Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1. Endorses the formal adoption of the Rotherham Employment and Skills Strategy 2026-31.

2. Notes that the Rotherham Employment and Skills Board is tasked with overseeing the delivery and monitoring of the Strategy and with reporting on progress to Cabinet and the Rotherham Together Partnership (RTP) on an annual basis.

At the Chair’s invitation Andrew Bramidge, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment introduced the report explain that a new Employment Skills Strategy was produced for the Rotherham Together Partnership. It was a partnership strategy, not solely the Council’s, setting out the vision and framework for employment skills delivery over the next five years. The previous strategy dated from 2019, and significant changes in the employment skills landscape, along with recent regional and national strategies, made an update necessary.

The strategy was informed by data analysis, stakeholder consultation, and alignment with local, regional, and national priorities. It was built around three missions:

1. Supporting people into work - creating more opportunities for employment and increasing labour market participation, including a system-change approach through Pathways to Work.
2. Improving core skills for employment - enabling lifelong learning and career progression by equipping residents with essential knowledge and skills.
3. Delivering a workforce for sustainable economic growth - working with businesses and partners to attract and develop a skilled workforce to support competitiveness and growth.

Successful delivery relied on collaboration across businesses, education and training providers, the voluntary sector, and residents. Key interventions included targeted support for young people at risk of becoming ‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training’ (NEET), a borough-wide workforce development plan, and employer-led sector-specific training linked to work placements.

Progress would be monitored through KPIs reported via a data dashboard updated twice yearly. Cabinet was asked to endorse the strategy for 2026-2031, note that the Employment Skills Board would oversee delivery and monitoring, and report annually to Cabinet and the Rotherham Together Partnership.

Councillor Brent noted that careers education should begin early, even in primary school, by building confidence in children to talk about themselves and their interests. In secondary school, emphasis was placed on core subjects, particularly English and Maths, as these are essential for employment. Councillor Brent shared experience from Kent, where the Skills Employability Service worked closely with schools and a national careers company to deliver proper careers education. This included employer engagement, mentoring, and talks in schools. It was suggested that similar initiatives be considered in Rotherham, involving local employers and council staff to support young people in understanding workplace expectations and developing confidence.

The Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment noted that there was a strong track record in delivering careers education, with good progress across the region. The service had undertaken significant work with schools to support this. The Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport explained it was reported that RIDO worked extensively with secondary schools in Rotherham to deliver careers education, information, and guidance. Schools were connected with enterprise advisors from local employers to raise aspirations and improve engagement. Efforts also focused on enhancing schools’ careers provision and improving Gatsby benchmarks, which measure the quality of careers education. Behind the scenes, a careers impact system supported continuous improvement. Gatsby benchmarks were highlighted as key milestones, starting in Year 7 and revisited throughout school, helping staff plan and deliver effective careers education.

A question was raised by Councillor Baggaley regarding the rating system in the table on page 162 of the Agenda Pack, which showed interventions linked to missions and KPIs, marked with one, two, or three ticks. Clarification was sought on how these ratings were applied and whether greater emphasis would be placed on those with three ticks. It was explained that the table illustrated the range of proposed interventions across the partnership.

It was clarified that the ticks in the table were not a scoring or prioritisation system but a matrix showing where priority interventions impacted KPIs and outcomes. All metrics would receive equal commitment, and progress would be monitored through KPIs reported via the data dashboard, updated every six months and reviewed by the Employment Skills Board and Cabinet.

The Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport confirmed that all metrics would be monitored and tracked with equal commitment. The strategy was delivered through the Rotherham Together Partnership, with the Employment and Skills Board playing a key role. The Board included major partners such as the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), local education providers, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), alongside other stakeholders.

It was noted that the partnership included a wide range of providers from the private, voluntary, and community sectors offering diverse provision. A key challenge for the Council was convening the partnership and supporting customers to navigate what is a complex landscape.

A question was raised by Councillor Blackham regarding the resource implications outlined in section 6.6.2 of the Agenda Pack, specifically whether costs had been calculated and if any would be attributed to the Council. It was explained that further work was required to confirm the accuracy of estimates, identify any potential costs to the Council, and determine how these would be funded. The Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport clarified that while the strategy outlined a wide range of interventions to achieve its missions over five years, it did not provide approval for all projects that may arise. Some interventions could have varying financial implications, and any individual projects or programmes would require separate funding approvals as they are developed.

Clarification was provided that the report set out the strategic approach to delivering employment and skills provision, not funding approvals. No budgets were approved as part of this report. Any future interventions or programmes, such as Pathways to Work, would require separate funding approvals. The paragraph in question simply confirmed that financial implications would be considered at the project level, not within this overarching strategy.

A question was raised by Councillor Blackham about interventions to address health-related barriers to work and how success would be measured, given that economic inactivity in Rotherham was around 20%, with long-term sickness a major factor. It was noted that economic inactivity was a key issue and that the Pathways to Work programme, introduced earlier in the year, was one of the initiatives aimed at tackling these barriers.

Further detail was provided on the Pathways to Work programme, which adopted a system-wide approach to tackling economic inactivity and health-related barriers. The programme comprised two elements: the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, led by local authorities, and the Health Growth Accelerator, led by health partners. Both focused on holistic support rather than siloed interventions. Participants were triaged through a single system and referred to personalised support, which could include DWP-funded programmes, voluntary sector provision, council services, training, mental health support, employer engagement for reasonable adjustments, and clinical interventions via the NHS (e.g., physiotherapy, pain management, talking therapies). This approach aimed to simplify access and provide wraparound support to address multiple barriers to work.

The Vice-Chair raised a question about measurement and whether specific numerical targets were included in the strategy, noting that the report referred to percentage decreases in inactivity without stating figures. It was confirmed that the strategy was based on a robust data exercise and that detailed data, including numbers and percentages, was available and could be shared. Progress would be monitored through KPIs and a data dashboard, reviewed by the Employment Skills Board and Cabinet annually. It was suggested that including specific targets in the report would strengthen accountability.

The Assistant Director, Planning, Regeneration and Transport confirmed that once the baseline and strategy were agreed, the Employment and Skills Board would set annual targets. For the current year, the Pathways to Work programme aimed to support 400 people out of economic inactivity and back into employment. Individual programme outputs would contribute to overall strategic targets.

In response to further questions, further clarification was provided on target setting. New baseline figures from the data dashboard had just been received and would form the basis for the strategy, subject to endorsement by the Council and approval by the Rotherham Together Partnership. The Employment and Skills Board would set annual targets in conjunction with partners, aligned to the financial year. It was confirmed that the current target for the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer was to support 400 people back into employment, delivered through a mix of council teams and 11 community organisations. Members requested that progress reports include costs for transparency, as activity creates financial implications.

Resolved: That the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board supported the recommendations that Cabinet:

1. Endorses the formal adoption of the Rotherham Employment and Skills Strategy 2026-31.

2.    Notes that the Rotherham Employment and Skills Board is tasked with overseeing the delivery and monitoring of the Strategy and with reporting on progress to Cabinet and the Rotherham Together Partnership (RTP) on an annual basis.

Further actions that arose from discussions were that:

·       OSMB will receive a follow-up report in September 2026, providing an update on performance against the agreed targets, along with detailed information on any additional costs incurred for activities undertaken