives it speaks directly to to those strategies and plans.

we are looking to co-design, a place-based model of good quality careers provision that is delivered across.

flexibility to focus on improving careers outcomes for disadvantaged groups in particular.

we are also looking for the blueprint to support conversations with government to unlock further skills and employment rate of powers and funding in step with recent trade deals that we have seen them in Greater Manchester in the West Midlands.

where we are in the process so we are have undertaken, we've commissioned projects at the Institute for employment studies, working collaboratively with the international centre for guidance studies as an experts as an independent expert in the field to undertake the research in this interim report as appended provides the

some activity, for example M Pete, has provided an in-depth evidence base of local labour market information, in particular with a view obviously to race, and he's alluded to some of the evidence in the economic strategy presentation around the levels of qualifications.

and we've also had earlier about the levels of needs that are increasing, and all of that is reflected in the evidence base that that's.

contributed to this interim report, we've also done a mapping exercise of provide us a lot of the responsible, as you'd expect, from education providers at different levels, but also individual side providers, we've received 44 responses.

and we've also, the evidence base also includes a literature review and the result of a theory of change workshop that was attended by all local authorities, education and careers service providers and business representatives.

in terms of the next steps, before I go into, the draft recommendations is sound to take this emerging evidence base and the high level draft recommendations that have been developed from that, to take that into wider consultation with local authority partners and by the stakeholders.

in this space we also undertook undertaken a public consultation end, I think wow I don't know if you've got the data but there will be a a Committee workshop are offered to you as well so that you've got a bit more space to feed into this rather than just a few you know it's just a few minute minutes so because really value your contributions to this and there will be further formal and informal activity are consulting with partners and wider stakeholders on the emerging.

and recommendations as presented in the next slide.

thank you, so these obviously it within the interim draft report that is provided, as I said, so I won't go through them and read them all out to you, but it's really just them and put them on the slide to act as a you know a visual help for discussion because I wanted to provide as much space as possible for committee members and to ask questions about the project in the report and provide comments so that we can take that forward. I thank you

Tim Craven - 1:03:19

you.

Christian comment feedback.

ha recommendation for cultivating education, the business

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:03:36

Mr Martin Hathaway - 1:03:40

relations, I think that the sort that Ms mismatch that the JO referred to in in in skill provisions and what people think they need, and that that includes the qualification requirements that come with all the other funding and the fact that things need to be council,

need to be counted.

I just think there's a lot more work needs to be done on making sure that we that that we address the need of the likely employers in the future, as well as that of the learners in this piece of work.

and I note that the funding drives the idea which is all around the

that the

at the learner here, but there's a there's there's a big piece of work, but I also think that it's not just around businesses that you know.

the public sector is a massive employer across West Yorkshire everywhere and I don't think we do enough to coordinate their recruitment and their employment and their skills training activity, and it would be a really powerful tool just to sit down every now and again and just go through what we're planning where when and why and what we're recruiting and how we can we can share those roles.

thank you.

thank you, and I think that this can be a bit of a target for the

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:04:57

I really appreciate the report but do feel it is a little bit young person focused and we were expecting, I think, a wider age range to be considered.

the just a couple of other points, and I think my final point will probably bring these up together, but there's no mention of C and K careers, which is a major provider for us in Kirklees, and it's exemplar practice, it's an excellent work that they're doing.

and I think that may be reflects the lack of almost place-based acknowledgment of what's going on locally.

I felt when we went through the report a little bit generic at this stage, but that could be because it's interim rather than further along, but would like a little bit more detail and a bit more.

I don't know an investigation into actually what's happening locally to reflect exactly what's going on in each of the the local councils and within the councils as well, because things are so different from area to area, and that would really look forward to for further consultation on that please that would be really good.

she wanted to add something absolutely can I just understand yeah questions yeah and thanks for providing that feedback, absolutely the lupins and visits to be across all ages so revalued, actually begged.

