Economy Committee - Friday 11 July 2025, 2:00pm - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

Economy Committee
Friday, 11th July 2025 at 2:00pm 

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  1. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  2. James Mowbray, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Cllr James Lewis Chair
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  1. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Guilherme Rodrigues Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
  5. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  7. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  8. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  10. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  12. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  13. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  14. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  15. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  4. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
  6. Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
  7. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  9. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  11. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  13. Gareth Scargill
  14. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  16. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  5. Lindsey Daniels
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  7. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  8. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
  10. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  12. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  13. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  14. Councillor Craig Timms
  15. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  16. Lindsey Daniels
  17. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  4. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  5. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  7. Henry Rigg
  8. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  9. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  3. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  4. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  6. Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  7. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  9. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
  11. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  13. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  14. Henry Rigg
  15. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  16. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  17. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  18. Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  19. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  2. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  3. Henry Rigg
  4. Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
  5. Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
  6. Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  7. Councillor Craig Timms
  8. Andrew Sharp, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
  11. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  13. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  14. Councillor Craig Timms
  15. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  16. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  17. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  18. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  19. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  20. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  21. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  22. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  23. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  24. Guilherme Rodrigues Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  25. Andrew Sharp, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  26. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  3. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Cllr James Lewis Chair
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  1. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  3. Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
  4. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  6. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  7. Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups)
  8. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
  10. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  11. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  13. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
  14. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  15. Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership)
  16. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  17. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  18. Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative)
  19. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  20. Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
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  1. Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council)
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  3. Webcast Finished

1 Apologies for Absence

Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:00
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:02
Welcome to the July meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Economy Committee.
Just to note that this meeting is being broadcast live as well on webcast,
so I can see everybody's been really good and sat in the seats with their name plates in front,
so it's obvious to people online who's speaking.
I'm just going to turn to the formal items at the top of the agenda.
Have we got any apologies for absence please, James?
James Mowbray, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:34
Yeah, we have quite a few. We have Councillor Imran Khan, Councillor Kayleigh Brooks, and then we've got Councillor Timmins in her place.
Neither Councillor Jo Hepworth or her sub, Councillor Jack Hemingway could come.
Farah Buck, Fatima Khan -Char, Colin Booth, David Malone, Martin Stone, but we've got Gareth Scaggill instead.
and
Levi me Emma Campbell Natasha Barbara Evans and Lisa Robinson can't come as substitute for Councillor can either
Okay
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:01:12
Thank you, I'm now gonna turn to the committee and see if there's any members that need to disclose any pecuniary interests
Don't send me putting their hands up
Item four which is a minutes of the meeting we had on the 27th of March this year
Is everybody happy with those?

2 Declarations of Disclosable Interests

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press & Public

4 Minutes of the Meeting of the Economy Committee held on Thursday 27/03/2025

take it everybody is that's great thank you. Onto item five which is

5 Governance Arrangements

governance arrangements. Michelle please. Yeah thank you so this is a short paper
with two appendices to update this committee on the governance arrangements
that were confirmed by the that were approved by the Combined Authority at
its AGM last month and so you have got the the terms of reference attached in
the appendices and the membership and is worth noting that in the meanwhile
council Lewis has been meeting with potential new members of this committee
and we'll hope to be able to update you on that at the next meeting.
It's great thank you and is everybody happy with the governance paper please?
We note the governance arrangements. That's great thank you. On to the chairs
update and a few things I'd like to mention here before we get onto the agenda.

6 Chair's Update

We've had some great events in West Yorkshire over the last few months. I've
seen some of the people here at CLIMB25 at UK Reef, at Reset North and some of the
other events here. Just in terms of the combined authority, we've had three
meetings since the economy committee last met, we've looked at bus
franchising, looked at investment priorities.
We've agreed for something that kept
keyboard warriors on social media going for a good few days
was a name of the new franchise bus network,
train and tram network will be the Weaver network.
We launched that with the bright green bus
to show what they'll all look like in the future.
And that was something that will show real change
in the quality of transport in West Yorkshire
over the years ahead. We agreed the setting up of the Healthy Working Life Board, which
is the Mayoral Chair alongside the ICB, to support the work we talk about here a lot
around supporting people to remain in or return to work. We've looked at the again work we've
Cllr James Lewis Chair - 0:03:37
talked about here before, the new model for business access to finance and investment,
and we agreed to set into the DWP with the economic inactivity trailblazer for connect
to work and we're also part of NHS England's health and growth accelerator.
So some good stuff going through there.
Just turning to our agenda today, so we've got the main items coming up and then at the
end just to warm people up we have the items noted for information only as people know
on those we don't automatically have a discussion on those but always happy if
anybody's got any questions on those for officers to pick up and to flag up as
well those are ones of interest to the committee but we're not looking for a

