Agenda item

REPORTS FROM THE WORKING GROUPS

The Chairman of each of the Working Groups to report on the work of their group since the last meeting:-

(A) Communications - Sheriff Nigel Pullman (Report attached)

(B) Livery Companies - John Spanner to be heard

(D) Livery Schools Link - Paul Herbage to be heard

Minutes:

(A) COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman of the Livery Communications Working Group reported that the next City Briefing was scheduled to take place next week at the Guildhall. He encouraged those on the Committee to continue to do all that they could to promote these events going forward and to nominate suitable attendees from their own companies.

He went on to report that both the Clerks’ Briefing and the Wardens’ & Court Assistants’ City Course had been a great success last year and that both of these events would now be moving to the Guildhall for 2013 and beyond.

The Chairman also reported on the After Dinner Speaking Course for Future Masters which was scheduled for next week and was now in its second year. He was pleased to report that this was, once again, fully subscribed. It was suggested that the Chairman might, in the future, consider repeating the Course twice yearly. A Member also suggested that a short, ten minute, slot on public speaking might usefully be included within future City Briefing sessions.

Finally, the Chairman of the Communications Working Group, referred to a recent piece by an IT Liverymen detailing the kind of things that new Liverymen might like to know. He stated that he had found this to be a very interesting and comprehensive piece of work and hoped that it would be more widely circulate once it had been finalised. In response to questions, a Member, who had had early sight of this document stated that, once finalised, it would be web based and it was hoped that Clerks would then publish and promote this as widely as possible.

(B) LIVERY COMPANIES

The Chairman of the Livery Companies Working Group reported that he had recently been in contact with Phillip Grant, the Secretary of the Fellowship of Clerks, regarding the process by which they appointed people to this Committee. He reported that the Fellowship had decided that, when a vacancy arose, they would write to all and invite expressions of interest asking that applicants outline the reasons why they should be selected. The most suitable candidate would then be appointed.

Members were informed that there was, however, an on-going issue regarding the feedback provided to those who applied regarding the outcome of their application, and the Chairman of the Working Group would contact Philip Grant to propose - if it were not already part of the procedure - that both successful and unsuccessful applicants be contacted after a decision had been made.

Mr Seaton reported that the Livery Skills Council were very hopeful that they would soon receive £1 million of Government Funding to launch ‘LCAS’ (the Livery Company Apprenticeship Scheme).

He went on to highlight that this funding would train up to 52 young people as apprentices over a period of time with 39 trained up to Level 3 and 13 up to Level 5 on the Skills register. He reported that it was hoped that up to 13 Livery Companies would get involved with the Scheme and that 5 had already expressed an interest to date.

In response to questions, Mr Seaton clarified that, whilst the Government funding would provide training for the apprentices, the Livery Companies and host employers would need to be able to meet the costs of mentoring and assessing these individuals.

In response to questions, Mr Seaton stated that the late Lord Mayor had been kept informed of progress given that he had helped to initiate the Scheme. He added that the Scheme would be more widely marketed once the Government funding for this had been officially ‘signed off’.

Mr Seaton undertook to keep the Committee informed of any progress on this matter.

(D) LIVERY SCHOOLS LINK

Mr Herbage reported that a new, interactive database, developed alongside IT professionals, was set to be launched in the near future and would enable individuals to be automatically matched with relevant Schools. He added that members were set to see a demonstration of the new system at the next scheduled Committee meeting.

Mr Herbage went on to report on the success of the Financial Literacy Scheme in conjunction with Tower Hamlets.

Members were informed that the Livery Schools Link AGM would be held on 20 May 2013.