Agenda item

Iain Taylor (Investment Zone Programme Manager) and Sian Lloyd Roberts & Rees Brown from the Regional Skills Partnership, to present the report.

DECISION

 

·       To note the progress on implementing the Investment Zone programme in close partnership with the Local Education Authorities, Coleg Cambria, Wrexham University and the Regional Skills Partnership.

 

·       To note the process for developing the projects contained in this report and that they have been agreed as suitable skills projects for the Investment Zone to support  the Regional Skills Partnership and are in line with the objectives of the Investment Zone Skills Plan.

 

·       To approve the project proposals submitted by Coleg Cambria to a value of up to £8,183,000 and delegate to the Ambition North Wales Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Chair and Vice-chair to agree and enter into a Grant Funding Agreement between the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee and Coleg Cambria.

 

·       To approve the project proposals submitted by Wrexham University to a value of £4,247,014 and delegate to the Ambition North Wales Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Chair and Vice-chair to agree and enter into a Grant Funding Agreement between the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee and Wrexham University.

 

The report was presented by the Regional Skills Manager and Chair of the Regional Skills Partnership.

 

DECISION

 

·       To note the progress on implementing the Investment Zone programme in close partnership with the Local Education Authorities, Coleg Cambria, Wrexham University and the Regional Skills Partnership.

 

·       To note the process for developing the projects contained in the documentation for this item, that they had been agreed as suitable skills projects for the Investment Zone to support the Regional Skills Partnership and that they were in line with the objectives of the Investment Zone Skills Plan.

 

·       To approve the project proposals submitted by Coleg Cambria worth up to £8,183,000 and to delegate to the Chief Executive of Ambition North Wales, the Monitoring Officer, and the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Chair and Vice-chair to agree and enter into a Grant Funding Agreement between the North Wales Joint Corporate Committee and Coleg Cambria.

 

·       To approve the project proposals submitted by Wrexham University to a value of £4,247,014 and delegate to the Chief Executive of Ambition North Wales, the Monitoring Officer and the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Chair and Vice-chair to agree and enter into a Grant Funding Agreement between the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee and Wrexham University.

 

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

 

To seek the Economic Well-being Sub-committee’s approval for the Flintshire and Wrexham Zone Skills Programme. This will enable the start of the Investment Zone skills programme at the time the Investment Zone is agreed between Flintshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee, Welsh Government and UK Government.

 

DISCUSSION

 

It was explained that the report presented the Flintshire and Wrexham Investment Zone Skills Programme and sought the approval of the Sub-Committee for the initial round of projects to support the Investment Zone.

 

It was confirmed that the Programme has been developed in collaboration with Flintshire County Council, Wrexham County Borough Council, Coleg Cambria, Wrexham University, Careers Wales and the Regional Skills Partnership.

 

Members were reminded of the need to provide skills for new employees, as the workforce in general was ageing, and there was a need to prepare to deal with new technologies. It was highlighted that the aim of the Programme was to respond to those needs by ensuring that the education and skills provided met the expectations of employers. It was noted that it was intended to ensure that local residents benefited through employment because of the skills they were developing within the Investment Zone.

 

Members were guided through the initial projects and explained that they focused on 'Pre-16 Interventions', '16-18 Interventions', 'Pathways for 18+' and 'Re-skilling and Upskilling'. It was detailed that several further projects were underway to address these key aspects, and that they had been developed by Coleg Cambria and Wrexham University.

 

It was noted that Coleg Cambria was developing training on Advanced Manufacturing, digital skills and Industry Technologies 4.4. It was elaborated that the College wished to expand apprenticeships and strengthen engagement with employers, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It was emphasised that it was a complete package for 16-18 and 18+ interventions.

 

It was noted that Wrexham University was focusing on pathways for 18+ as well as reskilling and upskilling employees. Reference was made to some of these schemes such as Graduate Apprenticeships in Advanced Manufacturing, Graduate Internships to develop and retain talent in the region, Master’s Research and PhD which are aligned with industry priorities and higher education courses that have been co-created with employers.

 

These projects were all considered to strengthen the skills pathway across both Local Authorities, the wider region and assure businesses participating in the Investment Zone that there were qualified workers available to help grow their business and innovate in future.

 

It was emphasised that a robust, clear and structured Assurance Process had been completed. It was confirmed that all projects had been developed through the Investment Zone Skills Sub-Group using evidence based on skills needs and using the Investment Zone Skills Strategy as a core source of data and research.

 

It was confirmed that these projects had been refined in two stages and submitted in application forms prior to being considered. It was elaborated that these refinement steps included an Assurance Review by Medr, the regulator of post-16 education funding in Wales. It was noted that carrying out these refinement steps with the support of Medr ensured that the projects added value to the area and the region. It was elaborated that the projects within this report had recently been submitted to the Skills Partnership.

 

It was explained that work would be done to monitor these schemes and projects, requesting that annual delivery plans and evaluation frameworks be completed.

 

During the discussion, the following observations were made:-

 

It was felt that it was important to ensure that companies recruiting in the region confirmed what key skills young people needed to get jobs, highlighting the need for schools to work collaboratively with the Investment Zone to ensure that the right skills were developed for young people of all ages. In response to the comments, the Regional Skills Manager confirmed that teaching skills to individuals younger than 16 years old was essential as it encouraged individuals to take advantage of the projects available to 16-18 and 18+ year-olds. It was emphasised that the education authorities of Wrexham and Flintshire were leading on these projects along with their partners confirming that they went into the detail of the curriculum to ensure that the essential skills were being taught.

 

The officers and their partners were congratulated on their work. There was a desire to ensure that lessons were learned in the development of the Economic Well-being Sub-Committee's projects to ensure that the skills necessary for those developments were incorporated within the future Skills Programme. In response to the comments, the Chief Executive of North Wales CJC confirmed the need to maximise essential skills for those places with the most investment from those projects, allowing young people to stay in north Wales for long-term careers across the region.

 

The report was appreciated.