Anika Gilbert - 1:06:25

There doesn't come strongly enough through the interim report. We will feed that back to IAS to address that because we yeah absolutely agree, and they obviously are. Young people are very, very important, but yeah, this is meant to be taken. A whole life approach, and you know looking at upskilling and reskilling throughout your career and throughout your adult life as well, as you know, that transition from education to employment

in terms of the a West, Yorkshire flavour of the local detail. That is no no, not from you enough, reflected again. I agree, and the recommendations are deliberately high level at this stage. Yeah, because they are drawn from desk-based research, mainly, obviously there was a theory of change workshop with local authorities, with parts of in wider patterns were patched-up, but the majority of the interim report is based on research, that the Elmer analysis, a literature review, the mapping exercise, and we absolutely appreciate that that is not enough to provide a really detailed direction of travel empire ties or have that specific recommendation at this stage, which is why it's left deliberately open so that, through further consultation, it can be really drill down and tested and challenged. Whether you know the same recommendation stands and should be further narrowed down into that. You know what to give that West Yorkshire specific sympathy and the local best practice feeding into that

or you know a day others didn't we don't need to take to change before we can drill down into that level, so yes, and just to make you aware that that is deliberate at this stage, and I think there was one more question second,

I've lost my notes there, but hopefully that gives the an answer, but if there's anything else you'd like to yeah, thank you.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:08:21

just just to reassure you that seeing Coe being engaged as part of the process as well as just didn't show.

Tim Craven - 1:08:25

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:08:28

the report mentioned universities and, I guess, would have spoken to

Dr Peter O'Brien, Advisory Representative (Yorkshire Universities) - 1:08:34

them, but if you want further consultations were happy to convey with those original at the carer's network and Tim Chelsea kind of graduate work stream, so I'm sure they'll be interested from a West Yorkshire perspective what a Leeds City region perspective in picking that up if you want to cover up just get in touch with us.

it may be that this has already been picked up by the early question,

Tim Thornton - 1:08:59

but recommendation 5 is entirely written around young people moving into employment.

and the document itself does highlight the significance of the need to address areas of skills mismatch, reskilling, et cetera, but I mean that's quite a fundamental recommendation and I think he does need to be rewritten quite significantly to make sure that it is not simply about young people at that stage of their careers that it is fully inclusive of.

other parts of the the population.

thank you, Chair yeah, just to add a tiny bit to what Councillor

Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council) - 1:09:41

Reynolds was saying just the just that desire for a really clear vision for West Yorkshire within this it's clear that it's a work in progress, but just to reiterate that and that there's data presented but it doesn't feel like it's effectively analyzed.

but yeah welcoming the work being done and look forward to seeing more forthcoming, thank you.

Milton Brown - 1:10:09

yeah and I'd like to you know to say the same thing, some of the biggest challenges we find for people who are unemployed or in low skilled work is that they're not really sure how they go forward as far as looking at the skills gaps that are out there the job opportunities in which they could upskill to move into.

and you know they sort of cries. Inflammation has a stereotypical view

Sharon Riding - 1:10:31

with it that is linked to younger pupils, that is something you get at school and then that's the end of that journey, so I think how we get how we reach out into all our local communities to say this is available or there is gonna be opportunities, I think will be really important because for us in job centres we obviously see lots of people who are unemployed and we can signpost that's great, but then there are a lot of people in low-paid work.

who wants to progress in work, but really don't know how to do it and obviously get big employers who give a lot of that support and that personal development that doesn't always happen across the smaller medium employers, so I think it's a great I think it's a great piece of work and I'm really excited to see how it develops, I'm just keeping that broad spectrum as you were saying it's that whole age group

particularly for those who find themselves unemployed after a career in a particular occupation.

responding to that, absolutely we find as well that adults in

Anika Gilbert - 1:11:36

employment are one of the hardest to reach groups with career advice and guidance, but it doesn't mean that they're not being massively important given, and we've talked about the important stuff of good work and obviously progression is part of that as well.

and say yes again, totally agree that our local labour market information is absolutely key in connecting that supply and demand side and obviously also taken on board Martin's points about the importance of businesses and the business skills gaps and needs, but also you know matching that and I think that's why it's it's good to have.

that West Yorkshire approach and the local approach so we can have that information feed into the provision you know, ideally, at the end of this process.

