New Anglia Skills Advisory Panel Meeting
21st January 2021
Via Microsoft Teams
MINUTES OF MEETING
In attendance:
Tom Brown, Green Light Trust (TB)
Ben Miller, Independent (BM)
Yvonne Mason, The Mason Trust (YM)
Christine Futter, Norfolk and Suffolk Care
Support (CF)
Claire Cullens, New Anglia LEP Board and
Visitors:
SAP Chair (CC)
Ed Shorthouse, New Anglia LEP (ES)
Clarke Willis, Swallow Barns (CW)
Polly Bridgman, University of Suffolk (PB)
Cllr Stuart Clancy, Norfolk County Council
Rich McLean, West Suffolk College (RM)
(SC)
Richard Balls, New Anglia LEP (RB)
Corrienne Peasgood, City College Norwich
Simon Papworth, New Anglia LEP (SP)
(CP)
David Gartland, Abbeygate 6th Form (DG)
Apologies:
David Pomfret, College of West Anglia
Bev Moxon, ESFA (BMo)
(DP)
Chris Gribble, Writers’ Centre Norwich
Glen Todd, New Anglia LEP (GT)
(CG)
Jan Feeney, Norfolk County Council (JF)
Cllr Mary Evans, Suffolk County Council
Jason Parnell, Steadfast Training (JP)
(ME)
Julia Nix, DWP (JN)
Dayle Bayliss, Dayle Bayliss Associates
Karen Gibson, Norfolk County Council (KG)
(DB)
Karin Porter, Norfolk County Council (KP)
Guy Hazelhurst, EDF (GH)
Lucy Walker, ESFA (LW)
Helen Langton (Professor), University of
Michael Gray, Suffolk County Council (MG)
Suffolk (HL)
Natasha Waller, New Anglia LEP (NW)
Judith Mobbs, Suffolk County Council (JM)
Nova Fairbank, Norfolk Chamber of
Nikos Savvas, West Suffolk College (NS)
Commerce (NF)
Peter Basford, BDO Group (PB)
Paul Simon, Suffolk Chamber of
Stuart Smith, People with Energy (SS)
Commerce
Tom Humphries, Norfolk County Council
Richard Bridgman, Warren Services (RB)
(TH)
Seb Gasse, NCC (SG)
Tracey Cox, ESFA (TC)
Stuart Rimmer, East Coast College (SR)
Vince Muspratt, Norfolk County Council
Richard Self, agricultural representative
(VP)
(RS)
Viv Gillespie, Suffolk New College (VG)
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Item 1: Welcome
Claire Cullens welcomed everyone to the meeting especially Paul Simon who is the new
representative for Suffolk Chamber of Commerce.
The minutes were reviewed and approved.
Follow up on actions:
- JN met with other LEP members around how Job Centre Plus can support them. JN did raise
the issue about not having a list of SAP email addresses.
- ES had sent district and sector updates to members that requested. He is happy to circulate
wider if contacted.
ACTION: Members to let NW know if they have any concerns about sharing email addresses
with other SAP members.
Item 2: The Current Landscape
JN reported the following:
Universal claimants in Norfolk - 21% are 18-24 year old / 26% are 50+
Universal claimants in Suffolk - 20% are 18-24 year old / 26% are 50+
Overall there has been an 121% increase in Norfolk and 118% in Suffolk.
355 employers have engaged with Kickstart in East Anglia and 35 Gateways have been established
offering 3847 placements.
In Norfolk, 313 young people have been referred to 20 live positions and in Suffolk, 358 young people
have been referred to 20 different live positions.
RB mention that he was only just aware of the support available to redundant apprentices, YM would
like more information about where jobs are in order to direct young people and CW commented
about the need for more people entering the agri-food industry.
ACTION: NW to send RB information about ReSSA.
