MINUTES
ECONOMIC STEERING GROUP MEETING
Date/Time: 16 July 2014, 10:30-12:30pm
Venue: Wandle Valley Resource Centre
Attendees:
(NM) Naomi Martin, (Chair), Commonside Development Trust
(DS) Diana Sterck, Merton Chamber of Commerce
(SW) Sara Williams, LBM Regeneration, Investment & Renewal Manager
(RK) Ray Kinsella, Merton Chamber of Commerce
(SWD) Shirley Woodcock, Capital Training Group
(RH) Robyn Harley, Capital Training Group
(KT) Katerina Tulloch, My Futures Team Manager
(CQ) Caroline Quinn, MOAT
(AH) Anne Hoblyn, Merton Job Centre Plus
(AB) Angela Brown, Wimbledon Way Project Officer
(CC) Carol Cook, Training and Recruitment Partnership
(JO) Joyce Ogunade, LBM Employment and Skills Officer
(DN) Damien Nolan, Grenfell Housing and Training
(MS) Mellisa Stewart, LBM Commissioning Manager
(LS) Leroy Straker, Circle Housing Merton Priory
(KB) Kim Brown, LBM HR
(AW) Andrew Wakefield, MCC / Croydon Merton & Sutton Credit Union
(AO) Abigail Okuley, Future Merton Finance and Administration Officer
Apologies:
Jamie Stevenson, South Thames College
Sarah Horrell, South Thames College
Paul McGivern, LBM School Improvement Inspector
Jacqui Cayenne, Circle Housing Merton Priory
Caroline Tomiczek, Circle Housing Merton Priory
Steve Farrow, Training and Recruitment Partnership
Steve Boucher, Grenfell Housing and Training
Yvonne Tomlin, Merton Adult Education
Agenda:
1. Introductions and apologies
2. Minutes / Matters arising from last meeting
3. P1. Increasing employer demand and take-up of apprenticeships
- LBM Apprenticeships Update – Kim Brown
4. P2. Employer engagement
- ASSP update
5. P3. Simplifying the employer offer
- Take One update
6. P4. Supporting those furthest from the labour market
- NEET’s provision – Melissa Stewart
- EWG subgroup – Steve Farrow
- Demand Led Pilot – update
7. P5. Co-ordination and joint funding
- New Flexible Support Fund – update
- Croydon Merton & Sutton Credit Union
- Other opportunities
8. P6. Promoting the Merton employer offer
- Web portal update
9. P7. Co-ordination of apprenticeship programmes and outreach across the borough
- The future of apprenticeships in England – final findings
10. Input to Partnership Newsletter
11. AOB
Date of next meeting
AGENDA ITEM
ACTION
1
1.
Introductions and apologies (see above)
2.
Minutes of the last meeting / matters arising
-
(Recurring)
All to forward
case studies on
apprenticeships/
work experience /
volunteering /
traineeships to
DS for publicising
on MCC website
-
S Farrow to
head sub group
and arrange
meeting re adult
skills initiatives +
apprenticeships
Agreed
Matters Arising:
2. Matters arising: P2 Employer engagement - “All to forward any
apprenticeship case studies to DS”
- (recurring action) Promotional opportunity not only for the
organisation but, also, the employer
4+5. P2: P2 Employer engagement – “DS and SW to raise Take One
funding suggestion to SCTP
- See item 5.
6. P3 Simplifying employer offer – “S Farrow to head sub group”
- Meeting not yet taken place
7. P5. Wandle Valley Green Team – “SW to feedback RE Green Team
requirements”
- Peter Wilkinson from Wandle Valley Green Team made a
request for funding support for x4 apprenticeship opportunities –
its has been agreed with LBM HR for the x4 posts to be funded
as part of the Council apprenticeship scheme
8. P6. Promoting the Merton employment offer; web promotion resource
coordination
- See item 8
3.
P1 Increasing employer demand and take-up of apprenticeships
- Update on LBM apprenticeships provided by KB
-
Information for
EWGkb.doc
4
5.
