Agenda item

Report of the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment

Recommendations:-

1.    That the Rotherham Employment & Skills Strategy be endorsed.

2.    That it be noted that responsibility for delivering and monitoring of the Strategy sits with the Business Growth Board of the Rotherham Together Partnership (RTP).

3.    That it be noted that the Strategy will be monitored on a six-monthly basis, with the results reported through the Business Growth Board of RTP.

Consideration was given to the report which provided detail of the Rotherham Employment and Skills Strategy and sought Cabinet endorsement of its adoption by Council.

The Strategy was a Rotherham Together Partnership (RTP) document linking to the existing Rotherham Economic Growth Plan to provide a framework for delivery of employment and skills activity over the next five years. This was essential to provide a suitably enterprising and skilled local workforce to drive forward the sustainable long-term growth of the Rotherham economy and allow it to compete in an increasingly global economy. 

Following endorsement work would continue with the Business Growth Board to make sure that actions underneath the Strategy were put into place and an action plan drawn up with meaningful milestones and targets. 

The Strategy had a role for schools to work with businesses and Enterprise Co-ordinators and one good example was the event held at Magna recently.  This was also linked to the advanced manufacturing employment sector with gains in terms of companies such as McLaren, Boeing and Rolls Royce, not just in Rotherham, but across the whole innovation district.

This report had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board as part of the pre-scrutiny process who were in support of the recommendations, subject to the design of the document being accessible, consideration of what steps could be taken to address barriers to employment or training such as lack of photographic identification or access to bank accounts, how meaningful work experience opportunities could be given to young people, that the Equality Analysis be reviewed to ensure that it reflects sex/gender inequality in the employment and skills market and that a detailed action plan be provided with clear, targets, milestones and measures in three months’ time to Improving Places Select Commission.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the Rotherham Employment and Skills Strategy be endorsed.

(2)  That responsibility for delivering and monitoring of the Strategy sits with the Business Growth Board of the Rotherham Together Partnership (RTP) be noted.

(3)  That monitoring of the Strategy on a six-monthly basis, with the results reported through the Business Growth Board of RTP, be noted.