7 Economic Updates

decision today. Okay I'm gonna move on to item seven which is the economic updates
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:04:33
and Peter Glover please Peter. Can I hand over to my colleague Guy to provide the introduction please?
Of course.
Thank you.
Good afternoon.
So as usual, I'll make an economic update
with the latest data that we have
at the national and regional data.
Guilherme Rodrigues Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:04:49
So starting with the macroeconomic context
at the national level, Mays inflation stood at 3 .4 %
at the annual basis, slightly down from 3 .5 % in April.
The biggest downward contribution
came from transport, housing, and household services,
while this was partially offset by the contribution of food and non -alcoholic beverages, furniture and household goods.
Some of these goods are durable and important, so we may have to do with some of the global instability we've seen.
In terms of interest rates, in May, Bank of England cut the rate 0 .25 percentage points to 4 .25%.
This was the fourth cut since the summer of 2024 and reflects that Bank of England is
confident about the progress in the disinflation process in the last two years.
The GDP data and labor markets have been slowing down, so reduces the risk of inflationary
pressures according to the bank.
In terms of economic growth, we have the monthly GDP estimates for April that showed a little
bit of a contraction in monthly terms, but 0 .3 percent.
This is almost fiscal noise, and it shows a decline in services and manufacturing, while
construction had output growth by almost 1 percent.
In annual terms, GDP is 0 .9 % above what it was in April 2024.
When it comes to regional data, we recently had the 2023 GVA data, so it's a bit delayed,
but it shows some new trends, especially compared with the pre -pandemic economy in West Yorkshire.
In terms of growth, it was in line with the national average growing just 0 .4 percent slightly above
0.3 percent in the UK, but
the previous two years we were performing much stronger. So the economy compared with 2019 is
6 .5 percent larger while in the UK just 2 .6 percent. So our performance is 2019 has been way above
the UK
Average but this hasn't been uniform across districts. We have to take a little bit a pinch of salt
Estimates at the local authority, but this suggests that leads is leading the way
so
and
The sectors that have been growing the most are within
Services so mostly around office services. So administrative and support information communication professional services
and
One sector that performed very well and above the UK average everywhere, not only in Leeds,
was construction, growing at almost 10 % last year.
And all local authorities have stronger growth than the UK.
On the opposite spectrum, manufacturing has been struggling for the second year in a row
after having a very strong performance for a decade between 2011 -2021.
From these figures, our main takeaways would be, without being very conclusive,
West Yorkshire seems to be more dependent on tradable services centered in Leeds office -related
activities. Manufacturing has been struggling, but we don't, we cannot tell if it is temporary
due to energy shocks and other things. When we look at sector by sector within manufacturing,
we perform like the UK in general, so it seems more about the composition. We are exposed to
parts of manufacturing that we miss struggling the most,
like textiles, chemicals, and not so much
about our sectors of manufacturing
being performing worse in the same industries as the UK.
In terms of productivity, we got productivity for 2023.
We have been stagnated, but there was a decline in the UK.
So without being super positive, we
converged to 89 % of UK productivity per worker.
But there has been a decline in the number of hours worked.
Job growth has been not so positive.
So we need to take this as a pinch of salt.
Could be that low productivity activities are disappearing
that is boosting our productivity level.
So we cannot know.
So it's not conclusive, but we have
to take that as a possibility.
In terms of business and labor market in the last months,
business startups are doing better than the end of 2024 which was particularly negative but still
slightly below what they were beginning of that year it's in line with the national average and
the labor market has been showing signs of softening with the number of employees in the
first three months of 2025 below what they were previous year and which growth is still positive
but declining and declining at the faster rate of growth in the UK.
In terms of these metrics are performing against the local growth plan,
productivity and GVA have been performing in line with our target, which is positive. The number of jobs and business creation,
we don't have the definitive data, but they are unlikely to have been closing the gap in the last couple of years and
in terms of skills, it seems to be some progress at level four and above.
That's all.
Thank you, Keith.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:20
Are there any questions or comments on this item, please?
Barney, please.
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 0:10:26
When you said questions or comments, mine's sort of a vague thought.
I think it's really quite interesting, especially, I mean, it's what we all know in a way that Leeds is doing better than the other parts of West Yorkshire.
And I suppose the challenge for us is at what point does the success in Leeds translate
into better performance in the other parts of West Yorkshire?
And within that, I wonder how we actually measure what is Leeds and what is West Yorkshire
because on a very small scale, some of the sole traders I'll meet, I'll meet them in
Huddersfield and I'll say, I'll wear your base and say, well, actually, Leeds, because
they'll have a Leeds postal address because it looks a lot better for what they do.
So I wonder if that is anywhere in it.
But the other thing I was thinking, and this sort of is some of the other issues,
so items that come up later as well, what this highlights is, as always,
there's a real imbalance of those doing well and those not doing so well.
And think about the whole, you know, we talk about inclusive economy,
so we are looking to try and help areas who aren't doing so well.
I wonder at what point do we start looking or can we get evidence of what types
businesses aren't performing so well and actually targeting them for support
rather than the more traditional approach we take which is we put support plans
out and we wait for people to apply for them and the winners necessarily apply
for them and within that you know if I might get one of my favourite hobby
horses on this one, when I'm at it, when I'm on a run, but we always talk about
advanced manufacturing but it's actually what we've highlighted here is that more
traditional manufacturing is struggling so it's one of the things we need to do
the more traditional manufacturing.
We need to make them advanced manufacturers,
because it's only a difference of how they do it,
not a difference of what they're doing.
So was that a question?
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:12:16
I think in there there was a question about how
we can use the interventions we talk about today,
as well as knowing what's going on about how we can get
those improvements, targeted improvements in the economy.
I don't want to put words in your mouth,
Goodness.
But I think that was the thing.
I mean, I'd offer an observation.
So I always think I've got the benefit
of looking at staring at a map of West Yorkshire
as I'm sat here.
And I think one of the, you know,
there are parts of Leeds economy that are not doing well at all.
And I think that there's always the myth.
When we talk about Leeds, it's reflecting
on what parts of Leeds economy we know are doing well, such as financial and professional
services data, medical stuff.
There's parts of the last item of the report, the last item of the papers is a report on
Wakefield Futures around the Wakefield District, to be honest, last parts of the Leeds District,
including my own council ward, probably reading that paper.
That paper probably reflects a position that a lot of residents face in Leeds rather than
what's happening.
So I do think there are, as a core city,
as a core city in West Yorkshire,
as a regional economic center,
are lots of good things going on in Leeds,
and we do lots of work around
making sure those growth sectors are performing well,
and whether it's work on growth, inward investment,
strategic policy to make sure that's the case.
But I don't think it's the case that everything,
the jam is spread thinly
right across the entire Leeds district,
and I think that does lead on to some of the points we're making about how we can like
I say some of the things we talked about today, how we can make sure we are both geographically
and also in terms of businesses and sectors making sure we are having the maximum effect
with the resources we've got across the county.
I don't know if anybody else wants to come in on that.
Sarah please.
Yeah, thank you chair.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:14:19
Yeah, I totally agree and I think what's really interesting is that we, you know, lots of
us in our areas have, you know, the whole, like Colesdale particularly, has really good
SME culture. But that's really important because that's where innovation starts. There's often
innovation in those sort of small businesses and I think trying to, and this cuts all the
way through so many of the items that are on the paper today, which is really exciting,
really positive, about how can we make sure that people are skilled, people know that
starting up a small business can be a really good way of being innovative and then moving
on to sort of maybe a larger business or coming up with an idea that could be taken up by
a larger business.
So I think we really need a healthy ecosystem all the way through, don't we?
And I think business ecosystems are no different from natural ecosystems.
So I would sort of echo what Barnet is saying about making sure that where there's targeting
or where there's support that we really make sure that we can get out to all of, including
the SMEs and the micro businesses, because that could be the start of a lot of things
for the future, for 20 years' time. Thank you.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:15:33
Thank you. Karl, please.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:15:35
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:15:36
Cheers. It would be good to thank you so much. It would be good to hear what the survival
rates of businesses were, not just a new start. So over a two and five -year period, it would
good to see those graphs and also where we can identify failure rates as well to ensure
that we stay ahead of the mark in terms of business growth. I agree with Barney 100 %
Leeds is kind of not propping up, that's not a nice way to put it, but it is carrying West
Yorkshire along with it and a few other areas are doing their bit but we do need to do more
concentrated work with Bradford and I think we have the opportunity going forward in the
new financial year and I don't think we need to be apologetic about that, we just need
to be quite pragmatic in my view and look at where some of those growth sectors are
and where Bradford does have genuine uniqueness in the region and concentrating efforts in
those areas would make sense.
And I think to be responsible as a committee,
we need to come at the next meeting,
get some idea of what that would look like.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:16:48
Thank you, Martin, please.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:16:52
Yeah, it's just a comment about the position we're in
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 0:16:54
in the world at the moment and these trade agreements,
which are happening or not happening,
is creating absolutely turmoil.
And we'll see that, that only affects the manufacturers.
there is no tariffs that I'm aware of yet on the different services.
And Leeds is obviously very strong on services, and Huddersfield and Halifax are stronger
on manufacturing and Wakefield.
And I think we need to think what can we do, that we're sat in this room while other people
are making decisions, but it really is stopping businesses having the confidence to either
look for new markets or to continue supplying their existing people that they supply, not
just in the States but everywhere.
I recently looked at trying to export some products to India, and after three weeks of
trying to work out if there was a tariff or not, it just became impossible.
And that's someone that works inside the system.
So yeah, I just think we need to think about it more that this is having a really damaging
effect and if our manufacturers need more support to see them through this time then
how can we how can we offer that.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:18:07
Does anybody else want to, Graham please.
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:18:13
Yeah thank you chair, I mean we know the manufacturing sector is under pressure but in Kirklea we've
got some significant investment going on, some of our companies are growing really well
at the moment and as I said some new factories being built, people looking to the future
So it's not all doom and gloom in the manufacturing sector.
Let's be positive about it.
Where they're getting it right, they're
getting it really right at the moment.
And we have some real positives coming
from this couple of years.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:18:39
Thank you.
And I think one of the things, it's not specifically
on the agenda today, but clearly the government
is setting their industrial strategy
in some of the areas like defence spending,
where they're looking at clearly having UK supply
supply chains very much as part of that is something that we might not have a BA systems
at the top of the chain in terms of defence in this part of the world, but there are plenty
of businesses that do feed into defence supply chains as well, things like that.
So it is around having that visibility of areas of work there.
Is there anybody else wants to come in on this item?
No that's great.
So the recommendation is we consider the content of the report and highlight implications,
which I think we've done.
Thank you.
So shall we move on to the business growth paper, please, Sarah?
Right, mate.

