Agenda item

Jasbir Jhas, Senior Adviser, introduced the paper and advised the board that it had been developed after a meeting on employment and skills between City Regions and People and Places Board Lead Members on 10^th May 2016. Devolution of the Work and Health Programme and the Adult Education Budget was discussed, as was the relationship between local government and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Members were asked to consider ways to influence strategy and create an accord between DWP and local authorities. The review of Job Centre Plus was raised and the need to produce research to create a local government vision for the employment service. Members were ask for input on defining the vision, as this would be useful when engaging with Whitehall and politicians.

The Work and Health Programme (WHP) was discussed, as this would replace the Work Programme in 2017. This would be worth £130 million a year and would be available in all areas without a devolution deal. The programme would support those with health conditions, disabilities or those unemployed for over two years. The best possible outcome would need to be achieved for these groups. Members were advised that discussions with Job Centre Plus and contractual obligations to work with councils should be considered.

The board was also advised that work with Shared Intelligence on growth related areas had been recommissioned and that a report on this would be published soon.

In the discussion which followed members made the following points:

·         There had been some difficulties engaging with DWP and the relationship needed to be improved. Members highlighted that local authorities were already working with Local Enterprise Partnerships, employers, further and higher education and the careers service to improve skills, employment and job and training opportunities in their areas. Local authorities should be allowed to take over some of the responsibilities of DWP in this area.

·         Members expressed concern with the retention of Job Centre Plus. It was emphasised that other successful projects, such as the troubled families programme, needed further support from Job Centre Plus. The approach for helping the unemployed needed to address root cause of unemployment, as it was currently perpetuating a failing system.

·         In reference to paragraph 6, there was concern about joint working and those residents in non-devolution deal areas who would not be involved in the co-design / co-commission of WHP. 

·         Local authorities and local businesses were aware of the skills sets needed in their local areas, but problems with lack of progress in some devolution deals were preventing them addressing skills shortages. 

·         Members felt that the vision for the skills agenda could be improved, and that the LGA was well placed to influence this.

·         There had been instances where sixth form colleges offering vocational qualifications had closed as not enough students had enrolled to make them viable. It was important to address this issue and consider it more widely.

·         Members asked officers to continue to develop the evidence base on why the approach on skills and employment should be changed so that it could be used in our lobbying work.

Decision:

1.    Members noted the update.

Actions:

1.    LGA officers to capture members’ comments and reflect these in the next stage of work on skills and employment.

2.    LGA officers to continue to strengthen the evidence base underpinning our skills and employment lobbying work.