New Anglia Skills Advisory Panel Meeting

27^th August 2020

Via Microsoft Teams

MINUTES OF MEETING

In attendance:

Ben Miller, Konica Minolta (BM)

Apologies:

Christine Futter, Norfolk and Suffolk Care

Bev Moxon, ESFA (BMo)

Support (CF)

Chris Gribble, Writers’ Centre Norwich

Claire Cullens, New Anglia LEP Board and

(CG)

SAP Chair (CC)

Cllr Mary Evans, Suffolk County Council

Clarke Willis, Swallow Barns (CW)

(ME)

Corrienne Peasgood, City College Norwich

Cllr Stuart Clancy, Norfolk County Council

(CP)

(SC)

David Gartland, Abbeygate 6^th Form (DG)

David Pomfret, College of West Anglia

Dayle Bayliss, Dayle Bayliss Associates

(DP)

Dena Read, ESFA (DR)

Helen Langton (Professor), University of

Glen Todd, New Anglia LEP (GT)

Suffolk (HL)

Guy Hazelhurst, EDF (GH)

Jan Feeney, Norfolk County Council (JF)

Jason Parnell, Steadfast Training (JP)

Lynsey Sweales, representing Norfolk

Judith Mobbs, Suffolk County Council (JM)

Chamber of Commerce (LS)

Julia Nix, DWP (JN)

Lucy Walker, ESFA (LW)

Karen Gibson, Norfolk County Council (KG)

Michael Gray, Suffolk County Council (MG)

Natasha Waller, New Anglia LEP (NW)

Nikos Savvas, West Suffolk College (NS)

Peter Basford, BDO Group (PB)

Peter Funnell, Oakmere Solutions (PF)

Richard Self, agricultural representative

Richard Bridgman, Warren Services (RB)

(RS)

Seb Gasse, NCC (SG)

Stuart Smith, People with Energy (SS)

Stuart Rimmer, East Coast College (SR)

Tracey Cox, ESFA (TC)

Tom Brown, Green Light Trust (TB)

Tom Humphries, Norfolk County Council

Visitors:

(TH)

Angela Berry, West Suffolk College (AB)

Vince Muspratt, Norfolk County Council

Karin Porter (NCC)

(VP)

Polly Bridgman, University of Suffolk (PB)

Viv Gillespie, Suffolk New College (VG)

Simon Papworth, New Anglia LEP (SP)

Yvonne Mason, The Mason Trust (YM)

Item 1: Welcome

Claire Cullens welcomed everyone to the meeting - an additional one due to urgency of the

papers.

Minutes were reviewed and approved.

Item 2: The Current Landscape

Data Update - Simon Papworth (SP)

SP gave an update on furlough data including sector uptake, differences in districts and financial

value. Similar evidence was also given on the self-employed income support scheme. The unique job

postings have also declined from the same period in 2019 but pleasingly the median wage advertised

has increased.

SP also announced that the LEP, in partnership with NCC & SCC are recruiting for a Skills Data Analyst

on a graduate internship basis to support the work of the SAP.

Item 3: The Norfolk and Suffolk Covid-19 Economic Recovery Restart Plan

NW informed members that a People delivery plan has been put together to take forward activity.

Much of this accelerates, re-purposes or further supports existing activity but we are developing the

Job Support Programme to support individuals who are facing or have been made redundant plus

carrying out business health check ups in conjunction with the Growth Hub. There are currently 300

listings on our Employment Opportunities page.

The SAP has been asked to oversee this delivery and the progress of the delivery plan. Much of the

activity will occur through the Workforce Workstream group which has been meeting since the

beginning of the lockdown period.

There was discussion about how we can link it with other work within the SAP plus externally. NW

explained that the ethos was very much like the direction of travel for the Economic Strategy and we

are keen that stakeholders support the delivery through a number of ways, not just those directly

cited in the delivery plan so we will be happy to be alerted to other projects.

ACTION: Members asked to review the Job Support Programme website pages and make comments

plus promote through their networks (https://newanglia.co.uk/job-support-programme/).

ACTION: CC asked NW to map the delivery plan against the 4 SAP objectives before the next SAP

meeting.

Item 4: IoT

NW informed members that DfE have earlier in the year announced the next round of

Institutes of Technology. Draft guidance has been issued and it is believed that there are bids

being worked up in the LEP area.

The LEP Strategy team, supported by skills officers in NCC and SCC have developed an

enhanced checklist to put a local nuance on the national guidance. The SAP group reviewing

Agile and responsive training can utilise the framework for their own statement.

There was some debate over how much involvement the LEP will be making in deciding

which local bids would go forward. CP believes she has received guidance from DfE that this

will be limited.

Other debate centred around competition with bids, framework for steering them to

maximise impact, consolidating bids and increased employer engagement.

A LEP Board paper was planned for September and the SAP were asked for agreement on

the direction of travel but CC will seek clarification from Chris Starkie.

ACTION: CC to seek further guidance from Chris Starkie.

Item 5: AOB

CC thanked NW for the work putting the delivery plan together and associated restart

activity.

Next meeting scheduled for September 17^th at 10am.

Update post SAP meeting: It has been agreed to pause the Youth Pledge Advisory Group due

to the level of activity taking place supporting young people through the SAP objective group

Equipping Young People for Success, ESF programmes and with those initiatives recently

announced by the Chancellor in his A Plan for Jobs.