8 Business Growth

Thank you.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:19:33
So this paper sets out our new approach to business growth in West Yorkshire.
It builds very much on the local growth plan that was published just before Christmas.
And signals a bit of a shift, really, in terms of the role that we play as a combined authority.
Historically, we've probably played a bit more of that delivery role, you know, in terms
of the LEP and that kind of, you know, direct business support.
But the ambitions in the local growth plan are significant and so we cannot do this by
ourselves.
We have to work better with the ecosystem.
We've talked a lot about ecosystems, with the ecosystem, with partners across West Yorkshire.
So our evolving role as a combined authority in supporting businesses is twofold.
It's about providing that leadership, progressing those strategic interventions to address market
failure or shake the market, so directly intervening.
But it's also, we've talked a bit about this earlier,
about enabling the system, convening, facilitating,
enabling others to do great stuff
and us actually getting out of the way
and making that happen.
So the key areas that we're gonna be focusing on
is around ensuring that wider support is available
in West Yorkshire for businesses to succeed
and that doesn't necessarily mean it's always about
us doing it or providing it, but making sure it is here
in the region, working with the British Business Bank,
working with Innovate UK, working with others to make sure that provision is available in
West Yorkshire. Working with partners to influence and shape that activity, again partners like
Innovate UK, British Business Bank are just two, but the universities, wider sectors,
how do we make sure we play into that and make sure that we are collaborating, not duplicating
or cutting across one another. Really importantly given the massive investment in things like
mass transit, bus reform, how do we make sure that our businesses, and defence actually,
How do we make sure our businesses can access and benefit from these transformational investments?
Making sure that we're kind of our businesses are at the fore of those opportunities
Reducing and removing those barriers to growth but whether that's about working with government lobbying making the case working with our business
Representative groups business lobbying groups to make that case and make that case strongly using the power of the mayor
To kind of and the situation we're in currently in terms of you know
Political landscape to really make the case for things that need to change and why they need to change
and focus on priority sectors and clusters to drive the change that we need to see,
whilst not forgetting the rest of the business base that we've just talked about earlier.
You know, we know we've got some significant strengths in things like professional and
business financial services, but there's the rest of the business space that we need to make sure
are supported to grow and reach their potential. And we will be intervening where we need to
intervene, where we need to commission programmes and activity, where there's market failure,
or where we are best placed to do that. So the paper sets out five key areas,
and these are all in the local growth plan,
just to kind of reiterate.
Turbocharging growth in priority sectors, access to finance,
and making sure all businesses can access the finance
that they need to grow.
Innovation and positioning West Yorkshire
is that innovation center of excellence.
And what that means within that around connecting the dots,
making sure that things are joined up and connected,
and we're promoting the assets that we've got.
Making sure that we're supporting our businesses
around good business behaviors.
So particularly on fair good work,
but also around decarbonization and making sure
that we're supporting them to be better businesses
and helping them along that journey.
And then the underpinning infrastructure
and ecosystem capacity building
and making sure that we've got that navigation
and support infrastructure that is connected,
responsive and coherent.
No business gets lost along the way.
And the ecosystem partners in the system
are supported to do the great stuff they're doing
and flourish and support businesses to thrive.
As well as all that,
making sure that businesses can access the skills they need.
And we've got a couple of papers later on
talking about that skills piece specifically.
To do all that, we do need to target businesses better,
collectively, and I'd segment which the businesses
we're targeting and identifying and promoting that support
to more effectively, going to Barney's point,
and making sure that we're working much more with partners,
a lot of whom are around the table today
to make this happen and to realize our ambitions,
because it's a collective goal and a collective endeavor.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:23:38
Thank you. Are there any questions, comments, barely formed thoughts? Anybody wants to provide
at this item? Sarah, please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:23:52
Okay. Yeah, so I think the role of the CA focusing on leadership and enabling is really
good. It's really good at a high level. It helps us be really clear collectively about
what we're doing and everything in terms of supporting business.
I think it's, and you've already mentioned,
it's really important to think about the importance of creating
those conditions for productivity, infrastructure
and employment and everything.
And it's really great to be, I sit on quite a few different committees
and as lead member for Regeneration and Transport,
I have a lot of interconnectedness.
And it's really great to see all of these things
really being looked at together transport, health, you know, as well and culture as well,
all sort of like being seen as being really important. So all of those things, those conditions
but as well as the more sort of conventional sort of business support. I think obviously
growth anywhere in the combined authority is welcomed but I think in order to achieve
to achieve the shared inclusive economy goals,
which was affirmed in a combined authority report in February.
I think we need to remember that this is a narrow interpretation
of our required focus.
If we're just thinking about the turbocharging of growth
on high productivity centers, I mean,
I know we've sort of touched on this already.
I think working closely with foundational economy
is really important and key sectors like construction and retail then allows us
to get help people get into work and stay healthy and work. I think
encouraging good business behaviors with workstream might pick up on some of this
especially with a fair work charter. I would say that there's possibly a bit of
a lack of clarity regarding support for businesses start up beyond March 2026 so
and there are some hints that it might be folded into the business support infrastructure.
Emphasising the importance of start -up support to create a future pipeline of businesses
and productivity would be helpful I think.
I'd also like to emphasise the importance of the green tech sector, regionally and nationally
in terms of being a growth sector.
We need to be mindful of the importance of this in delivering our other goals like warm
and healthy homes, for example, and reducing pollution
and carbon emissions and increasing
the health of the population.
So yesterday, the committee that I was at,
which was the, I can't remember the title of it,
Regeneration Place in Housing, I think,
we were very much talking about that
and talking about the skills needed
and the growth of that sector.
And I think that's the biggest growth sector in the UK
at the moment, isn't it?
So I think really being able to make sure
that we're also supporting that as well would help it
and other things.
Anyway, that's me. Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:26:51
Thanks, Sarah. Alex, please.
Just on the innovation centre of excellence,
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 0:26:57
when you mention innovation, you often default to universities.
So I just want to make aware that lots of innovation happens outside,
but particularly looking at apprenticeships,
when you are looking at business challenges,
some of the best innovation comes from our apprentices in our local area.
So don't just necessarily look at the bits that the CA funds, but also,
You know that much broader ecosystem of apprentices as well
Your Barney, please I
Think I'm probably just repeating
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 0:27:26
Council corners point but it's worth repeating is that startups will always have a special need for support
And I don't think that goes against us in here. I think it just within the inverted pyramid triangle
I think a level a tier one here part of that universal support has to recognize
there's always going to be a big section of that, which is support for start -ups.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that extra resources have to go in, because it's about working out
where are the organisations that already provide support for start -ups, and there's a lot of them out there.
And it's quite an attractive thing for a lot of organisations to provide as well, so a lot of people will do it for free or very low cost.
But I think it's just keep coming back to, you know, we've recognised in the stats we were given that there is an issue with start -ups.
it's been fairly flat.
And also, as Karl said, talking about failure rates,
well actually if we set them up properly,
we're gonna have some effect on improving that failure rate
or reducing the failure rate.
So I just think we need to always keep that in mind.
And although it doesn't need a whole extra paragraph,
it probably just needs to keep being in there
just to keep everyone on board with that.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:28:33
Graeme, please.
Thank you.
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:28:38
So the report does focus on high growth business sector clusters in the reflection of the government
strategy and although the reference to health and life science is of course absolutely welcome.
We don't think there's enough in there about the advanced manufacturing and engineering
sector because that is really important because as I said if we're going to invest a little
money in arms a lot of that manufacturing is highly technical, is around very detailed
pieces of engineering you can't just put I can assure you can't just put them in my salon
I like the blue touch paper these days there's some very sophisticated pieces of engineering
and those are advanced engineers so I'd like more reference to that because that is one of
it's selling Kirk Lees one of our growth areas and we are looking to eventually do some work
with Sheffield around there advanced manufacturing as well so I think that needs more emphasis or
I've got some emphasis in there.
Carl, please.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:29:31
Thank you, Chair.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:29:34
I'd really commend the report,
and in particular the message about we're in this together,
we all have a role, a very strong message,
and the actions around that include inclusive growth.
I'm so pleased to see so many inclusive economy leads around
that I am absolutely fascinated of this role.
But practically applying the narrative of inclusive growth is so important and it goes
along with that message of everyone has a role to play in that growth agenda.
When you empower people as the Combined Authority has been doing recently through the Inclusive
Growth Development Fund and other plans going forward, hopefully into 2026, 27 with the
even though we don't have business links and those in you know those kind of
mechanisms that that brought more of a community involvement into into business
and support I think these things will definitely help and so yeah it's a
really strong message and an encouraging one. Thank you. Gareth please.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:30:46
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 0:30:47
Thank you chair. Speaking on behalf of one of the universities in the room and
Gareth Scargill - 0:30:52
Sarah, you mentioned that, of course, this will only work,
well, not only work, but other universities on the side.
I think we need to be working collaboratively
as we've proven through the Internet Entrepreneurs' Programme
where our three universities are working collaboratively.
And working alongside the higher education
and independent training providers,
I think is really important,
because we've got some world -class leading researchers
in this region that can really help
these high -growth clusters.
And I know we're committed,
I'm sure Henry's from Huddersfield,
that working collaboratively,
and we can really support this programme.
And just on the Innovation Centre of Excellence,
I remember at the last meeting we spoke about it
not being a physical hub.
However, we mustn't forget that to make this work,
I call them creative collisions,
people need to come together.
So I don't know if there is an infrastructure
or a place to come together.
Because at some point the existing assets we have,
if we're going to be growing all these businesses,
where are these businesses going to live,
where are they going to grow,
and where are they going to call home?
So I think we need to consider that.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:31:53
Thank you. I don't see any more hands up. Is there anything you want to pick up Sarah
please? So there's a lot there but there was really
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:32:01
really great feedback. Innovation, infrastructure, I think it's about connecting the dots. I
absolutely agree about the places are important in innovation centres as well as broader community
spaces actually because going to your point innovation is not just about universities
it's about what happens in businesses. Advanced manufacturing is a number one priority, it
is one of the priority sectors, it's in the local growth plan, it's in the cluster action
plans that we're going to be talking about later, so it's absolutely in there.
And I think we started to use the phrase advancing manufacturing to go to Barney's point, I think
it was, because it's about moving that dial, moving that forward.
Start -up support, absolutely, there's lots of conversations about what that looks like,
but we need to do that as an ecosystem working in partnership around, to your point, Barney,
about what is already out there, what's been delivered elsewhere and where are the gaps
and what role can go back to paper, what role can we play most effectively in that.
But loads of great points, so thank you very much.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:32:54
Thank you. We were asked to consider the progress and provide a steer which I think we have
done in the recommendations. If everybody is happy with the recommendation we will move
on to item 9 please.

