Agenda item

Director of Economic Development and Director of Community and Children’s Services

The Board received a report for information setting out the City Corporation’s work to support an effective transition from education to employment. The following points were made.

·         It was suggested that the Board’s main role was to promote education to employment, and therefore more use of digital channels should be made. Similarly, the Board should ensure the City Corporation readily identified and facilitated business partnerships, given the successful navigation of the education to employment pathway by young people was an issue.

·         A member noted that it was important to consider what ‘employable’ meant. Employability encompassed skills, attitude and values, all of which were to be learned and instilled in school. Thought should be put into how early this approach was adopted therefore – for example, whether it should occur from primary age onwards.

·         A member remarked that businesses needed more encouragement and support to offer work experience placements, given placements were time consuming for employees and potentially detracted from day-to-day work unless adequately planned and supported.

·         A member commented that the Board needed to set out a clear vision for both the City Schools, and an expectation on City businesses, and lobby both schools and employers with that vision in mind. 

·         The Chairman queried why the initiatives run by the City under its Human Resources function – for example, apprenticeships – were treated as distinct and had not been covered by the report.

·         It was observed that there was a need to map more clearly the initiatives which City businesses were involved in and the opportunities available to schools.  The Chairman queried whether this might be a subject to add to the Economic Development Office’s research programme.

·         The Deputy Chairman also suggested that strategic  thought should be given to identify what functions should be best executed by the Corporation, what others might be better carried out by third parties but possibly part funded by the Corporation and finally those functions where the Corporation might usefully use its convening influence to ensure maximum collaboration and minimum duplication.

·         It was noted that work in this area fell under the remit of a number of committees, and that much of it in particular was directed by Policy & Resources.  The role of the Education Board needed to be clarified.  The Assistant Town Clerk noted that it was important to have an overview of existing activity to ensure there was no duplication, and that this could be its particular focus, as well as the question of fostering employability in schools..

The Assistant Director of Economic Development thanked members for their views and noted that a key element of the City Corporation’s Economic Development Office’s employability activity was to review existing employability activity and establish where gaps existed. She agreed that the Board had an important role in ensuring employability opportunities were adequately promoted and easy to navigate for young people.

RECEIVED