Minutes:
No questions had been submitted under Procedure Rule 8.6 and Councillor Booth, as leader of the main opposition group, asked questions under Procedure Rule 8.4 as follows;
· Councillor Booth asked for an update on Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority’s (CPCA) skills and apprenticeship budget. Councillor Seaton explained that the CPCA is involved in a number of partnership programmes within the Fenland area which they have influenced and helped to shape. These include; £6 million Careers Enterprise Company (CEC) funding allocated for Fenland and East Cambs over 3 years. This is to support young people for progression to either further/higher education or apprenticeships. This has included the “Rate Card” initiative, which is an approved register of Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) to support schools with employability skills, mentoring and enterprise activities. Schools have an allocated amount of money as a ‘virtual wallet’ where they can choose which activities suit their students. In March 2018 the European Social Fund programme (ESF) funded the Wisbech Community Led Local Development Project (CLLD). The funding was £1.1 million over 7 years within the Wisbech area and is currently running successfully. This is designed to help people facing multiple disadvantages to move closer to work, into paid employment or into activities that may ultimately build their confidence and skills to help them find work. The Health and Social Care Pilot by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), provides a different solution to existing recruitment methods across the whole sector. It is training people from outside the sector to gain the skills required to enter employment in the sector for example, Care Certificate. The Pilot is aimed at people in low pay, low career progression jobs, which could include seasonal workers, or unemployed people working as unpaid carers for example, young carers or carers where circumstances have changed. At the same time people already in the sector receive training to increase their skills to enable them to progress and an employer receives the benefit of staff with increased skills. In addition to these programmes, Councillor Seaton explained that the CPCA has a focus on a post funded by the CEC within the Opportunity Area which is working predominantly within Fenland and East Cambs. Furthermore, the CPCA has funding set aside for apprenticeships in the form of the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) of 16 to 24 year olds. The AGE Grant 16 to 24 supports businesses that would not otherwise be able to do so, to recruit individuals aged 16 to 24 into employment through the apprenticeship programme. The amount paid to eligible employers is as follows; £2000 for each apprentice who is aged 16 to 18 at the time they start their Apprenticeship and £1500 for each apprentice who is aged 19 to 24 at the time they start their Apprenticeship. The CPCA are committed to working closely with the College of West Anglia and other providers within the area to increase apprenticeships uptake via this grant and have committed further funding for 2018/19. Councillor Seaton explained that Local devolution will put the CPCA in control of Adult Education Budget (AEB) funding delivery from the 2019/20 academic year. One of the AEB priorities will be to target people in priority communities such as Peterborough and Fenland. As such and as part of the procured element of the devolved AEB, the CPCA are splitting the procured element into four lots. One of these lots will focus on Peterborough and the Fenland Area with a sub lot prioritising English, Maths, Educational Services Overseas and Other/Community Learning. This will make the most of the flexibilities offered by devolution to focus on local priorities such as certain cohorts or geographical areas that need more intensive support and provide an opportunity to pilot new delivery models and approaches. Councillor Seaton added that the development of a new Technical University of Peterborough will be unique in its delivery and curriculum offer. We have an opportunity to offer industry-led skills training and certifications awarded in the sectors identified in the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER) and aligned to the Local Industrial/Skills Strategy. The new Technical University for Peterborough will also address low higher education participation, poor aspirations and lack of employer confidence in higher education outside of Cambridge. The major impact for people and business in Fenland will be accessibility and more crucial qualifications that align to the local jobs market for local people to study locally. Each of these initiatives will enable the CPCA to continue its ambitions to improve the local skills system with the levers that they have locally. The CPCA is working hard to demonstrate to Government that they can manage and administer devolved funding, as this will make a strong case to obtain further future devolution. Councillor Seaton confirmed that all of this information has been circulated to members.
· Councillor Booth thanked Councillor Seaton for his response and said it was positive that focus is being placed on vocational skills. He said it would be interesting to see how the University of Peterborough progresses.