9 Region of Learning & Creative Strategy

Thank you, Chair. The paper item 9 is the region of learning and creativity strategy.
It outlines our intent to develop just that. The region of learning and creativity strategy
Lindsey Daniels - 0:33:22
will incorporate and replace the existing employment and skills framework, which people may recall was written in 2020 and
quite a lot has changed in that time period.
It absolutely flows from from local growth plan and will help us further develop how we meet the challenges that are within that document
and write the opportunities within the region.
It will articulate how we deliver the mayoral ambitions and also define really our role as an MSA.
and our wider system convening needs across the sector and meeting
needs of West Yorkshire residents and businesses. Simultaneously we will
refresh another document that was written in 2020 which was the adult
education budget strategy then. That was very much about how we as a combined
authority would move into the commissioning role of the adult
education budget and how we were devolution ready. This will
hopefully show how we are integrated settlement ready and building on the
lessons that we've learned in the last four years. Really looking forward to us
having a holistic fund and how we determine how that is spent within West
Yorkshire. So that will be sort of a more of a practical commissioning document
sitting underneath the strategy. So the paper itself covers how these different
strategies align with the Work and Health Plan and also how the LCEP
will play into that relationship as well,
alongside the time scales for development for the two
strategies.
It reminds us as well of the core objectives
that we set out for the region of learning and creativity
itself in the local growth plan.
This is a lovely, fairly complicated diagram on page 64.
But the three core things that the local growth plan set out
for the region of learning and creativity is to strengthen
and create a forward looking, flexible, and sustainable
and education training system, to support people
through a system and make sure that that works for them,
and of course to collaborate with employers
to ensure that we're getting that co -investment
into the system and making sure that we're delivering
for employers alongside.
So the paper itself, this is really, I suppose,
the start of the conversation.
The paper itself just invites the committee
to consider what are the key issues that we
need to address in our regional learning creativity strategy.
Are the policy areas but they're defined in that lovely diagram on page 64
Are there other areas that we need to identify and we need to consider as we're consulting across West Yorkshire with our stakeholders
We have outlined some of the stakeholders for consultation consultation. I'm sure we have missed some so please make sure that
That we are we're having the conversations that we need to have across the area and and then most fundamentally
How else would the committee like to engage with this consultation as we move things forward over summer?
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:36:11
Thank You Lindsay, again I'll throw it open to the committee
Martin please
Thanks for that Lindsay. The local schools improvement plan was a change to the
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 0:36:26
To the government which is still a bit unclear because the guidelines comes out soon
And at the moment in your diagram,
it's sort of something on its own,
sat out here, and obviously we want it to be part of,
the idea of the local schools improvement plan
is to speak to employers and to feed in their views
as to what their requirements are likely to be
and what they think the future requirements of skills is
in order to affect funding decisions
that the public sector make and they make themselves
and help them articulate what they're doing.
And it's so it's really important at this stage for me that we think how this fits in with what's still a new
governance structure developing within the combined of Thursday
Itself, so I'm currently the chair of the LS IP in the area
So we'd be really keen to work with the combined authority to look at how this goes
How it goes forward and it's about businesses and business
Representative organizations and there's just one mention that would you'll have it for forgive me for making this is no being no means
a criticism of the organisation that are the lead designated employment relationship body
because we pardon them to deliver it. But the government has no right to designate who
an ERB is. We're all ERBs. There's just one that's leading on one aspect of it and just
here it's the designated ERB. That's the only thing I'd like to know.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:37:50
Thanks. You want to pick that point up, Lindsay? I think it's a very specific question from
Yeah, absolutely.
And I think unfortunately, this is where
Lindsey Daniels - 0:37:57
sort of the timing of things in terms of the governance
and in terms of the expectation and also
the challenge of integrated settlement
and the time scales for that delivery
just don't quite seem together.
But absolutely, I appreciate in the diagram
it sort of sticks alongside, but that employer objectivity
is really key in making sure that we
deliver the right system.
So it will be quite close work, I think,
between the people in this room and ourselves to make sure that as all these things are
developed they talk to each other and they play a key role in articulating what is happening
in the system.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:38:33
Martin again please.
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 0:38:34
Yeah, we mentioned in the Chairs Brief at the beginning that we're recruiting some new
private sector members to the various boards and it would be great to look at how we engage
those and get someone to look at the governors going forward with those new members as well.
and we will have a lot of work to do.
Thank you.
Alex, please.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:38:53
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 0:38:55
Just some of the areas, I think I mentioned at the last committee meeting,
but obviously we have growth sectors and there is lots of talk about some of the big priority areas.
But we have also got a mass of people that are never going to work in Fintech or health tech.
So making sure that any future plans recognise the lower level needs of our communities
and not just the want to get everybody
into those nice headline -grabby sectors.
So obviously, we'd expect or would like or would want.
No, I'm going to go with expect.
Expect to see a strategy that does encompass that all
and doesn't just focus on the growth,
but also we've got lots of unemployed people
in this region.
We've got a ton of neat young people,
more than any other place in the country.
So making sure that we reference that in a skills policy,
as well as being aspirational and hitting those headlining
ones as well.
And then also those pathways, I think,
in a refreshed skills strategy or adult education strategy,
you can still talk about those pathways into adult skills
and what opportunities there are available for all.
Whether we're just focusing on 19 plus or not,
I think the Combined Authority can
have a better recognition of that pathway into 19,
even though you've only got the funding powers for 19 plus,
if that makes sense.
And then also obviously not focusing on just the bits
that you procure.
Again, apprentices are massive economic contributors
to West Yorkshire, so we don't want to not include them
when we are looking at a skills strategy
because we want to make sure that everybody is included,
not just the bits that you procure.
That make sense?
Thanks, Alex.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:40:35
And of course, the combined authorities
is of the councils who are responsible for people
up to the age of 19 as well.
So some of us, the people that do that
are sat around this table as well.
So I think that is really, really important
that the work we do as councils, the work we do as councils
with young people as well, feeds into that as well.
Did anybody else have a hand up, please?
Thank you.
Yes, so the strategy is great and offers a really good
cohesive, high -level approach to aligning skills, employment,
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:41:07
and innovation across the region, which is great, and promoting place -based planning,
so it's up to us as well, and ensuring that our local priorities are reflected.
I think in terms of your questions, so I think emphasising access, inclusion and digital
skills is really, really important for us in Coldale.
Adding some of the
stakeholders, I would say
young people, making sure
we are talking to young
people, of all ages really.
And also the voluntary
sector as well because
voluntary sector is really
heavily involved in
delivery of a lot of skills
and training and also
voluntary sector is such an
excellent way to get people
back into employment after
periods of economic
inactivity, so that's a shout out for the VCS.
Ensuring targeted support for creative and cultural sectors, I would say, because I think
that's also, you know, I know that's what I've chased, this focus is as well.
And requesting dedicated consultation opportunities in all of the regions.
So I mean, you know, I'd say for Colesdale, but I would say it was the same probably for
Wakefield, Kirklees, Bradford as well, just to make sure that, yeah, we've got some dedicated
consultation opportunities within the local authorities so that we can really, that we're
involved with as well as local authorities so we know that we're getting to ask and consult
with the people that actually will have the most benefit to get their voices heard. So
just a plea for inclusion there. Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:42:48
Thank you. Craig please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:42:50
Thank you, Chair. I'd like to come back in on Alex's point, actually. So the mayor often
Councillor Craig Timms - 0:43:00
references a great project in terms of skilling people up in telecoms, so I think in Homewood,
in Bradford, which even though it's a different authority, it's only about 15 minutes away
from me. And a project like that, in an area like that, is really valuable in terms of
getting people into work and just going back and referencing one of the points on point seven,
the economic update and the lower rate of wage rises in the region. And it pointed down to in
that part of the report that actually people in a higher paid job are still there but we're taking
less people on in those entry point jobs with the skills.
So for me I would like to see in it how we can get into
communities that may be more deprived,
that have high unemployment and take into them communities
these courses where people can develop skills
and some of the government money that they're putting
into construction for example and upskilling people in that so getting into them areas
and really making it inclusive.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:44:22
Thank you. Does anybody else want to come in on this item please? Is there anything
you want to wrap up with Lindsay please?
Just to thank you for your comments. Certainly I think that challenge of how we rise to the
absolutely making sure that we address the skills needs of the foundational economy are really critical and
Lindsey Daniels - 0:44:43
There's many comments which I'll just make sure we build into the consultation but also
It was something Alex said
I'll just close but yeah
It is a real challenge to get that balance right.
And I suppose the challenge that we will need to address
in consultation with yourselves is that it is a finite part.
And what we need to do is, sorry,
in terms of the adult skills commissioning plan
is a finite part.
And we really need to consider that investment level.
So much of adult skills fund
is very much about basic skills and level two.
So, you know, that is a core focus then.
But absolutely the region of learning creativity strategy
needs to set out step outside the contractual relationship and the funding and commissioning
power and really talk about everything in the system and how we make that work across
the various levels of the economy and those pathways and entry points as well.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:45:48
So I'm just going to turn to the recommendations and check if everybody's happy with those.
That's great, thanks.
We'll move on to item 10 please, Michelle.