P2. Employer engagement,
Apprenticeship Staff Support Project (ASSP) update:
- SWD provided overview of ASSP project i.e. the dissemination of
good work practice to SME’s through Take One
- Project to be finished by December – short timescale
- Launch event to take place in August followed by x4 workshops and
dissemination event
- AB explained the two elements to toolkit: a) good practice in
engaging employers b) good practice guide to partnership working,
i.e. EWG
-
All to send
blogs for
tweeting to raise
profile to
rharley@capitaltrainin
ggroup.co.uk
P3 Simplifying employer offer
Take One
DS
- Request put to SCTP - to use the EDS Access to Skills and
Employment Fund to continue to extend Business Engagement
Officer post, in the Take One scheme, until September 2014 - has
been agreed
- Newham College has approached MCC to deliver Take One, until
July 2015, £250k ESF funding
- AB will project lead
RK
2
-
Number of vacancies identified 164 – inclusive of long term
vacancies
A discussion took place re challenges of getting SME’s to manage
expectations of the investments required when taking on an apprentice
and, also, challenging perceptions of the apprenticeships and negative
connotations
6.
P4 Supporting those furthest away from the labour market
6.a NEET’s provision, MS
MS outlinedto the Group proposals to best engage with young persons,
namely;
Communication strategy – a partnership approach to not only tackle
NEET issue but also pathways for young people that lead into
traineeships and apprenticeships e.g. an offer at year 9 when
options are considered
-
Further discussion took place re targeting young people suggestion made to invite young people to EWG i.e. some of the
apprentices
Special
education
needs
statement
query, MS to
feedback
NEETS and Not Known (as of 11 July 2014), KT
NEET = 234 (4.1%)
 Ravensbury 11.6%
 Cricket Green 10.4%
 Pollards Hill 10%
 Figges Marsh 8.8%
 St Helier 8.4%
 Lavender 8.4%
Not Know = 301 (5.1%)
 Pollards Hill 11.8%
 Cricket Green 10.7%
 Ravensbury 9.3%
 St Helier 7.5%
 Longthornton 7.1%
 Lavender 6.4%
6.b EWG Subgroup
N/a (next agenda)
6.c Demand Led Pilot update
N/a (next agenda)
7.
P5. Co-ordination and joint funding
7a. New Flexible Support Fund, SB
N/a (next agenda)
7b. Croydon, Merton and Sutton Credit Union, AW
- Approach has been taken, since autumn 2013, to improve
participation of Merton in Credit Union.
- Objective is to develop local branches in Merton of Credit Union
where local residents can recognise it as part of their local
community
- 1st local credit union initiative will be in Pollards Hill.
- Launch to take place 12 September
8.
-
-
P6. Promoting the Merton employment offer, JO
3
-
-
-
-
The newsletter is still being developed and requires input from the
EWG partners and providers - mock up of the EWG newsletter has
been circulated to group for feedback
Final version will be put together once feedback received from
Group re layout and content - a number of standing items to be
included in every month’s newsletter and added extras as and when
necessary.
When submitting content authors should ensure to provide website
links, as the newsletter can then take readers straight to the
appropriate site for the news/information.
Articles to be kept short in order to make the newsletter user friendly
- readers to click link to select which ever articles they wish to view
in full.
-
Partners to
feedback on
content and
layout email
joyce.ogunade@mert
on.gov.uk
-
Newsletter
standing items
to be agreed, suggestions to
be emailed to
JO
9.
P7. Co-ordination of apprenticeship programmes and outreach
across the borough, SWD
- N/a
-
10.
Input to Partnership newsletter (Merton Together)
(Agreed at meeting 4 June 2014)
- Flexible Support Fund, YT
- ASSP, SWD
- Take One Case Study, RK
AOB
AH
- The District Manager for South London (Carol Morris) has now been
promoted to Work Services Director for London and the Home
Counties. Senior Managers will be meeting with Carol shortly to
showcase key work being done in each District.
- The work discussed at the meeting today, will be used to showcase
Merton and will therefore be seen at the highest level.
Future deadlines:
11.
16 August 2014
20 October 2014
22 December 2014
16 February 2015
-
-
A lot of continuing discussion about young people at EWB meetings,
just a reminder that nearly 28% of the JSA register has been signing
for 1 year or more and is therefore long term unemployed.
- There are still 5,140 claimants of ESA/IB in Merton who will need
individually tailored support in order to progress on a journey back to
work .
- There are also still 1,270 Lone Parents who would also benefit from
support.
- JSA clients aged 24-49 still make up 59% of the register.
Nearly 21% of clients are aged 50 or over.
As an on-going plea, please could these other client groups be kept
in mind when looking at future work of EWG.
-
The JSA register (June figures) is now 2.680, a decrease of 120 on
last month and a decrease of 895 on a year earlier.
-
There are 500 young people aged 18-24 signing on for JSA, a
decrease of 25 on the previous month and a decrease of 185 on a
year earlier.
SWD
- SWD will be leaving CPT, however, will continue to work on ASSP
workshops – RB will lead on project
Date of next meeting
8 October 2014
4