Apprenticeship East Sussex minutes: 15 September 2021
Meeting details
Date: Wednesday 15 September 2021
Time: 11.30am to 1pm
Location: Microsoft Teams
See the list of attendees and apologies for this meeting.
Actions from this meeting to be taken forward
| Number | Action detail | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| Action 1 | CB to take forward evidencing previous social value outputs in procurement to Construction Task Group and Social Value sub-group. | CB |
| Action 2 | DK to send Sussex Apprenticeship Awards to CB/VP to consider | CB/VP |
| Action 3 | CB to draft Action Plan based on comments and send with the minutes for further input. | CB |
1. Introductions, minutes and issues raised at last meeting
Brief introductions. The actions and minutes from the previous meeting were approved.
CB - Noted Stephen Burkes will be joining the ESCC Employability and Skills team in November with a role leading on the Sector Task Groups, AES and a number of projects.
Action 1
CB to take forward evidencing previous social value outputs in procurement to Construction Task Group and Social Value sub-group.
CB - Awaiting response from Restart lead about joining AES, and awaiting contact for JETS.
2. Sub-Group update
VP - Noted Apprenticeship Roadshow activity ongoing. Two 90 minute online Roadshows, one for Years 10-13 students and one for all ages, have been delivered and well received. Events showed a film with supporting materials, live vacancies, apprenticeship information and resources on an event webpage. Film included information around East Sussex priority sectors with current live vacancies and what it is like to be an apprentice. Next step is to update, repackage and offer Roadshow film to schools as a standalone resource to show during PSHE or tutor time in the autumn term and can update at a later date on final figures of attendees. Aiming to have face-to-face event this academic year.
VP - Noted Graduation event was last held in October 2019. Plans for a 2020 event were postponed due to the pandemic. AES members have fed back on timing and whether the next event should be face-to-face or virtual. An online Graduation event was recently held for Brighton and Hove in June with good turnout. If timing is a priority, then the next event would be online and take place as soon as possible. If timing is not a priority, then the next event could be face-to-face. Many providers are reporting that End Point Assessments have been delayed and therefore apprentices may not be ready to graduate in autumn. There is also concern that a face-to-face event in autumn/winter term carries financial risk of cancellation. Members agreed that it would be better to rollout a face-to-face event in spring term. Further information to follow.
DK - Raised that there is a Sussex Apprenticeship Awards ceremony being advertised but unsure whether it is going ahead.
Action 2
DK to send Sussex Apprenticeship Awards to CB/VP to consider.
3. AES priority setting and action planning for 2021/22
CB - Noted last action plan is from 2019/20 academic year. AES members have been reporting activities through the East Sussex Economic Recovery Plan, but a new action plan will enable the group to coordinate and plan activities collectively. The previous action plan was hooked to strategic priorities from Skills East Sussex (SES):
- Promoting careers information, advice and guidance
- Helping young people into world of work
- Promoting gender and equality in different sectors
- Stimulating uptake on apprenticeships
- Encouraging employer input in to the curriculum where possible
SES are setting new strategic priorities for the next 5 years:
- Upskilling our workforce to minimum Level 3
- Skills for a Net Zero future
- Enabling our FE/HE establishments to recruit excellent teachers with specialist technical knowledge
- Supporting the unemployed and unqualified
- Improving our digital skills and digital inclusion
- Ensuring that national policy supports the delivery of learning and skills in East Sussex
SB - Agreed that SES strategic priorities should be included in the action plan but divided into each sector and identify unique challenges within them. CB agreed this is where the task group focus is.
AES members agreed that the original SES priorities provide useful themes and mechanisms to hook activities in the action plan to measurable KPIs, whilst supporting to meet the new SES priorities, in particular: upskilling the workforce to minimum Level 3; skills for a Green/Net Zero future; supporting the unemployed and unqualified; improving digital skills and digital inclusion.
Action 3
CB to draft Action Plan based on comments and send with the minutes for further input.
Date of next meeting
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 8 December 2021
Time: 10am to 11.30
Location: To be confirmed
Attendees and apologies
Attendees
- CB - Caroline Bragg - East Sussex County Council - Chair
- AC - Ana Christie - Sussex Chamber of Commerce
- DK - Dan Karlsson - Plumpton College
- JB - Jo Buckley - Plumpton College
- JG - Judy Goodsell - Wealden District Council
- MB - Matt Brill - East Sussex Careers Hub
- RMo - Rose Miller - University of Brighton
- RMa - Ryan Matthews - CXK/YES
- SB - Stephen Burkes - East Sussex College Group
- ST - Sara Taylor - Lewes and Eastbourne District Councils
- VP - Vanessa Potter - Sussex Council of Training Providers
Secretariat
- Henry Clayson - East Sussex County Council
Apologies
- David Stokes, Karra Brenchley