10 Employment & Skills Priorities

Okay, thanks very much.
So this paper follows on from the one
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:46:02
that Lindsay's just presented to give you
some detail on the future ambitions for employment
and skills and some of the development priorities
are underway.
And we've structured it in a similar way,
so around delivering for people, strengthening the education
and training system, and collaborating with employers,
which again, really builds on the approach
that Sarah outlined earlier on today.
It's about moving away from a transactional approach
to supporting employers towards collaboration.
Employers have got a stake in the skills system,
and it's not necessarily about what we can do for employers,
but about how we can drive greater investment from
employers in the system as well.
So what we're trying to do here is to highlight
some of the priorities for addressing
some of the challenges and opportunities
that we've already heard about today
around the under -skilled workforce
that we have in West Yorkshire around barriers
to economic participation, particularly ill health,
and also about making sure that we have got in the region
the workforce that we need to seize the opportunities
associated with really transformational investments
in trams, in new home building, and in retrofitting homes.
And so we've set out here quite a lot
of different areas of development
that aim to do that and to address some of the system -wide issues that we have in the
region, some of which are national issues of course, so including technical pathways,
helping people understand the technical pathways to work that are available and how best to
navigate them, including the first time this has been mentioned today, which is highly
unusual by including the acute shortage that we have
of tutors in some of the most in -demand and fastest
developing areas of our economy, particularly in the FE system.
So there's a huge amount of work underway there.
In terms of delivering for people,
we've highlighted in particular the need
to support people at those key points
in their educational journey, where
the risk is greatest of them falling out of the system,
particularly those that face the greatest disadvantage
and are at risk of becoming neat and the future youth
unemployed.
And then the future adult learners, of course.
So the system is interlinked.
We've also highlighted some of the work that
is underway in the early education and child care
space, which is a new area for the combined authority,
but which we're interested in for two main reasons.
One is the importance of accessible and affordable
child care to enable economic participation and the other is really
the importance of excellent early years education in giving our children the
best chance in life, the best start in life. So we've included
quite a lot of areas that are in development at the moment, moving on to
collaboration with employers and that needs to include
Leadership and management, which is identified here, and the really important link between
leadership and management skills and innovation, but also the falling demand for labour in
some parts of our economy, which presents a real risk to the employment prospects of
We are very grateful to members of this committee
that are providing advice and insights
to the team about
the kinds of interventions
and incentives
that could help
de -risk hiring
among employers.
There is quite a lot in there
but we are keen
to get your thoughts
and your steer
around these
emerging priorities.
Thank you, Michelle.
I think it is great that we can see the support for SMEs to recruit their first apprentice.
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 0:50:29
It says it is doing it in partnership with the local authorities so I would be interested
to know what that looks like.
Because obviously the gatekeepers to SMEs for apprentices are the training providers.
So is there, as part of that consultation, a part of that work that the CA are doing
with the LAs, is there consultation with the providers who have got those key connections
to the SME market.
And then there's some, obviously tackling the needs, there's some brilliant work happening
in Leeds and obviously the investment of 10 million that's going into Leeds and the rise
in independent training providers that are delivering study programmes and interventions
and the VCS, you know, we can't forget the VCS in terms of that NEET intervention and
that risk of NEET work that's happening. So obviously keeping a keen eye on what's happening
in leads because we are doing quite a lot of work across leads to tackle NEET. So yeah,
just if we are looking at something that supports that bridging for that pilot bridging programme
that it can be open, it can be inclusive and open to anyone that works with that kind of
demographic and it's not just going to go straight to FE colleges because actually in
Leeds there's a tonne more independent training providers delivering than there are colleges
at the moment. But I think it's great. It's got everything in it I'd want to see in it
Michelle. So tutor shortages, love only combined authority in the country doing something on
tutor shortages. It's really interesting to see how that pans out and particularly looking
at that campaign and those corporate partnerships I think are really interesting. Again there
are people like the Ambassador Network, the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network that are
key partners that would want to do that as well as the other kind of ERBs that, and we've
just done a round table with the Chamber of Commerce so we'll share the findings of that
with you as well around getting industry buy -in to FE.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:52:28
Thank you. Just in case anybody's worried Leeds is getting special treatment. On, on,
no no on, on, on the, so in the late 2000s early 2010s there was a, a lot more babies
born and that's a group of young people that are becoming 16 now so normally per school
there's about seven and a half thousand children in Leeds, there's a couple of years where that's over 10 ,000 nearly 11 ,000 in one year
So there's huge
We've had to deal with it with school places. Now that is a in terms of
further education
Yeah, further education and training places
There are a lot more young, there is a group of, there are some age groups where there's a lot more young people
than the average year in Leeds and that's good in terms of you know a lot of support coming in for colleges and training
providers, but also means you recognize that there are more
more young people who are who are neat which is a challenge that we
really want to deal with so it is a
It is there are lots of solutions there, but also is a really big challenge that we are facing
I'm not sure about the rest of West George, but now that's certainly a real trend in Leeds
Sarah, please.
Thank you.
Interesting you sort of mentioning it about apprenticeships and stuff.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:53:51
We really appreciate, we're really appreciative in Colford Earth, the graduate, the pilot,
the West Yorkshire pilot focusing on SMEs, but I think some apprenticeship support for
SMEs is really, would be appreciated or just sort of how we can support the SMEs in that
And I think it's partly about the training providers
and stuff, but it's just, yeah.
Because I think it can be really hard if you're a company with
not many employees, then to take on an apprentice
can be quite hard work, can't it?
So overall, I think the strategic focus
aligns really well with Colesdale's employment
and skills framework, which is relatively new,
and also our inclusive economy strategy,
particularly around tackling economic inactivity and low qualification levels.
So that's really positive.
I would say that we probably need some to really think about place -based targeting
and how we can really sort of target within different communities.
I think the bridging programmes and career support are really welcome,
but again must reflect local gaps in vocational pathways, especially in health, green construction
and creative sectors, I think they're the areas that need specific targeting.
And yeah, great to hear about the acute tutor shortages that mentioned, because we've got
that too.
But again, so the regional pilots have got to be scalable so that they work in sort of
on all scales and responsive to local workforce gaps.
And again, finally, really pleased to see
the look at childcare workforce planning
because it's crucial in order to be able
to enable economic participation.
And delivery should align with Colvedale's
inclusive economy strategy and target support
to disadvantaged families specifically.
Please, thank you.
Thank you, Sarah.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:55:55
Henry, please.
I've actually got one of those 16 year olds in the lead.
You need to declare an interest.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:56:03
Henry Rigg - 0:56:06
So more work experience for 16 year olds.
I've got like 10 weeks. I just wanted to say
excellent report on this, thank you. Really welcome the leadership and management side of it.
I think it's hinted at here but it would be good to draw it out.
I think for maybe the slightly larger SMEs it's about building
capacity within those organisations and progression routes for the next tier so
often you know sometimes people have been there longest get promoted it's not
necessarily that they've got the right skill set so I think some of those more
informal measures could be encouraged around mentoring and coaching and
peer -to -peer support within businesses just to make sure we were building the
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 0:56:48
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:56:49
pipeline of the next leaders of these businesses. Thank you. Does anybody else
want to come in on this item?
I don't see Michelle.
Is there anything to wrap up with, please?
Well, I guess there's a few actions that will take away
there, so to engage more broadly around barriers
to recruiting apprentices, to look at examples and leads
around the voluntary community sector,
and needs to look at place -based approaches and embed that.
And then there's the stir around leadership and management
and pipeline towards leadership roles in larger SMEs.
So we shall take those actions away, thank you.
Thank you.
The recommendation is a committee comments,
which I think we've have done.
So if everybody's happy with that,

