CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP EMPLOYERS’ SKILLS AND EDUCATION BOARD EXTENDED MEETING ON 17 JANUARY 2018 – 1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS In the absence of Clare Hayward, Meredydd David welcomed everyone to the meeting. List of attendees and apologies received at Annex A. 2. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING ON 8 NOVEMBER The note of the last meeting on 8 November 2017 was agreed. All actions from the last meeting would be covered in the various progress reports that were on the agenda for this meeting. 3. PROGRESS REPORTS ON KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE EMPLOYERS’ SKILLS AND EDUCATION BOARD 3.1. Skills and Education Plan Pat Jackson noted that the Skills and Education Plan that had been developed and designed by the Employers’ Skills and Education Board in consultation with partners is now on the LEP website: . Meredydd thanked all the employers and other partners for their contributions to the plan. 3.2. Pledge In the absence of Paul Colman, Trevor Langston reported that the Pledge is continuing to operate successfully in Crewe, Macclesfield and Middlewich and is continuing to build partnerships and overall capacity. This includes working very closely with the Youth Federation to engage young people during out of school activities as well as in school. 3.3 European Structural Funds Update Mark Livesey reported that of the approximately £120 million European Structural Funds allocated to Cheshire and Warrington around 50% had been committed and work was now in hand to prepare for further calls for projects to invest the remaining funds. In response to concerns expressed by the Employers’ Skills and Education Board, the Local Enterprise Partnership had released £100K to fund addition support that would help partners to develop workable projects that addressed the priorities set out in the Skills and Education Plan. At present the remaining European Funds must be committed by March 2019 (subject to current Brexit negotiations, this date might be extended) and spent by June 2021. 3.4 Institute of Technology for Cheshire and Warrington 3.4.1 Energy Group Nellist reported on the progress of the work to develop a funding model for the energy sector. She explained that a group of businesses in the Cheshire Energy Hub had identified the need for degree level apprenticeships in process engineering. The businesses together with TTE, Cheshire College, South and West and the University of Chester were now exploring how European Social funds might help to pump prime the initial development stages of the degree level apprenticeship.
CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP EMPLOYERS’ SKILLS AND EDUCATION BOARD – EXTENDED MEETING ON 17 JANUARY 2018 1. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS In the absence of Clare Hayward, Meredydd David welcomed everyone to the meeting. List of attendees and apologies received at Annex A. 2. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING ON 8 NOVEMBER The note of the last meeting on 8 November 2017 was agreed. All actions from the last meeting would be covered in the various progress reports that were on the agenda for this meeting. 3. PROGRESS REPORTS ON KEY PRIORITIES FOR THE EMPLOYERS’ SKILLS AND EDUCATION BOARD 3.1. Skills and Education Plan Pat Jackson noted that the Skills and Education Plan that had been developed and designed by the Employers’ Skills and Education Board in consultation with partners is now on the LEP website: . Meredydd thanked all the employers and other partners for their contributions to the plan. 3.2. Pledge In the absence of Paul Colman, Trevor Langston reported that the Pledge is continuing to operate successfully in Crewe, Macclesfield and Middlewich and is continuing to build partnerships and overall capacity. This includes working very closely with the Youth Federation to engage young people during out of school activities as well as in school. 3.3 European Structural Funds Update Mark Livesey reported that of the approximately £120 million European Structural Funds allocated to Cheshire and Warrington around 50% had been committed and work was now in hand to prepare for further calls for projects to invest the remaining funds. In response to concerns expressed by the Employers’ Skills and Education Board, the Local Enterprise Partnership had released £100K to fund addition support that would help partners to develop workable projects that addressed the priorities set out in the Skills and Education Plan. At present the remaining European Funds must be committed by March 2019 (subject to current Brexit negotiations, this date might be extended) and spent by June 2021. 3.4 Institute of Technology for Cheshire and Warrington 3.4.1 Energy Group Nellist reported on the progress of the work to develop a funding model for the energy sector. She explained that a group of businesses in the Cheshire Energy Hub had identified the need for degree level apprenticeships in process engineering. The businesses together with TTE, Cheshire College, South and West and the University of Chester were now exploring how European Social funds might help to pump prime the initial development stages of the degree level apprenticeship.
CHESHIRE-AND-WARRINGTON-LOCAL-ENTERPRISE-PARTNERSHIP-Employers-Skills-and-Education-Extended-Board-meeting-on-17-Jan-2018-for-wwebsite.docx