Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Mel Allcott, Bob Brookes, Ian Hardiman and Craig Warhurst.

None.

Members of the public wishing to take part should notify the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance in writing or by e-mail indicating both the nature and content of their proposed participation no later than 9.00am on the working day before the meeting (in this case 6 June 2023).  Further details are available on the Council's website.  Enquiries can also be made through the telephone number/e-mail address listed in this agenda and on the website.

None.

Previously circulated

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 March 2023 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

(Indicative timing: 10.05 – 11.05am)

The Interim Assistant Director of Economy summarised the Agenda Report and highlighted key points.  Worcestershire had 3 Further Education (FE) colleges, 1 Higher Education (HE) University and several training providers.  FE and HE institutions were generalist, to reflect the County’s economic needs, and no longer provided A Level qualifications.  The training providers were more specialist, supporting the County’s high level of engineering and the growth of digital skills.

The qualification level of Worcestershire residents was broadly in line with England figures.  43% of residents had a Level 4+ qualification with the same number in England, however, Redditch had a higher proportion of no qualifications than the County and England.

Adult education and training achievements were mainly in 2 categories, health, public services and care and preparation for life and work.  Figures showed slight growth in areas such as engineering and health, demonstrating the economic importance of these sectors for the County.  Construction training had experienced significant challenges in recruitment of tutors, however, the expectation was that the figures would recover in future years.  HE qualifiers in subjects allied to medicine, biological sciences, social sciences and education were far greater than England due to University of Worcester specialising in these subject areas.

The majority of Worcestershire employers, similar to employers across England, provided some training, mainly job specific training, health and safety and induction for new starters.  A Local Skills Improvement Plan was in development by the Chamber of Commerce and due to be published in Summer 2023.

Job adverts remained above pre COVID-19 pandemic levels at around 6,000 at any one time and the highest levels of employment were in health, manufacturing and retail.  Unemployment claimant count was 3.1% in April 2023, below the national rate of 3.9% and significantly below the national rate of 5.1%.

Education funding was complex and at times inflexible.  Apprenticeships were often challenging to deliver for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and FE Government funding focussed on capital equipment rather than curriculum development.  In addition, a minimum number of learners was needed to make a course viable and it was noted that all courses now had some digital content.

The population profile of Worcestershire showed a higher proportion of residents over 50 than nationally, resulting in a lower proportion of working age population compared to the England average.  Workforce planning and development was key to business continuity.

Levels of deprivation were generally below average, although there were some pockets of deprivation in Worcester, Redditch and Wyre Forest.

The role of the Council was to work with Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to support the skills strategy and look at the needs of employers both now and in the future.  Relationships with stakeholders, including FE providers, employers and schools were key.

The Chairman invited questions and the in the ensuing discussion, the following main points were made:

·       In relation to the proportion of neighbourhoods in the 10% most deprived nationally, by District, it was clarified that Bromsgrove had none, in either income, employment nor education, skills  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

(Indicative timing: 11.05 – 11.15am)

No further Items were added to the Work Programme.