Tim Craven - 1:12:24

Nikki Davis - 1:12:30

but at some point I will, as part of this or separately, I don't know just thinking about him, adults and reskilling and upskilling.

people in jobs,

Colin Booth - 1:12:37

it may be worthwhile looking at the developments in the lifelong learning entitlements and out how that's due to develop long term, particularly in relation to the modularisation and the ability of adults to take modules of high level qualifications in the future.

because that is all about how people progressing jobs, et cetera.

Tim Craven - 1:13:06

thank you and just just one observation from.

myself just in the report, there's no mention of parents and the influence that parents some good, some not so good, can have on careers yeah, I just think it needs to be considered in terms of how we influence are we

communicate parents as well, because some can be very limiting.

OK, thank you, Daniel, when we want a second part of the updates.

m high everybody than Hailsham other schools Partnership Manager.

Danielle Choma - 1:13:49

I just want to give you a couple of delivery updates from the schools partnership team predominantly the work is funded by the careers and Enterprise company co-funded, which we have our West Yorkshire career hub.

Sobaan Ali - 1:14:04

around 180 secondary schools and colleges is within the network 0 focused on progress towards good career guidance in the post 16 progression, in particular for focusing on our most disadvantaged young people.

so far, this financial year, 59 of our institutions have made measurable improvements them and some making all of the Gatsby benchmarks as well, which is excellent.

there's a couple of projects that I'd just like to highlight within

Danielle Choma - 1:14:31

the committee paper you might have seen the evaluation of the apprenticeship and technical education pilot project, this has been a small project aimed at supporting some of our students from across the region, working with employers who then mentor the young people.

with the aim to upskill where confidence in applying for apprenticeship are technical education.

understanding the process and having the confidence when they leave school to apply and hopefully secure

those opportunities we've seen lots of success so far in this small project, with confidence increased, especially around the initial application stage, however, there is a need for the preparation for that later recruitments, aware there's online assessments and tests.

the teachers in particular felt the strength of the programme was the employer interaction and the guidance that they were able to give the young people a named prize themselves found this project really positive and are keen to take part in the project this year which we are upscaling across West Yorkshire Woking are working with amazing apprenticeships as well and we know that there's a particular need to support young people to take on these opportunities as has a quite significant lack of uptake there to represent our young people, so we're really pleased with how that is progressing.

and then one of our newest projects that we've been able to.

mentioning to in the report is linked to a subject that we've discussed already, so those young people that are potentially not in education or employment or training, so our careers hub has been looking at some of the data and obviously we've highlighted in seeing the need and the figures rising across some of our local authority areas in particular for years 11 and 12.

quite timely. The careers and Enterprise company launched a national fund to support the development of a system to help reduce the NEET figures. So as I hope we are consulted and spoke with our local authorities to see who might be interested in putting on a small pilot project, we've taken this forward with Bradford and Leeds local authority and we're really pleased to say was successful and we've been awarded assuming a small or small fund, but 100,000 to work with young people this academic year to look at the processes and systems in place. Bradford will also be working with Warwick University as well cycling. A small pilot project over the summer time, with a focus on year 12 m and Leeds, will be focusing on Yeovil Evans, and hopefully we can share learnings across with other local authorities, but also look at West Yorkshire as well. Some of the issues and how we can work together to

help prevent those figures and put interventions before those young people become NEET.

extra

Tim Craven - 1:17:41

like you, don't know, I move her comments, questions from were from the Commissioner.

I was right who is also the server.

Page.

Danielle Choma - 1:18:02

a reasonably interested pursue through an apprenticeship.

advice work, including health, will be an equal history.

but with no interest in any health-wise area, and there were quite a few in the barrister and which will be an interesting exercise.

I don't know that that felt quite dispiriting to be in a situation

Tim Thornton - 1:18:30

where, where the NHS subsequently postponed.

98,000 nurse training places a year, which are very anxious.

