Issue - meetings

The Committee gave consideration to a report presented by the Senior Project & Growth Officer - Employment & Skills. It was explained that in July 2022, the Prosperous Communities Committee approved a paper to establish a Further Education Taskforce following the announcement by the Lincoln College Group that the Gainsborough Campus would close as a Further Education College and re-open as Alternative Provision (AP) for 11–16-year-olds from Scunthorpe, Lincoln and Gainsborough. The main aim of the taskforce was to understand why the number of students entering further education had declined locally and the impact on local employers, future students, and the wider community. The Taskforce would also seek to understand why the need for Alternative Provision had increased and ways in which it could be nurtured to benefit residents and employers.

Since that time, the Council had made a significant commitment both strategically and operationally to support employment and skills development across the district. Members heard there was a well-established Employment and Skills Partnership in place which was managed by a Senior Project Officer. The recently commissioned West Lindsey Employment and Skills Report had input from over 100 local stakeholders and offered the Council a strong evidence base to take forward opportunities and actions.

It was explained that the proposed devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire included new powers to shape local skills provision to better meet the needs of the local economy and local people, including devolution of the core Adult Education Budget, as well as input into the new Local Skills Improvement Plans. The West Lindsey Employment & Skills Partnership, along with the recently produced research report, ensured the Council and local partners were well positioned to input into and respond to the proposed devolution deal.

The Chairman thanked the Officer for her update and invited comments or questions from the Committee. Members were appreciative of the detailed report and thanked Officers for the work that had gone into the project as a whole. The continuation of the Employment and Skills Partnership was supported and encouraged, with recognition of the achievements to date echoed by Members.

Having been moved and seconded, and on reiterating thanks to all involved, the Chairman took the vote and it was unanimously

            RESOLVED that

a)    the Further Education Taskforce be concluded; and

b)    the West Lindsey Employment and Skills Partnership be approved to continue to take forward the actions from the initial Taskforce meeting; and

c)    a Member be nominated to attend future Employment and Skills Partnership meetings, with the appointment to be effective until Annual Council in May 2027.