Decision details

The Service Director Community Services presented the report to members The purpose of the report is to gain Cabinet approval for the principle of a locally delivered, regionally coordinated approach to employability after European funding has ended.

Members were advised that all 10 Local Authorities in the CCR deliver employability programmes to support residents into employment or to help them progress to more sustainable or better paid employment.  The 2019 Cardiff Capital Region Employment and Skills Plan highlights the value and importance that employers place on ‘employability’ and the key role that it plays in helping residents into the jobs of the future.

European Funding is ending in 2022/23. In order to plan ahead and prepare for changes, Local Authority Lead Officers who sit on the Regional Skills Partnership Local Authority Cluster Group developed a discussion paper - ‘Shaping Employability to Achieve the Vision of the CCR Employment and Skills Plan’ which was set out in the report.

The Service Director Community Services continued that the Framework has been based on shared principles which reflect lessons learnt from 20 years of experience delivering employability projects. 

Members were advised that it is not yet clear whether the same level of financial resource as is currently available from the ESF will be made available from the SPF. At this stage, the proposed Framework for Future Employability in the CCR is not a funding application – it is a strategic document setting out the principles of how employability activity should be delivered within the region and what it should seek to achieve. Any funding application/s will need to be scaled to the resources available.

The Service Director Community Services concluded that with European funding coming to an end there is an opportunity to agree the principles of a regional approach to future employability that is consistent with the CCR Employment and Skills Plan. She added that the principles can form the basis of future regional applications for funding that will benefit individuals, communities and businesses across South East Wales.

The Cabinet Member Enterprise Development and Housing commented that Local Authorities across South East Wales have developed extensive expertise over the past twenty years in supporting their residents to improve their employability, develop their skills and gain and progress in work.  With European funding coming to an end there is an opportunity to agree the principles of a regional approach to future employability.  He added that there was huge opportunity to move to a Regional Employability Framework and that there is a vast amount of expertise with educational partners also.  He supported the recommendations in the report and stated that he welcomes additional information on funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund from UK Government as soon as possible.

Following consideration of the report it was RESOLVED to:

1.    Note the content of the report

2.    Endorse the principle of a locally delivered, regionally coordinated approach to employability post-EU funding.

3.    Approves the Framework for Future Employability in the Cardiff City Region (CCR) as outlined in sections 4.4 – 4.8 and Appendix A.

Welcomes information on funding from UK Government from the Shared Prosperity Fund as soon as possible