Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no interests were declared.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2017 be agreed as a correct record.

Martin Nichols and Chris Cutforth gave a verbal presentation outlining the issues that Corporate Building Services have experienced with young people’s readiness for work, particularly when recruiting apprentices.

They outlined and referred to a wide ranging area of influences and factors on  the recruitment process and detailed varying statistics, including the following areas:

·       150 apprentices appointed since 2003

·       90% of qualified apprentices still employed and over 40% of current workforce are past apprentices

·       Around 10% of the total workforce are apprentices, the annual recruitment of these is done following detailed workforce planning and profiling

·       Revised 5 stage appointment process which includes aptitude test, phone interview, shortlisting, practical test & face to face interview

·       Impact of New Modern Apprentice Scheme and NVQ qualifications on ages of recruits – 16-17 40%, 18-20 39%, 21+ 21%

·       Provision of NVQ training is done via local colleges

·       Real problems with young people’s(16-17) interview techniques/training and issues around their ability to communicate properly particularly at the phone interview stage – the older young peoples(18+) “life experience” seems to help with this and deal with the pressure of face to face interviews

·       Young peoples(16-17) lack of basic understanding of interview techniques, and the need for research to be undertaken for face to face interviews

·       Problems with numbers of drop outs at aptitude test stage(can be up to 25%) and the various factors affecting this

·       Lack of young people’s social skills and parental advice/guidance

·       Need to develop links with both Poverty & Prevention in developing training/taster experiences and links with NEETS team and Youth Service

·       Issues around targeting of Cynnydd funding at older school pupils, maybe better spent targeting younger pupils

·       Upcoming young people’s Big Conversation event and opportunity for Corporate Building to attend and promote its opportunities

·       Feedback from previous Big Conversation Events and issues raised regarding employment opportunities by young people

·       Need to raise young people’s hopes, aspirations and skills

·       Real issues around recruitment of certain trades due to lack of and standard of applications

·       Issues which affected the attendance and success of the Saturday Morning Trade School at Jubilee Court and the new revised Trade Bus Initiative which can be taken into local communities

·       Need to link in Trade Bus with Careers Days and Events

·       Welsh Government Enterprise & Business Committee recommendations from 2014 relating to these issues(to be circulated to Committee)

·       Issues around the 2 week Work Experience for school pupils and the possible amendment of scheme to a ten week “one day a week” scheme, and the possible benefits to both employers and students of this change

·       Revised “toolkit” being developed for work experience and training programme

·       Success of pre apprentice scheme and the need to expand

·       Likely impact of City Deal and Tidal Lagoon on local skills shortage and the authority’s ability to carry on with its own building programme

·       The need to plan to recruit and train young people into appropriate trades as a result of the above

·       Need to better promote and encourage “trades” as a successful outcome and employment opportunity for young people leaving school, particularly with parents

·       Need to change attitudes and perceptions for young people and parents  that attending University and getting a degree isn’t the answer for everyone and isn’t the only option

·       Need to promote and encourage non vocational courses

·       Poor quality of current vocational training, particularly for NEET children

·       Success of Military style boot camps held in Landore

·       Need to further Corporate Buildings links develop links with Careers Wales and CITB

Members and Officers discussed at length the issues and topics listed above, and the proposals, initiatives and challenges going forward.

Jane Whitmore & Katie Spendiff outlined a powerpoint presentation which detailed the current approaches to Engagement & Current Work on Transition to Adulthood.

The areas outlined in the presentation included:

·       Current Position in Swansea – embedding of UNCRC into Councils Policy Framework

·       Quality Approaches to engaging Children & Young People – The Big Conversation, which is underpinned by participation standards and enquiry techniques

·       What’s important to Children & Young People(CYP) – 8 priorities identified by CYP through the Big Conversation

·       How do CYP want to learn and achieve – relating to the ethos, physical environment and teaching methods of schools

·       What areas of support CYP need to progress

·       Which topics and subjects they wish to study

·       Issues and factors affecting the Transition to Secondary School

·       CYP’s aspirations for the future

·       Next steps

They also referred to a paper developed with CYP which outlines the key areas they have identified for improvement to help them achieve, thrive and progress in school which include the following:- Facilities & Equipment, Eating/Cafeteria Options, Recreational Space & Physical Activity, Use of Technology, Teaching Styles, Methods and Lesson Format, Expanding of Options & Transition & 6^th Form.

Members commented on the issues above and asked questions of the Officers who responded accordingly.

Issues and areas arising from the presentation as requiring further discussion and development were: parental input/support and engagement, impact of Donaldson proposals, ‘ i Learn’ trail scheme, developing of CYP’s confidence and emotional health and wellbeing and raising of aspirations, need to encourage CYP to take risks and assess situations.

RESOLVED that the Workplan be noted.