11 National Industrial Strategy, Sector Plans & Cluster Action Plans

we'll move on to item 11, please, Callum.
Thank you, Chair.
So in recent weeks,
the government has published its industrial strategy
and some of its sector plans in these.
Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:57:46
They've set out their plan for driving growth
across the UK over the next 10 -year period with a number of key policy announcements
such as a commitment to consult on industrial energy prices to bring those more in line
with comparison countries, new funding and freedoms for combined authorities and others
to accelerate the supply of investable sites across the UK, additional capital funding
for combined authorities to unlock new growth opportunities, new funding to support creative
industries and a local innovation partnership fund to support innovation ecosystems across
the country. Alongside this they also included a commitment to fund investment
zones in full over the 10 -year lifetime of the program. In addition the
Industrial Strategy focuses on eight key sectors for the UK where government
believes the targeted focus from policy will unlock further growth.
Government has produced a series of sector plans to that effect and we await the
publication of three of these in the coming weeks around
and financial services, health and defense.
As a combined authority, we continue to engage with sector teams in government on industrial
strategy and in parallel updating the cluster action plans that we committed to produce
as part of our local growth plan.
So noting the points that were made earlier around support for all manufacturers and not
just those who may see themselves as advanced manufacturers and on the impact of tariffs
on trading terms, would really welcome input and comment from the Committee in terms of
what key messages we should be bringing into the continuing conversation with Government
as it develops the detail of the policy announced in those strategy documents and any comments
and auditions to our ongoing work to develop the cluster action plans that we've included
as appendices.
Thank you, Colin.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:59:37
Who would like to come in on this item please?
Graeme please.
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:59:47
Thank you chair and we broadly welcome this and it's a good strategy and it's in line
with the government and we've got our own economic inclusive strategy going to council
next week.
The only thing that we're a little bit concerned is we'd like a bit more engagement with some
of the clusters with some of our offices, we're a little bit isolated at the moment
so we'd like a bit more engagement please.
But broadly yes we welcome this.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:00:09
I'm just intrigued on the table supporting high growth clusters and there's a table there
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:00:16
which is figure 5 .1 and 5 .5 on here. The bottom right hand corner you've got a little subheading
that says advanced materials and beneath that a box that says wood and textiles. I know
I know I'm getting on a bit, but I think they've been around ages.
Have you got any idea what it means generally?
The text holes are easy.
Really good question.
So off the top of my head, I don't actually.
And so this comes from a piece of research that we commissioned about two years ago.
Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:00:48
And so there will be supporting data about how they've identified that and grouped it within that.
But no, I don't have a direct answer to your question, I'm afraid.
I think there are some other up -to -date questions.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:01:04
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:01:12
I'm going to actually think that some of the textiles are very advanced.
I think some of the textile stuff, I know I've had conversations with people, I can't
remember quite where, possibly in this committee or possibly the business board about advanced
textiles actually and that being quite an important growth area of innovation and growth.
But anyway, so I think the UK industrial strategy highlights five priority sectors which align
well with our economic strengths in Calderdale and emerging opportunities and we think that
we've probably got quite a lot of potential for us to play quite a distinctive role as
as the small partner borough, partly through our sort of geography, which I'll come on
to in a bit. But I think we could be playing quite a distinctive role in West Yorkshire's
growth story, contributing to inclusive regional prosperity and also levelling up. So we've
got lots of priorities and opportunities in advanced manufacturing, in clean energy, in
need to be very careful in creating
industries, in advanced digital technologies, in the
professional business services, but I think to maximize our role
in the regional growth plan, I think we
really need to champion our sector
strengths and ensure that the combined
in Bradford, that there's place sensitive delivery of regional programmes, so for digital
adoption retro -effort skills, that sort of thing, and making sure that Calderdale's SMEs
and residents directly benefit from that. And I think recognising our potential in Calderdale
for clustering and connectivity. So Halifax could be a really good bridge between Manchester
and between Leeds and Manchester.
We're positioned there looking at the lovely,
we're sort of pretty much halfway,
Halifax is pretty much halfway between Leeds and Manchester
and I think that could provide a really positive bridge,
which could attract maybe businesses
that are priced out of larger cities.
It's cheap in Halifax, come to Halifax.
Base your business there in Calderdale.
And also positioning Calderdale as a testbed for innovation.
I think that's really important.
You know, backing pilot schemes in Kolkata for smart technologies, low carbon heat, long
duration energy storage could be really good in order to demonstrate clean energy adoption
in mid -sized economies.
So I think we might be the small partner in the region, but actually I think we've got
a huge amount to offer, and I think sometimes actually our small size can actually be quite
quite a positive thing as well as our good location bridging east and west.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:04:19
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 1:04:21
I'm quite interested in the cluster action plans although I have to say I've got a lot
of ignorance, another layer of ignorance.
But it seems from a small business point of view, which is I suppose the viewpoint I'm
is there's a real trick isn't there to making sure that they get those at the
moment who are there and help lift them but not make it exclusive and stop
people coming in and I think you know because you know that once we've
used wood we're gonna find new materials it's probably gonna be small businesses
who are finding these and developing them and how do you get them in how do
you actually whether they're not cut off because it's gonna be natural protectionism
and it's quite interesting that in the class structure plans you included, most of them
I think, if not all of them, do site research from the CBI, which sort of shows where the
thinkings come from this, which isn't a bad thing, but has the thinking come from the
bottom as well. And in terms of where the expertise is coming, I think that the plans
there understand how institutions like universities can play a part in this, but I don't think
we're understanding how experts in small businesses, you know, there's a lot of consultants who
have got considerable experience and knowledge who can also play a part in these.
And I'm not sure it's worked out how we get them in.
And I don't think that's an easy thing to do,
but I think that would really make these stronger and better.
And actually, into the long -term development,
that's what we are going to need to do, I think.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:05:50
Thank you. Carl, please.
Thank you, Joe.
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 1:05:57
My barely formed thoughts and suggestions on it.
It really is.
And this might not be the right,
But I do think there's a connection to other things we've discussed about skills and business
growth and that's the issue of supply chains.
You know, and how we maximise the potential to utilise local skills, local employment,
local businesses in the development of these strategies.
And I just would like to see that connection made where we can.
the
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:06:31
Thank you.
Anyone else? Henry, please.
It's building on those points. I think these plans are
Henry Rigg - 1:06:39
excellent. I think the thing that's missing for me when I've
gone through them is what the actual opportunity is and maybe
trying to pull that out a bit more, which might be about
supply chain. So where is this region particularly strong?
businesses so we can really start positioning ourselves and the organisations that represent
businesses, whether sector specific or industry specific, can also help to start positioning
them.
And supply chain might be a good lens to look at that to start off with.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:07:15
Sarah, please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:07:17
Yes, so obviously I'm not going to talk through all of the opportunities that I think that
we've got in Calderdale, but are you aware, has that been communicated by officers, all
the different bits of, I don't know if Dom has been in touch, and sort of said all the
different areas of opportunity within each cluster, because I think if they have and
if every area has done that, then that would be really good to be able to make sure that
that's out there and people know about it.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:07:47
Thank you.
If anybody else would like to come in.
Colin, please.
Yes, thank you all for those comments.
Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:07:55
So we'll build those into the draft plans as we're developing them, and there's a couple
of key actions there for us to take way to.
So in terms of following up with officials,
each of our partner authorities to make sure we're bringing out
those opportunities for the region
and for those individual areas as well.
And then some other actions as well
about thinking about supply chains as a key opportunity
and how that translates horizontally
across each of these plans, as well as identifying
the opportunities to bring in the expertise
from small businesses as well as those which are larger
presences in those clusters as they currently
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:08:33
you know and so thanks again. Thank you and if everybody's happy with the
recommendations on that item to tie up those loose ends that's great we'll move

12 Business Support - Tier 1

on to item 12 please Andrew. Thanks chair so this paper really is just about
Guilherme Rodrigues Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:08:51
providing a brief update on progress on deliver excuse me developing the tier
one business support universal online platform and put into a bit more plain
English that's the website element of that new approach to business support
that we're currently developing and it was previously discussed at the
committee. There's a bit of a quick recap on tier one. It's about the support
that will provide that platform to showcase full range of business support
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:09:14
available across private and public sectors, providing universal access
Henry Rigg - 1:09:17
point for businesses to in free impartial information and signposting to
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 1:09:22
the various support services and online tools that might be available. So really
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 1:09:26
helping those businesses to navigate that complex landscape that we know exists.
Callum Whittaker, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:09:31
It'll provide information and support for all those businesses irrespective of size,
sector or business stage. I think that's a really important point and we're working very
Councillor Craig Timms - 1:09:38
hard to make sure that it aligns with the emerging National Business Growth Service
Andrew Sharp, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:09:43
offer, which is something that's a bit of a moving feast but we are getting more and
more information and some of that will be launched later this month so that will give
us a bit more certainty to how we take some of this work forward, not least in ensuring
that we've got those clear referral routes, any links and potential for shared services
within that as well. We also need I think in that work to ensure it represents the offer
not just of the CA but of our wider network of partners with clear links to where the
support exists. We've kind of discussed some of that around the table already today but
that's a really important element of this work. The work itself is being led by the
the CA's digital team and it's been undertaken as part of a wider redevelopment of the CA's
website so I think that's an important context. The report in the pack briefly outlines the
work that we've undertaken to date and some of the key next steps but that includes things
like we held a series of scoping workshops back in February and March designed to understand
the needs of stakeholders so that included sessions with representatives from businesses,
from business support delivery organisations, membership organisations,
as well as members of the CA's business board and various thematic committees
and feedback from those sessions has been used to inform the development of
structure, kind of the wire framing of the site and content design, alongside
kind of work looking at kind of wider desk based analysis
research and benchmarking just to make sure that we're getting the best
out of this as we can. So following that feedback works well underway now to develop detailed
site page structure, visual designs and content. And we're going to be looking to undertake
further engagement with stakeholders over the next weeks and months as part of planned
content development and user testing. So looking at opportunities to how we can involve stakeholders
to make sure we're getting that right. And we'd look to opportunities to involve any
members of this committee who might want to be involved in that work. The
timeline is such that we're looking for a soft launch alongside the wider CA
website for roll out sometime in the autumn and then we'll work to add refine
and develop content as we continue through the remainder of this year kind
of aligned with that broader implementation of the wider support
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:12:05
review. So very brief update but I'll take any questions. Thank you.
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 1:12:10
I think the business growth service, I think, when I first heard about the business growth
service, I thought, are we duplicating it? But the more I think about it, the more I
think they can really complement each other. So I think there's nothing to be scared of
for any of us here, is there, with having the two things operating side by side, particularly
as businesses don't always work with the geographies that administrative boundaries do. And I'd
I would be happy to have any work you want to do.
With my clarity of thought, I'm sure it would be quite helpful.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:12:43
Thanks for the offer. Sarah, please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:12:46
Thank you.
The universal online platforms are a really welcome step to improve business support.
and especially for Coldale's micro and small SME businesses, it's really, really helpful.
I think just to ensure local relevance, it would be really good to make sure that there is some local content on there as well for each of the five authorities.
So, yes, LA -specific support events and also networks, if they could all be clearly fine posts.
I don't know how, I'm not going to even start suggesting,
because that's not my area of expertise, but I just think.
And also in terms of user experience,
just making sure that it's really, really simple
to navigate through all of those.
So whether someone's looking at a geographic
or a sector -based thing, that those are really clear
and really inclusive, especially for sole traders,
people and people who maybe have lower digital competence,
or maybe are just really time -poor.
You know, if you're a sole trader or just a partner
or something you might not have a lot of time to devote to that but you still might need
to get the support. In terms of engagement it would be great if Colesdale businesses
were engaged, business networks in Colesdale and intermediaries were involved in the development
and promotion just to help maximise uptake really. I think it's often said if you go
around, I'm sure other councils will see this, if you go around and chat to your local businesses
whether it's shops or people running different sorts of businesses and people just don't
know what support's out there and don't know how to find it. Often it's through accountants
and stuff like that, that's often where people get support through so just making sure that
everyone's plugged in to know what's there and on that just a targeted local roll out
plan to make sure that trust and awareness is covered. But I think this model offers
a real potential but just must reflect local needs to do to deliver inclusive
and accessible support but yeah it's really good thank you. Thank you. Craig please.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:14:59
Councillor Craig Timms - 1:15:04
Thank you, I found this really interesting actually. I've got two
points. One to back up what Sarah was saying actually. Someone who was
under pressure working long hours in the business,
navigating the complex business landscape, as you mentioned,
doesn't want to learn how to navigate a complex website.
So it's got to be easy to use and get around.
And in terms of engagement, I'm just wondering if,
when we do start to launch it, whether there
will be workshops in different areas to tell people about it,
showing the functionality or visiting businesses to help them with that and to help with the uptake.
The second one in terms of start -ups, I myself became a sole trader two years ago after many years of being employed.
and the business side of it sometimes takes away from the passion of a certain service or product
and sometimes people are put off just by that. So it would be good if we had as part of it like a one -stop shop for foundations of a business.
I would set up an employee pay system, business insurance, tax, different sections that just
kind of say you need to have all these in place so that they can actually have more
time free to focus on the service or the product. Thanks Craig. Martin please.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:16:46
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:16:48
Hi, Andrew. I've got a slightly different view on the National Business Growth Service.
This is the south -north London bias again. And that's that my fear is it's not developed
around services, so we've not thought what do businesses need. What we've got is existing
products that the government or society of business need, and they're now looking to
access that market using the local market. And so I think it will be there eventually,
but that's my fear with it. There's too many other services that are offered and delivered nationally which just don't
appeal to or address the needs of businesses
in this area, some of which have been mentioned in this committee and definitely on the business group as well.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:17:32
Can't see anybody else with the hands of Andrew. Is there anything you want to come back on please? Oh, sorry Greg, do you want to come in?
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 1:17:39
Yeah, thanks, Chet. Just to add to what Sarah says, the success of this will be how we roll
it out. That's going to be the real thing. It is getting that information out to people
so they can access it. No matter how good it is, no matter how easy it is to use, if
people don't know about it, it won't succeed. And that's always been a problem with any
web -based system or anything. How do we roll it out to be able to get them to know each
other? Because I know that my work, there's business for three miles a power, they don't
because you've got the head down,
very, very little work cracking on.
So the success will depend on how we get it out there
and that's gonna be the challenge to you.
I'm sure it's doable, but it will be a challenge.
Thank you, Sarah again.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:18:24
Could we get HMRC to advertise it for us?
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:18:28
Because that's probably the one service
that every single business will want a service,
but you know, just.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:18:36
Thank you. Martin again please.
Sorry, it's just a comment.
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:18:40
The interaction that businesses have with HMRC
is really limited now.
It really is. You give it to your accountant and walk away.
So, there's no sort of face to face.
I can't remember the last time I got a letter.
But then I only deal in cash.
LAUGHTER
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:18:58
Thank you. Does anybody else want to come in?
Andrew, is there anything you want to wrap up with please?
Guilherme Rodrigues Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:09
Just to say thank you very much for all those comments and really good insights
and we'll make sure we're considering those in the development. I think on the
growth hub point that you made Martin in particular it is quite product based but
I think they are putting local growth hubs at the centre of local delivery so
we have an opportunity to shape and steer that and our focus is very much
about how do we make this accessible to business through thematic methods so
Andrew Sharp, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:34
that they understand what they are looking at and speak the language they get.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:41
We will move on to item 13 please, Michelle.

