Issue - meetings

The Select Committee were given an opportunity to comment on the training and skills interventions by the County Council and partner organisations to improve the skills of the workforce to enable economic recovery and growth. The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills described the recent economic and skills achievements leading into the pandemic and the major investments and skills and employability programmes that had been put in place in response. The report considered where growth was expected in the future economy of Staffordshire and what the strategic workforce skills priorities were likely to be needed for our future skills and employability programmes to meet the changing demand.

The economy and skills required were rapidly changing and the impact of the pandemic had accelerated many trends which had been emerging previously. New digital technologies and the requirement for clean growth to address climate change, growth in e-commerce and working from home were changing the way we live. The economy was becoming greener and more digital across all sectors.

In terms of the future response, the Redundancy and Recruitment Triage Service is tasked with supporting businesses who have had to restructure and individuals affected to match skills and qualities with demand.   The countywide redundancy task group had been established as the vehicle to address the effects of job losses on individuals through collaboration with partner agencies and the promotion of local and national employability programmes. A range of initiatives and programmes had been created to support economic regeneration.

In the longer term, in anticipation of significant job losses resulting from the pandemic, the need to upskill and reskill individuals would remain a priority. In the transition to the new normal, there would be opportunities to be more transformative with programmes that address longer term skill issues.  Delivery of substantial capital programmes such as HS2 and the West Midlands Freight Interchange provided clear opportunities for skills and employment in the area. 

Based on the extensive assessment of evidence gathered to support the development of the SAP Skills Strategy, LIS and Covid-19 Strategies, there was agreement in identifying a number of sector skill priorities.  Future economic growth and strategic skills priorities were identified around Digital; the Green Economy; Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering; Modern Methods of Construction; Advanced Logistics; and the Health and Care Sector.

The Chairman asked about the current employment profile of the county. The Assistant Director for Skills and Employability said that the overall profile had changed over the last 10 years seeing a significant increase in manufacturing (50% growth) and with construction – these sectors remained the strongest. Transport and logistics had also increased especially linked to the manufacturing sector. Broadly it was a balanced picture with some key strengths.

A Member asked about the service sector and the opportunity that re training provided to encourage positive messages.

The Cabinet Member was aware that the future economy would require higher skill sets and he had a responsibility to ensure training offered by providers was suitable. Trainers base their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 119

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills updated members regarding delivery against the Staffordshire Economic Recovery, Renewal and Transformation Strategy. The unprecedented nature of the pandemic had meant the County Council had had to respond very quickly to support businesses and residents. The Strategy was flexible to respond to a range of scenarios. The Select Committee had an important role in scrutinising delivery of the Strategy.   

Detailed ‘live’ assessments of the impact of the crisis continued to inform and shape delivery of the Strategy which set out priorities over the next 5 years.  Several key issues cut across themes including the need to meet carbon neutral targets, supporting inclusive growth to ensure all residents benefit from the development of the local economy, and communicating and engaging effectively with residents and businesses creating a strong Staffordshire identity.

Overall the proportion of working age Staffordshire residents on a Government support scheme was lower than the national average and the claimant count (universal credit) was also relatively low compared to the West Midlands. There remained however a considerable number of employments furloughed. Whilst the furlough scheme had been extended until September there was still uncertainty around the future economic health of these employments. 

The Cabinet Member updated members on the various ongoing and completed interventions directly undertaken by the County Council to support businesses and individuals. The local interventions were communicated through an enhanced ongoing communications campaign ‘Staffordshire means Back to Business’. The Strategy aimed to identify opportunities as they arise to grasp and hasten the development of the Staffordshire economy.

A Member asked about income support and whether all people were able to access support. The Cabinet Member said there were some gaps in the offer. He acknowledged unprecedented levels of support but accepted that there would still be some who fell between the gap. 

The Chairman asked about the furlough scheme and whether it continued to mask employment levels. The Cabinet Member agreed that was the case and the ‘hard stop’ was expected but so far in Staffordshire there had not been large scale redundancies. As businesses start to re-open they would get a feel of the emerging situation. The LEP would monitor the impact and emerging redundancies. 

RESOLVED That the update on delivery against the Staffordshire Economic Recovery, Renewal and Transformation Strategy be received.