CP gave an impromptu update on the Skills White Paper - Skills For Jobs - which had just arrived in
her email box! Key items include:
- Putting employers at the heart of post 16 education
- Developing local skills improvement plans
- Trialling of opportunities/approaches
- Aligning education to employer-led standards
- Commitments to apprenticeships and traineeships
- Business centres for colleges/sectors
- More value on advanced and higher technical skills - L3 - 5
- Flexible lifetime skills guarantee
- The workforce supporting skills shortages
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Item 3: Local Skills Report
CC re-introduced members to the concept of the Local Skills Report reminding them that it is a
requirement for DfE and is a baseline for what we have achieved and what we are going to do. We
should also develop a communication engagement tool from it.
NW stated that the SAP were agreeing to the majority of the report but there would need to be
minor adjustments and design work.
The report was reviewed chapter by chapter, leaving Chapter 1/The Foreword to last.
Chapter 2
- No comments.
Chapter 3
- TB commented on lack of narrative around the VCSE sector. SP stated that it is difficult to find data
however LEP/TB/CC would meet again to forward the development of a sector skills plan and include
narrative in the Local Skills Report to show this intention.
- CW commented about increasing need for UK staff in food processing and that not being identified.
NW/SP commented it is likely to appear in AgriFood and Manufacturing so sometimes difficult to get
a true picture.
- CF raised concerns that in Health & Social Care, higher level qualifications often steered people into
management as opposed to widening skills sets.
- DP commented that their School of Nursing, supported by the Towns Fund, would bring about a
Level 5 for the college. He also commented on the importance of HE within a FE environment.
- CP commented that it would be useful to get a wider breakdown of the levels not just the wider L4+
band.
- RB commented that productivity sometimes drives down job numbers but LEP funding encourages
job creation.
- YM would like to see more information about economic growth related to sectors. NW/SP directed
her to our ES/LIS plus GT will be released some LMI data for the EAN/schools to use.
Chapter 4
- CW stated that we should spell out the link to the sector skills plan groups to a greater extent.
Chapter 5
- SR asked if there were any higher level education initiatives that we could raise the profile of.
Chapter 6
- YM asked what the LEP is doing around IT/Broadband connectivity issues.
Chapter 7
Case study around Kickstart placements at Suffolk Libraries had just come into the LEP and was being
added.
Chapter 8
- KP commented that the digital awareness of young people should not be over-estimated.
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- CP wondered how attainment was going to measured for young people in 2020/21 as GCSE and A
level results were not being published
- TB would like more clarification on how we are going to continue the legacy work of the
Opportunity Areas
ACTION: NW to review comments with SP, ES, MG, KG & JF
ACTION: NW to get an update from LEP Infrastructure manager re Broadband and will circulate to
members.
Item 4: Feedback from Economic Recovery Group Deep Dive on Skills & Next Steps
CC gave an update on the skills update at the Economic Recovery Group. This had a focus on the
Covid-19 recovery work. Key take away messages were:
- Group are heartened and positively surprised about what has been taking place
- Keen that knowledge and skills of workers who are being made redundant is retained, particularly
with the older age cohort
- Aspiration and inspiration is vital
- Need to support adult learners
- There needs to be a seamless link between employment support, education and jobs.
- No additional projects needed but ensure as much linkages as possible with existing ones.
CC said the SAP needs a balance of delivery and strategy of which communications is a big part. The
champion groups are working well so they need to continue, reporting quarterly via written report
and asking for time on the SAP agenda when there are big updates or issues to be solved.
SAP will look at broader issues supporting business engagement with skills and
communication. With this in mind, a communication task & finish group will be established.
CC also encouraged members to consider their workload and interest levels for 2021. She
understands if any member feels the need to resign at this time.
Action: NW to be informed by members if they want to join the comms group.
Action: Members to inform CC/NW if they need to resign.
Item 5: AOB
RB informed members that businesses in Thetford were fundraising to buy 100
Chromebooks for school pupils in the town. CC said that Norfolk Community Foundation
with NCC have written to schools and have gathered intelligence on demand.
ACTION: CC to speak with RB
Next meeting scheduled for March 18th at 10am.
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