I just wondered whether we ought to be more concerned, as it prepares a very, very small sample from a very large segment, but we're getting that no additional treatments, friendships and some duties coming out again.

thank you.

Tim Craven - 1:19:04

OK.

Peter just on 10, this point I was at a meeting last week were with

Dr Peter O'Brien, Advisory Representative (Yorkshire Universities) - 1:19:12

some West Yorkshire. I see integrated care system, Health, sort of professionals, and there is a real issue around retention as an area of staff within the NHS that it's incredibly difficult at the moment, so the more that we could work collectively to to to address that recruitment and retention issue. I think it's hugely important, but it was very stark what they were saying around, what's going on within the NHS or the wider social care sector as well

OK.

no other lower the hands.

Tim Craven - 1:19:49

and above I know, thank you very much excellent update.

I will move on to.

8 Employment Support

agenda item 8, so employment support or employment support continues to be a valued, or sought are vital to in supporting residents across the region into stable, sustained and well-paid employment.

Josh I can invite him to to to present an overview of your paper.

thank you, Chair, I'd like to start by making reference to some

Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:20:27

figures which are taken from the back page of the appendix to the paper.

mainly the the growth in the claimant count in West Yorkshire up to 70,215 claimants in August 2023, so a rise of over 13,000 claimants since January 2020 2020 and the fact that a young people account for approximately 20% of the total claimants in West Yorkshire so in real terms that's around 14,300 claimants and just related to this as well as we've noted at numerous points at today's meeting employment rates amongst young people continue to fall, economic inactivity continues to rise amongst younger age groups.

and that's, partly due to instances of ill health and long term sickness, amongst other factors, and to reiterate from our last Committee meeting as well. Specific groups of young people face significant levels of disadvantage when attempting to access the labour market and and targeted and bespoke play, space provision will be required to meet the needs of those facing disadvantage in the labour market. So the employment support blueprint is a big opportunity to envision how place-based enhancements can result in stronger provision for our residents and the local and regional economy, and to reiterate, we were preparing the blueprint now, at this point in time, in conjunction with our partners, to be ready for further devolution and to show regional leadership on this agenda, and and I'd like to highlight the fact that development is happening alongside the economic strategy. That Joe talked to SRE earlier, and obviously the intention is not to have to refresh this piece of work following the economic strategy. So they will be happening in tandem with each other and the blueprint will build on the principles of of the LGA's Work, Local model,

there is a multidisciplinary project board comprised of a combined authority and local authority, colleagues, amongst others that are kind of taking this blueprint forward and I'd also like to highlight the emerging work streams of the blueprint at this point, as well as those being youth and employment work in health, the good work approach to employment support the examination of current national provision and and examination of potential system improvements and in helping the system work more effectively as alluded to by any current item 7.

a workshop with Committee Members, the date of which will be conferencing, will provide the opportunity to explore these work streams in depth and get insight and stay from committee members, and that's something I'm definitely looking forward to to facilitating in the near future.

and to raise as well that thought leadership is a key goal for this piece of work and and this is reflected in the profile raising pieces indicated in a 2.5 in the paper. I'd just like to spotlight the dimension of the event with I yes, and we have a date confirmed for that now on the 20th November, and that represents a really exciting opportunity for us to work with National Commission is on on this really key subject. Similarly, the work being undertaken on youth hubs is a clear example of multidisciplinary teams working together to envision place-based enhancement and better support our residents. So Members will have noted the items and 2.62 point 8, which outlined the GWP Youth Hub offer and as a and as noted in 2.9, a working group of colleagues from the GWP, local authorities and the Combined Authority have been jointly mapping. The current Youth Hub offer in West Yorkshire and have co developed a set of design principles for ESOL provision in West Yorkshire based on the good practice seen across the region and beyond as well,

and this approach again is very much based on those principles of of the work local model, it's about allowing local leadership to respond to local needs and supporting this with regional coordination to supplement and support the existing offer where needed.

these design principles are in process of being finalised by the working groups, then will be available for wider sharing and, of course, will be working closely with local authority officers to keep elected members briefed and ensuring that local area needs and priorities are reflected in co-development as well. I'd also like to highlight the work of the Work and Health Partnership working group, continuation of some of the great work that's been done in this topic area across our different local authority areas. Already the first partnership meeting of the working health partnership has now taken place and this represents the first time bringing colleagues from ICS. GWP skills leads together at a regional level and and it's really good to see this approach being referenced actually as a core principle for engaging the economically inactive in a recent LGA Make it local paper.

