Agenda item - Careers/Labour Market Intelligence (LMI)

Agenda item

Careers/Labour Market Intelligence (LMI)

Minutes:

A report was submitted which provided an update on activity relating to careers provision within South Yorkshire.  It provided information on steps taken to merge two Careers and Enterprise Company funded hubs and also presented some proposals for future development of the MCA’s approach into all-age careers service within South Yorkshire.

 

Cllr Ball was supportive of the recommendations but commented that it was important to make the Skills and Apprenticeship Fair accessible to all and questioned whether the Careers Operational Group would be able to make funding decisions.

 

H Kemp agreed that the Skills and Apprenticeship fair needed to be accessible and confirmed that a number of options were being considered, including a virtual event, should the pandemic situation require it.

 

With regard to funding decisions, this was a matter for the Board to determine but it was felt that funding decisions should rest with the Board to ensure transparency and openness and provide robust governance.

 

A Foulkes commented that the Skills Advisory Network had discussed the skills event at length and the following points had been made:

 

  • The event should focus around traineeships and apprenticeships.
  • In this instance, the event should focus on 19-30 year-olds.
  • Questions around ownership and financing of the event.
  • Preference for a face-to-face event if possible.
  • Recommend a 5-year piece of work.
  • Potential to take out as a roadshow for greater reach.

 

N Brewster questioned the feasibility of providing an all-age careers service across South Yorkshire with everyone having the same experience of the service, especially as each authority already had some level of provision.  It was important to work out exactly what was trying to be achieved and by whom.

 

The Chair agreed stating that this situation was replicated in every area of the MCA’s work in the sense of what belonged locally where there was local authority or other provision and where the MCA needed to plug any gaps whilst supporting the local authorities at the same time.

 

Cllr Lelliott informed the Board of a well-attended Jobs Fair that had been held in Rotherham for the last nine years which sounded very similar to what was being planned.  There was an opportunity to work in partnership to build on what had already been achieved.

 

H George commented that N Brewster’s point was valid.  The paper was not trying to set out the answer to all of the issues around an all-age careers service.  It was positive that CEC funding was available to bolster careers activity for young people but this was not the service needed for all residents, there was a need to understand what needed to be delivered through careers advice for everyone.

 

K Straughan commented that Sheffield CC was very supportive of the strategy in many ways but there needed to be an added value purpose to what was already being provided and to tie into local agendas.

 

The Chair commented that all the points should be fed back to the working group.

 

Cllr Lelliott queried whether the SAN was aware of Rotherham’s Leaf event and had it been factored into discussions.

 

A Foulkes replied that SAN had not been aware of the event.

 

One action from the SAN Board had been to create a small group to map out what was being done and create a specific plan.  Details of the Leaf event had now been noted and would be fed into discussions.

 

Cllr Lelliott commented that it was important to complement what was already being done and not duplicate.  Working together to bring the event into a central location would be a positive move.

 

RESOLVED – That the Board:

 

i)         Note continued investment by the Careers and Enterprise Company in South Yorkshire and the potential to use the opportunities for further CEC funding for 2021/22 and also the move to a single Hub to renew and strengthen the focus on careers activity.

 

ii)        Note the continuation of the Opportunity Area in Doncaster and that the START platform provided a first step towards an al-age careers service.

 

iii)       Approve the recommendation to carry out scoping with partners.

 

iv)       Approve a proposal for the MCA to establish a Careers operational Group too co-ordinate activity with partners across South Yorkshire.

 

v)        Approve a proposal to apply for CEC Incubation funding for a project with pupils and parents/carers.

 

vi)       Approve the recommendation to host a South Yorkshire Skills and Apprenticeship Fair.

 

vii)      Note the Authority’s work to develop relevant accessible Labour Market Intelligence.

 

viii)     Agree that filling gaps in the Careers Education Information and Guidance was a skills priority should further funding become available within the MCA.

Supporting documents: