Agenda item

A paper was submitted to provide Members with an update on proposed next steps for each of the key areas for the South Yorkshire Skills Strategy and the overall timetable for activity. 

At its meeting held on 31 January 2022, the Board had considered and approved a number of recommendations for the key themes for the South Yorkshire Skills Strategy. 

The key themes included a number of transformational measures with the potential to deliver the scale of change needed in South Yorkshire to overcome long-term barriers to growth and increased productivity.

The paper outlined that the SYMCA now needed to move to the next phase of developing the Skills Strategy.  The Board noted that the first phase involved drawing together all of the overall narrative alongside a set of measures of success to support the SEP aims and ambitions and against a costed resource plan and timeline for delivery.

The second phase of the work entailed developing each individual strand proposed and to commence work to unpick the detail of what could be achieved, who should be involved, and how it could be delivered. 

A table at Annex 1 of the paper provided information against each strand of activity showing where activity is already underway and could be built upon and where activity is new. 

The table also provided a very early RAG rating for each activity based on a very basic assessment of the levers for delivery.  It also proposed a way forward for each strand of activity in order to develop a sense of what could be achieved, what funding might be needed and when impact might be felt. 

The aim was for each strand to be able to articulate a level of detail in order to feed into the overall strategic narrative.

The Board noted that the SYMCA would be commissioning some professional support to help develop the narrative and to test and consult on the proposals in development.  With the Board’s support, the SYMCA would begin the process of identifying someone to undertake the work prior to the Mayoral election.

It was anticipated that the draft Strategy would be completed by Summer 2022, but this was against a challenging timetable. 

Councillor Houghton said that it would be beneficial for a Delivery Plan containing clear outcomes to be developed which could sit behind the Skills Strategy to monitor progress.  In addition, he also said that it would be important to align existing funding streams towards the delivery of the Skills Strategy. 

In response to a query from K Kerrigan, H George confirmed that reference to working with the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology would be made in later iterations of the Skills Strategy. 

A Foulkes said that it was important to set out what the Skills Strategy was trying to achieve and its intended outcomes. 

D Fell commented that the appointed consultant also needed to act as a critical friend.  He suggested that the number of priorities being set could be cut down by half. 

J Dillion acknowledged the Board’s comments.  He added that the Skills Strategy would reflect the priorities which could be delivered across South Yorkshire. 

RESOLVED – That the Board:

i)           Noted the proposed next steps as set out in Annex 1 to the paper; and

Approved the recommended actions for the Strategy overall as at paragraph 2.3 of the paper.