I'd like to reflect that that first meeting was very, very positive, one in mapping has begun to understand the Work and Health offer across the region and and just that the group demonstrates the the ability to work together to better prepare for expected interventions to be delivered in West Yorkshire on this area.

and then finally, regarding current delivery and existing programmes, as everyone at this table will be aware, employment West Yorkshire is are regionally coordinated, locally, delivered universal employment support programme I'd request that members note the success of delivery so far in the overall engagement is above target to date and that the programme has shown a proven ability to reach diverse communities and those experiencing deprivation. I would also request that members note the illustrative example in 2.1 8 of how an employment West Yorkshire provides holistic multi-agency support tailored to individual needs.

and finally, as previously discussed and as per the agreed local investment plan and noted in 2.1 9 to 2.2 1, in the paper a change request has been submitted for the use of pillar 3 funds and if he cares b f t part fund employment West Yorkshire activity in delivery year 2024 2025 I'm gonna pass back to the Chair for comments at this point.

thank you.

thank you Josh.

Tim Craven - 1:26:34

yeah, so, concerning that, the youth unemployment figures will be good to hear about the partnership.

Work on the positive steps there.

to the committee members comments observations.

Sharon Riding - 1:26:58

how much further on information anything we've done some great work together, I think with De do we pay and the Combined Authority with a second day working with the local part of the Combined Authority, I think youth unemployment and inactivity is a real big challenge for us going forward, I think that's recognised nationally and locally the youth hubs have been really successful.

and how we build on those to get a robust offer right across the whole Combined Authority would be really great, I think, going forward, there are national opportunities that are gonna come forward and online in autumn of next year, but I think that telling those with what we need locally in a place-based approach is gonna be key, the work that you're doing across the integrated care boards, I think will be key to get the greatest opportunity out of those national programmes.

so it's really good that those groups are already set up and up and running, and obviously we want to continue to be key contributors to that as well.

thank you, Chair, and I do have quite a bit of feedback on this, but I

Cllr Eleanor Thomson (Leeds City Council) - 1:28:07

aim to keep it as constructive as possible.

so there's a feeling that the work streams aren't joined up and that we should be adopting a work local model to deliver a systems level, not the sort of programme and thematic level solutions.

it is not clear why some of the changes are being presented at this stage so that the change to employment, West Yorkshire.

or how the rollout of the digital inclusion programme would work, but the promise of of local flexibility and keep of community organisations is welcomed, it feels like the some overlap with the previous item and a bit as potential silo and going on.

and it spelt, the purpose of the youth work up in the paper isn't clear enough and that that maybe needs some refining and we redesigning with something exists, or are we what do we TRO, what exactly we're trying to do with that that makes sense and just general risks of of duplication.

and it just an encouragement to integrate as far as we can, thank you very much.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:29:12

it adds a little bit to that, I think that the current delivery of employment West Yorkshire, does not necessarily reflect local variances are at this stage and Kettley's with at the moment, for example, we've got three funded programmes, sorry are targeting the unemployed which run until the end of this year.

therefore, the impact of bold capacity for employment Coakley's vote won't actually be known until until.

January,

I've got the wrong date, there, I should put it on January 2024, and it's not for now, I'll stop that, that's fine, that's fine, thank you.

Tim Craven - 1:29:57

OK.

yeah, thank you, and thank you for the sort of comments from members

Joshua Rickayzen, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:30:06

just to kind of reflect on some of those comments around kind of potential overlap with previous item, I think that's something where.

kind of aware of him in that there is potential overlap there, but something we keen to make sure doesn't happen in Scopes kind of remain defined in that way, but I think everyone right round this table will recognise that career support and employment support go hand in hand and the opportunity to deliver them together is is massive and should should happen say,

it again, yeah, it's about working those days to intend him without kind of creeping into into each other's scope, so that I recognise that completely and and again your points on kind of integrating as much as possible with existing what is going on yet I think I think that's that's absolutely something we take on board.

