Agenda item

David Roberts (Chair of the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership) and Catherine Morris-Roberts (Regional Skills Manager) to present the report.

 

To approve the North Wales Skills and Employment Plan and the priorities as set out in the plan.

 

To ask the Regional Skills Partnership to submit an update report in 12 months' time.

 

 

The report was submitted by the Chair of the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership and the Regional Skills Manager.

 

DECISION

 

To approve the North Wales Skills and Employment Plan and the priorities as set out in the plan.

 

To ask the Regional Skills Partnership to submit an update report in 12 months' time.

 

REASONS FOR THE DECISION

 

To report to the Economic Well-being Sub-Committee on the North Wales Skills and Employment Plan and seek endorsement of its priorities to support regional delivery.

 

DISCUSSION

 

It was explained that Skills and Employment Plans operated on a 3-year cycle, noting that the latest cycle had ended at the beginning of this year. It was noted that no clear guidance had been provided by the Welsh Government during recent months because preparations were underway for the Senedd Cymru Election in May.

 

It was reported that the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership had decided to continue with a new Plan for the next three years to ensure development and continuity of momentum, hoping that the new Government would adopt it in due course. It was acknowledged that there was a possibility that minor amendments were being made as the Government considered it, but there was confidence that the Plan was robust enough to cope with that.

 

Attention was drawn to the fact that the North Wales Skills and Employment Plan was unique to the three other plans seen in Wales, as it was closely tied with the Corporate Joint Committee. There was confidence that this was a strength because support could be provided on a regional level.

 

It was reported that approximately 30 partners were part of the Board, including colleges and universities, noting that their attendance on the Board helped them with their individual plans. Pride was expressed that the Board had engaged with over 350 employers across the nine priority sectors, through surveys, employer networks and meetings, to be able to develop the Plan.

 

It was confirmed that three themes continued from the previous Plan, to ensure continuity in the Board's good work and the support proposed within the region. It was detailed that these included providing support to employers, individuals and teaching how support was provided and making the connections between individuals and employers.

 

It was explained that the plan included the insights of employers about the recruitment needs and the necessary skills within the sectors, as well as information about the barriers that individuals faced. It was elaborated that the plan provided an overview of significant challenges and opportunities available with large investment projects. Attention was drawn to the fact that many of the Corporate Joint Committee projects had used the Plan in the past. It was noted that the plan addressed the fact that the labour market was evolving, such as Artificial Intelligence, Net Zero, and how employers could make the best use of these matters.

 

It was highlighted that economic connectivity difficulties impacted individuals within the region, acknowledging that 15.1% of 16-24-year-old people in north Wales were not in education, employment or training - the highest rate in Wales. It was noted that mental health was the factor that contributed the most to inactive economic cases at present.

 

During the discussion, the following observations were made:-

 

The Board was thanked for their work of developing skills across the region.

 

The new Plan was welcomed, and concern was expressed about the startling statistic that 15.1% of people aged between 16 and 24 were not in education, work or training in the region. The importance of looking into this further was emphasised, to facilitate those individuals. In response to the observations, the Chair of the Board confirmed that they wished to see north Wales with the lowest rates on this matter, emphasising that it was the responsibility of all partners to ensure that the situation improved.

 

It was considered that broader work was required on the apprenticeship opportunities available in the region. It was acknowledged that it was not possible for the Board to create apprenticeships, but its ability to place pressure on the Government to consider the apprenticeship system, compared with other authorities, to acknowledge apprenticeships as a way of providing skills to employees was considered. In response to the observations, the Chair of the Board confirmed that ongoing pressure was being placed on the Government to take advantage of apprenticeships and provide budgets for them, confirming that encouragement and information was consistently shared with employers as part of the Board's implementation on apprenticeships.

 

It was felt that not enough emphasis was placed on the genuine needs across the region to attract workers within the field of health and social care. It was emphasised that recruitment challenges within the field of health was an exceptional challenge for the local authorities, and this should be highlighted in detail within the Plan. There was a wish to see this field receiving more priority within the Plan to attract people into work in the care field, as well as find methods to develop careers. It was agreed with these observations, acknowledging that there was a need to highlight the situation within the Plan.

 

It was acknowledged that gaps in skills and expertise were seen within the local authorities themselves, as the main employers within the region's areas. It was acknowledged that this was not relevant to the majority of workers, but that it had an impact on specialist fields such as planning and legal. There was a wish to see this being reflected wider within the Plan.

 

Attention was drawn to the fact that the rural economy within the region relied on small businesses, instead of large companies that employed many people. The importance of ensuring that those companies benefited from the Plan was emphasised, noting that skills were being developed for the businesses to thrive. In response to the observations, it was confirmed that the voice of small businesses was being heard because the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) was a valuable partner. It was also noted that businesses of every size had input into the plan as the Board held discussions and surveys. It was confirmed that this collaboration would continue over the plan period.

 

Following the observations received during the discussion, it was considered to ask the Board for an update in 12 months on the development of the Plan.

 

The members expressed their thanks for the report.