Report of the Director of Inclusive Economy attached

This report provides an update on the development of a new Work and Skills Strategy for Manchester, to replace the previous version which has reached the end of its life.  The strategy sets out the city’s work and skills priorities that matter to the people and businesses of Manchester, and how working towards identified collective goals will help to deliver the ambitions of the Our Manchester Strategy

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Inclusive Economythat provided an update on the development of a new Work and Skills Strategy for Manchester, to replace the previous version which had reached the end of its life.

Key points and themes in the report and accompanying presentation included:

·         Providing a context and background;

·         The new strategy used the Our Manchester Strategy themes as a structural framework;

·         The Work and Skills Strategy would support a range of other city strategies;

·         An overview of research and engagement; and

·         The timetable for the delivery of the new strategy, noting that this would be presented to Executive for approval in May/June 2022.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·         Every attempt should be made to ensure all opportunities for employment and retraining were provided to Manchester residents;

·         Training opportunities needed to be available to people who were already in employment but wanted to expand their skills set or retrain;

·         An exercise should be undertaken to map how this strategy intersected with a range of other Council strategies and identify key priorities;

·         Welcoming the inclusion of the real living wage and every lever the Council had should be used to ensure more employers across the city paid this;

·         Requesting that papers relating to the work of the Work and Skills Board be circulated to members of the Committee for information;

·         The need for parity of esteem between academic and vocational pathways as part of the careers advice service;

·         The need to breakdown silo working and encourage improved relationships between the Department of Work and Pensions and Department for Education to ensure that people received the most appropriate support and employment and training pathways;

·         The need to promote and articulate the positive experiences and outcomes that could be achieved via an apprenticeship programme;

·         The need to recognise that the Digital Inclusion Teams to improve digital skills amongst priority groups, particularly the over 50s, was too prescriptive and needed to address skills gaps and digital behaviours amongst younger people also;

·         Supporting the work to address economic inequality and requesting more information on the Poverty Impact Assessment; and

·         Would the consultation on the first draft of the strategy include face to face consultation. 

The Director of Inclusive Economy stated that entry level jobs and apprenticeships in the Council were ringfenced for Manchester residents. She stated that all levers and spheres of influence were used by the Council to encourage employers and other anchor institutions to support this programme and to pay the Real Living Wage, particularly in the foundation employment sector, supported further by the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter and using the Shared Prosperity Fund to deliver this programme.

She described that the Our Town Hall Project had delivered a range of good quality work experience opportunities and suggested the Committee might wish to receive a more detailed report on this subject area at a future meeting. She further described that the relationship between good employment and mental health was understood, and this had helped inform the Build Back Fairer in Greater Manchester strategy in line with the recommendations of Professor Michael Marmot that aimed to address a range of inequalities.  

The Director of Inclusive Economy advised that consultation on the first draft of the strategy would include face to face consultation. She further advised that key partners were engaged with the Work and Skills Board and she would consult with the Chair on how best to relay the work of the Board to the Committee, recognising that this would be of interest to Members.    

The Director of Inclusive Economy further noted the comment regarding the importance of promoting the many positive aspects of apprenticeships and work was ongoing with schools to ensure the parity of esteem was achieved when delivering careers advice. Recognition was also made to the reference regarding digital skills and behaviours, she advised that this was included in the strategy with the ambition being to ensure all was done to ensure people were ready and equipped to enter the world of employment. 

Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal and Deputy Chief Executive: The Manchester College/LTE Group informed the Members on their work to address digital skills and digital access, particularly in the support offered to learners in response to the challenges to online learning that presented during the pandemic.

The Strategy and Economic Policy Manager stated that work was underway to map the intersection between the different strategies and once this exercise was completed this information could be shared with the Members. He further commented that the Poverty Impact Assessment information could also be shared with the Committee once this exercise was completed.

The Executive Member for Housing and Employment stated that the promotion of apprenticeships needed to be a continual programme of engagement and communication to articulate the many positive experiences and promote this as an attractive pathway into employment.  He said the strategy would be delivered in collaboration with a number of partners in the city that included employers and local businesses.

Decisions

The Committee recommend;

(1)      Recommend that the Director of Inclusive Economy, in consultation with the Chair, agree how the work of the Work and Skills Board is periodically shared with the Committee for information outside of the formal meeting structure.

(2)      Recommend that a report on the delivery of work and skills through the Our Town Hall Project is included on the Committee’s Work Programme for consideration at an appropriate time.