Tim Craven - 1:31:02

just to clarify, some of your later points relate to not to the strategy but to some of the other areas of the paper.

OK, that's that's really helpful clarification, thank you so particularly to the proposed changes to the funding arrangements for employment, West Yorkshire was at specifically referring to and the switch to UK shared prosperity fund.

thank you.

Tim Craven - 1:31:33

OK, I give him thank you dot flippant.

final them huddled in the autumn.

9 Skills Support for Business

so after months of skill support for employers.

the previous meetings committee members have been consulted on the development of the green jobs task force, research findings, recommendations and diverging report, and reports now complete and ready to be launched in parallel, work is progressing then to the to skills support for business.

if I could invite Michelle Michelle Hunter surveyor to give an update on an overview on this topic. Thank you, thank you. So I hope it is

Michelle Burton - 1:32:25

outline in and out of view of the nature and scale of the business offer, and that includes an update on all six and the firework charter, but also an update on our European funded programme skills for growth, which is now concluded, and findings that an evaluation will be presented to this Committee at the next Committee in February. Other key items to note from this paper are around the green jobs task force. So previously this committee has been consulted on the development of recommendations and actions in relation to this work and over the last 12 months, the task force has convened. Experts from across the region has commissioned two pieces of research worked with young people and held several task and finish groups to develop recommendations. That's now concluded and the report is available, and we would ask committee members to endorse that report, which is in your pack,

at the last committee, we asked Rep this committee to adopt those actions and recommendations to take them forward, and they're currently being transitioned into delivery.

I would like to extend my thanks to this Committee who have been involved in the development of that work and in recognition of that one of our committee members at 1.00 of our task force members ITV Studios has asked us if there were we would be interested in hosting a local celebration event to recognise the work of the task force which will take place in December where the mayor can take the opportunity to recognise the importance of this work for our region.

we would be really keen that this committee attended that event along with wider stakeholders, and we would also be really keen to get some young people who've played a key role in the development of recommendations and actions, so invites will be coming out shortly to committee members around that.

the other key item in this report is around the development and design of our skills spa, at skill spot for business offer, so building on the success of our skills for growth programme and following this year's approval to utilise the remaining gainshare funding, the skill spot for business was prioritised by this committee as part of our investment priorities.

for employment and skills going forward, and we'd be keen to consult with this committee on the development of that of that programme, so just just to give an overview as outlined in the report and that offer will include originally managed or locally delivered advisory services for businesses and their graduate programme which has been developed in consultation with universities and SMEs in the region, and we're just about to go out to tender for that flat programme and then finally, a core investment model for skills support for businesses this the idea of this is to encourage businesses to look at their workforce planning and to encourage, retain attract talent into their workforces to help them to decarbonise and digitise. So the programme supports the commitments that are outlined in the green jobs task force but also outlined in the digital blueprint as well, and the Mayor will shortly be bagging out 12 businesses to invite them to a round table early next year to really seek views on on this agenda. But on top of this would be really keen to get committee members opinions on how we should develop design that work and in particular how we would design a good co-investment model for businesses.

so it would be keen to get thoughts on that from the committee today.

I think that's it Chair, thank you.

Tim Craven - 1:35:51

OK, thank you Michelle, so if we can just take the

the

back all the updates, just based on those on the three areas update, so so first around the the green jobs task force and the final report we're being asked to endorse and adopt that, does anybody have any questions concerns here are we happy with the bottom yeah supported

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:36:26

and with welcome to know what next steps are, I think that's a key for us.

as well for the tastebuds but as well through us here, and what else needs to be done from four months of this meeting and and how we're fitting, thank you.

OK.