13 Wakefield Futures Skills Commission

Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:19:49
Thanks very much.
This paper summarises some work that has been led jointly by the command authority and Wakefield
Council over the last six months or so.
And it's specifically to look at the lower proportion of people
among the Wakefield population that
are qualified at higher levels.
So at level four and above, which is broadly the first year
of a degree.
And Wakefield really is an outlier on this.
So not only against national statistics,
where we're talking about nearly 40 %
of the national population compared to only 28 %
in Wakefield.
And the rest of West Yorkshire is much closer
to that national average as well.
So a real outlier in Wakefield and something
that we really want to understand the impact that it
has on the local economy, on people's career prospects,
and on their lives.
So a commission was set up, chaired by Professor Chris
husbands, who is the former vice chancellor of Sheffield Hallam
University.
And what the commission sought to do
is to explore this problem completely objectively,
to understand what the causes were and what
the potential solutions could be.
Now, the commission will publish its report in September,
but we wanted to share with you today
some of the early findings and key themes.
One of the findings is that this is complex.
And so there is not one cause of the situation.
But it is particularly contributed to
by the following things.
One is weak demand for skilled labor.
So the way that the weight fields economy is currently
structured, residents feel that there
is little point to upskilling beyond a certain level
because the jobs aren't there.
And so there's quite in -depth research
that's gone into this.
So over 800 residents have been directly consulted,
as well as employers, education providers as well.
So while there is good attainment in schools
and there is a high level of ambition and aspiration,
there isn't that visibility and line of sight
to highly skilled jobs.
So you've got that weak demand.
Also got significant barriers to upskilling.
That includes transportation, includes
accessible and affordable child care,
and other financial constraints.
And so we've set out here, the recommendations
are likely to be around the following four things, which
appear under 0 .316 in the paper.
So a focus on innovation assets, on understanding the innovation
potential of the industrial base already in Wakefield
and where the potential is for growth,
and focusing on the potential to focus on innovation
as a driver for high level skills
to create that demand that isn't there at the moment.
In order to anticipate and service that,
work with learning providers and education and training
to design and test innovative learning solutions.
and to look at addressing some of those barriers.
And then as you would expect, focus on the potential
that further devolution could present
to deliver against some of these ambitions.
And we wanted to flag with you that there
will be the opportunity to engage further over the summer
period before this is launched probably in September.
But I also wanted to, I guess I highlight this as a really good way of focusing on a
local problem and really bringing a range of different perspectives together to explore
it in the round from quite an objective perspective.
Thanks Michelle.
Unfortunately there's nobody from Wakefield Council here at today's meeting but if there
anybody obviously been a very big part of bringing this work together.
Is there anybody who'd like to come in?
Martin, please.
Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:24:14
Yeah, sorry, obviously.
I've worked in Wakefield for a number of years
and worked closely with the council on this.
It's been a real joint effort by all of those involved
in education, in business, and in other public sector
organisations, the large ones in particular,
who are massive employers to engage with this process.
And it's really well -chaired, and they're
asking some great questions of people and I think that they're just initial things
that they've identified sort of show how thorough they've been so I welcome it and I'm
really looking forward to reading their recommendations. Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:24:53
Anybody else want to come in? I don't see anybody so if everybody's happy with the

14 Activity Updates

Cllr James Lewis Chair - 1:25:02
recommendations we'll move on to item 14. I've got Sarah and Michelle. Don't know who's
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:25:12
first please. So the paper earlier the business growth paper set out our future
direction travel and the kind of where we're going to be heading heading but
there's also a lot of existing work already underway and activity that's
aligned to that future future ambition. So I'm not going to go through this
report in any great detail but I'm going to pick out a few highlights of activity
that's been taking place. So back in April the Combined Authority approved
the new health tech accelerator as part of the investment zone investment which is probably
the biggest investment in the flagship revenue space anyway and that will be around supporting
businesses to receive that incentive support. Masterclasses to help start -ups and scale -ups
actually to drive their agendas and drive those businesses forward so they can support
that investment zone growth potential. A couple of weeks ago the Mayor launched the Women
in the manufacturing engineering network, which
is a fantastic network trying to inspire and create
that next generation, actually, of females
in the manufacturing sector.
An impromptu visit from the Secretary of State
as well as part of that, over 100 business leaders involved.
And that's really about that inspiration piece
and aligns very much with the industrial strategy ambition
around increasing female representation in the sector
by 2035.
A couple of very small points around,
We're in the mix in terms of AI growth zones
and submitting bids to be part of that conversation.
Still awaiting to hear in that space.
And a couple of programs that have continued
for this next year aligned to kind of UKSPF funding.
So Growing the Green Economy project
is continuing for another year.
And a few other kind of programs in that space.
things like the Good Growth Programme and the leadership and management programme are also continuing, all set out in the paper.
The other area I wanted to kind of just mention is the Mayor's Big Ideas Challenge Competition, so that's his challenge -based innovation, mission -led innovation.
There's the challenges based in two areas, young people and SMEs.
The young persons one, we've had the first cohort that took place a couple of weeks ago.
Then some young winners took part in an exercise with the mayor after Klein to celebrate the success
and celebrate them getting through that first phase and they'll be supported with their idea going forward.
So again, a great opportunity there to stimulate that enterprise and entrepreneurial mindset across our young people.
The other one I wanted to flag is the compact we are looking at developing with the universities
to identify areas where we can work collaboratively, where we can join forces to achieve those
kind of local growth ambitions as set out in the local growth plan.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:28:11
Thanks.
And then in terms of the employment and skills updates that come in from 3 .26 onwards, we
focused in particular here on adult skills delivery, where as this committee will know,
the combined authority has got a really important role around the strategic commissioning of
adult skills provision across a number of different funding streams.
Lindsay has of course updated you on future plans but what you have here is a
link to the 23 -24 impact report which I'd really recommend you take a
look at and then some more recent data around the participation
in that program. We've included some examples of some of the courses that are
being commissioned and particularly through Skills Bootcamps which are
about people retraining and upskilling
in some of the most in -demand areas of the economy.
You will be pleased, I'm sure, that a lot of the courses that
are being commissioned directly align with local growth
plan priorities, artificial intelligence,
creative and cultural.
And we've got procurement around training out all the time,
really.
We've got tendering underway at the moment.
We've got the final information around multiply,
which is an adult numeracy programme, a national programme which is now completed.
And we've included information around the work and health programmes,
now badged healthy working life, where there is a for information paper after this
which provides more data there.
But there really has been a rapid growth in the regional role around this agenda.
and that's been very much a working partnership between many regional and
local organisations and you have an update here around some of that and
finally around education and training so for 10 years now the combined authority
has had a role on the careers agenda to support collaboration between secondary
schools and employers in order to improve the careers destinations of our
young people. You've got a summary here of some of the things that we've been doing and
we hope that some of the newer priorities will provide a real step change to build on
some of that good practice.
Great, thank you. Are there any questions or comments? Alex, please.
It's not going to be a surprise what I'm about to say. You've obviously got an FE compact,
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 1:30:57
you're doing a HE compact. You have some incredible training providers as assets
in your region that are doing some of the things already that you are looking
to do so if you're going to recognise HE and FE then you should recognise all
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:31:11
types of providers that are assets in your region. Thank you. Sarah please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:31:16
Yeah just regarding the creative industries I think the committee might
I'd be interested to note that £1 .5 million of additional funds has been approved for
the You Can Make It Here programme at the February Combined Authority meeting, increasing
project funding to £4 .2 million overall, and extending the project delivery period
to March 2027, which is great.
And the scheme supports the diversification, growth and potential of cultural, creative
and sports industries across the region, across the Combined Authority region.
And obviously creative industries are really important for us and a priority for us in
Calderdale.
The opportunity cost of this decision for investment in our total business support offer
and its alignment in terms of both principles and timings with the business growth item
that we've already had are not entirely clear about how it sort of like fits in with all
of that.
And I also feel like it was a bit of a gap not to have maybe included that in the update
possibly because I don't know if other people might have missed that as a thing.
I know 1 .5 million isn't a huge amount of extra but actually that is quite significant.
I also feel that there remains little visibility at an officer level regarding the implementation
of the next phase of the Fair Work Charter.
Obviously, there was approval in February this year for an additional nearly a million
pounds, again bringing the total investment up to 1 .5 million.
And the report sets out the development of an emergent strategy but not really much else.
An update on actions taken and impact achieved during the first quarter of 25 -26 would be
really useful along with opportunities for alignment with the healthy working life employer
incentives which is still being worked up.
I have it because that's been set as an intention at the March Economy Committee.
So I just think a bit some more information about how that's all sort of working and going
and yeah what sort of how that can be maybe more targeted would be really good.
Yeah, and also just sort of useful to flag up the importance of employment West Yorkshire,
the importance of the core infrastructure for delivering outcomes and just sort of to
set an expectation of future funding beyond March 2026 and I think that's quite good to
know where we're up to with that. Thank you. Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:33:59
Barney please. I just want to make the point that this sort of report is really good to get at
Barney Mynott, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Business Groups) - 1:34:06
this committee because most of the stuff we're spending our time on is looking at
current problems and how we're addressing current problems without ever
knowing if we're gonna get there. So actually hearing back about
things that have been decided in the past and we have made some progress on
sometimes quite wicked issues I think is a really good way of keeping us focused
and just maybe keeping some of the energy going at times so thank you for
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:34:28
doing this. Thank you. Alex please. Just on the healthy working lives bit it's not clear where
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 1:34:35
skills fits into that are we still waiting to see is that going to
come out of it the new skills strategy I'm just not sure how skills fits into
the Healthy Working Life Strategy approach initiative and therefore I'm not sure then
what to pay on to my providers and members to say how they can contribute to it. So if
there is something more coming out around how skills helps the Healthy Working Life
campaign that would be good to know.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:04
Thank you. Does anybody else want to come in? Sir Michelle, is there anything you want
come back to now on those comments. Yeah thank you so creative industries it's a
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:15
really it's a really valid point actually yeah that is an omission and I
think part of the challenge is we've got a separate culture and creative you know
committee so but we need to get better at joining the dots absolutely take that
point and that same applies on things like green economy and decarbonisation
absolutely where there are those growth opportunities for this committee. On
the Fair Work Charter, so the Fair Work Charter the approval is very much the
approval and the discussion with the steering group was very much around
bringing that in -house and embedding it across everything that we do. So whilst
we're doing the development work on what everything else we do, particularly the
new business support model, it's intrinsically aligned to that but we can
bring back something back for the next committee and make sure we update them.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:56
Absolutely, yeah. Thank you. So there were quite a few points raised there around
the importance of our extremely well -networked ITP sector, which is a real
asset to the region.
I think that that is really important,
that in the region of learning and creativity strategy,
we emphasize the strategic importance of the sector.
Healthy working life and skills is a really great question.
Actually, a lot of the time, that is primarily about the,
those schemes are primarily about the join
up between the health system and employment support.
But of course, it is often, perhaps usually,
the case that where people have got a health barrier to work they also have some kind of skills need and it is really
Important that we join up the system and that absolutely features in in in the thinking we do have strong
skills representation in working groups
and
Our schemes develop it will be really really important that routes to engagement with people
include
education and training institutions, which
may be where someone with health barriers to work
presents themselves rather than through a clinical route.
So I think it's a good point.
Even though they're not skills interventions,
the person probably needs support
from across different parts of the system, which is, of course,
what it's all about.
Employment West Yorkshire is currently a fundamental part
of the employment support system here in West Yorkshire.
It will be really important that we continue
to work with local authorities and partners, particularly through the Pathfinder which
looks at how the new jobs and career service will work to ensure that we learn the lessons
from Employment West Yorkshire as a flagship programme to make sure we have that local
support for people across West Yorkshire.
Thank you. Sarah, please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:37:55
Yeah, and just I suppose just a plea in that sort of focusing on local and using you know
We've talked earlier about the important importance of the VCSC and in these in these things
And I think sometimes when people have got those real barriers to work and I think this is a real sort of thing
You know, we sort of feel through our inclusive economy work
Is that you know having someone coming from that they don't know from an organization that they don't understand
To try and help them encourage them back into economic activity
It's just a non -starter and I think it's those local connections that are so, so vital and
that's not a cold at our thing, that's across the whole country.
You know, it's like it might be someone in their church group or someone at their local
community centre is the person best placed to encourage them through that pathway.
So it's, so, and I know sort of through the UKSPF sort of stuff where obviously quite
a lot of we in our hyper local work that we did through the UKSPF funding was about sort
of making those connections and helping people through into that pathway.
And I think our hyperlocal program was really successful in connecting up the communities.
And I think, obviously, this is different, but I just think that we need to be learning
some of those lessons and really being mindful that, yeah, I mean, someone from the state,
whoever that is, people don't make any distinction necessarily, especially if they're not in
a great space, that hyperlocal, that local connection is just so fundamentally important.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:39:25
Alex, please.
It's not necessarily to do with this agenda item.
You just mentioned the word hyperlocal and it springs something for your section, Lindsay,
Alex Miles, Advisory Representative (West Yorkshire Skills Partnership) - 1:39:33
sorry.
When we're looking at the strategy, looking at that hyperlocal need, I think the CA probably
does need to look at their arrangements around subcontracting or how we use supply chains
and partnerships because we are missing some and have lost some hyper local brilliant provision
through ESF or UKSPF that's going to be gone.
And at the moment the current kind of rules around subcontracting would just or even procurement
rules anyway, your rules around turnover capacity that you have to have just wipes out a load
of really great provision and providers.
So I think as part of that strategy looking at how we do use more supply chain or consortium
of approaches and not just that kind of blanket ban on subcontracting.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:40:21
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:40:25
I think that's right Alex, but I think Sarah was saying something about just utilising
Karl Oxford (Private Sector Representative) - 1:40:33
social capital in communities generally, for getting messages out there, whether they are
you know contracted relationships or not and I think it's fundamental, because that's the
only way we're going to make all this work.
So it's kind of, you know, networks of networks utilising them efficiently.
Thank you.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:40:48
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:40:53
Great. If we've wrapped up the item 14, everybody's happy with the recommendations.
We're on the last couple of items which are for information.
if anybody's got anything to flag up please let us know. So the first one of those is

15 Work & Health

item 15 the work and health paper. Sarah please.
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:41:17
I mean it's just it's so I think I said at the beginning it's so important that we have
all of this these things joined up because everything you know they're so interconnected
it's like a big bowl of spaghetti isn't it everything's all just sort of joined up and
to try and sort of sort of things out where you've just got the sauce and you've just
got the pasta it's like it doesn't work you know you have to have it everything I don't
know why I'm using that analogy since I have had lunch. But I think it's just so vital
and I know that the transport plan is also mentioned in one of the papers and again that's
another really really vital bit in the whole sort of thing. There was just a note in the
healthy
the incorporation of digital inclusion program is mentioned
in the healthy working life board in the paper.
It doesn't appear in the terms of reference, should it do?
That's just a question.
That's just a sorry little techy thing.
Yeah, and I think on individual incentives, I think the fact that the final approach hasn't
been agreed yet for this, this is a one -year programme, we're already in July, is possibly
slightly concerning.
And I know that Combined Authority Officers are pushing for an emphasis on addressing
transport barriers.
So local authority teams have suggested possibly a flexible approach that aligns resources
to VCSE sector to deploy as part of their delivery of the programme.
So I suppose just bringing in, you know, making sure that that's in there again.
And I'll leave it there because I know everyone wants to go home.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:43:03
Thank you.
Thank you.
Anyone, anything, anybody else wants to flag upon work and health?
Nope.
Great.

16 Mayor's West Yorkshire Local Transport Plan - Statutory Consultation 2025

So we're on to item 16, which is the
local transport plan
pre -consultation if anybody's got any
questions or comments on this, please
Excellent sound excellent
Sure, I can find you a course
Cllr Sarah Courtney (Calderdale Council) - 1:43:45
So if you remember at the transport committee, I've been on a cab ride and I was with Moses
who was at the committee yesterday, the housing and regeneration committee and he was just
off on a cab ride.
So if you can get a place on the transport committee you can get a cab ride.
I'm going to have to sit on the top of the bus until I'm driving.
Michelle Burton, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:44:09
Thank you, anybody else? No, great, thank you everybody and I'll bring the meeting to a close. Thank you.