Tim Craven - 1:36:48

so yeah, we're happy to do that, I think we would be happy to kind of

Michelle Burton - 1:36:53

outline where the actions for into that delivery and how that works, we'd be happy to do that to this committee so that it's clear how those actions are actually come in becoming tangible, tangible things in in the region yet happy to do that.

Tim Craven - 1:37:11

thanks author, I'm just gonna sort of pre-committed but throughout the

Mr Martin Hathaway - 1:37:17

day, but this is in particular on the skills for business and, to an extent, the green skills elements of it, it doesn't feel like it's for business, it feels like it's for individuals rather than for for business and I think it's language not not not intent.

and I just think that it it just be interesting to see how that affects business, I'm not sure, as I said, but the mayors will invite all businesses to come and then talk to them and I'm not sure why they would at the moment I'm not sure it is not written in their language and I'm not sure why that comes so that messaging that goes out to companies that are at the moment you know businesses have not been engaged in deciding if there's a

if there's a.

or an emergency or climate emergency or whatever, and they're being told, and they see the government changing their minds on what it is they've got to do when, but they all want to be greener and whether anyone that doesn't want to be green and so it's just thinking about how we we frame that to really engage with businesses rather than tell him what other people have decided they're going to do to them.

thank you, Matt in all, I would welcome a conversation about how we do that.

Michelle Burton - 1:38:23

OK, so that's the.

Tim Craven - 1:38:32

the final report on the the green jobs task force so that the second part of the update was around the skills for growth programme.

and the development of the Fair Work Charter.

are there any questions observations from the committee?

Michelle?

me again, I'm afraid I'm just a comment on the Fair Work charter we we

Mr Martin Hathaway - 1:39:00

discussed this recently with the other business representative groups and and I who have all been really pleased at their involvement with it, and they think that their input, as as has made it into a far better charter than it could have been so well done everybody involved in that thank you.

Tim Craven - 1:39:21

OK, thank you any other.

OK, I'll then the the final one, then in terms of the the skills, support for business, so Michelle yeah, you're asking questions for your thoughts on employer care, investment models for skills.

again from the Committee Members' thoughts, feedback observations which Arlington sorry.

yes, I do apologise, yeah, our figures we do in our quarterly economic

Mr Martin Hathaway - 1:39:58

survey, which is nowhere near in the same depth as the data that the Petro between gather here, but it's actually showing that there's been more investment from business in in skills over the last.

well, probably yeah, maybe maybe a bit longer since COVID, and that's that's mostly at the expense of capital investment which they're not making because of interest rates, et cetera, but they are and the the skills shortages and the job shortages employment shortages they have seems to have driven.

a number to invest in in more in in the schools that are existing workforce and and potentially others so.

I, I think you said it was down here, sorry, yeah, thank you.

sorry.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:40:49

Canada are an overarching bet, we are some way I just encourage.

you to kind of keep involving the local authorities, I think the reach that we've got with our partners is significant and it gives that local impacts more chance to happen.

and one of the other things that I've had written for me that please ask for it would be good to have an update on the planned capital and revenue work streams for the local skills improvement fund as part of the LS IIP update and could that come to a future meeting please and I'm quoting somebody else well in truth,

and that's me done.

they say that they want to come back.

Tim Craven - 1:41:32

though it's just to say that.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:41:39

the trend maximum charge also declined from sort of six seven years ago in the last year it's been fairly flat based on the employment skills survey, but I guess it's also a large number of the big businesses in there as well, and so maybe the profile is slightly different but I did note the point from the Qasr about.

investing because pilot, because of recruitment problems to solve offset those, so it is interesting, be interesting to see where the

Peter Glover - 1:42:02

next employer's skills survey shows as well with that picks up on the point making.

Cllr Elizabeth Reynolds - 1:42:12

Tim Craven - 1:42:14

any other comments thoughts on what can I say, the feedback that Michelle was looking for.

but okay.

that was last agenda point.

Tim Craven - 1:42:39

unless there are any other items any other business, then we will close the or close the meeting, thank you all very much, thank you for the excellent dates, yeah.

on 15 minutes back.