Apprenticeships East Sussex - terms of reference
Aims and priorities
Apprenticeships East Sussex (AES) is the county’s strategic body for apprenticeships, with the key aim of ensuring the growth of apprenticeships in East Sussex. Apprenticeships East Sussex is a sub-board of Skills East Sussex, the employment and skills board for the county.
The purpose of Apprenticeships East Sussex is to:
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Work collectively to agree priorities and set the direction of apprenticeship strategy in East Sussex.
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To understand and represent the three pillars of apprenticeships – apprentices, employers and training providers – and undertake to ensure that each have their needs met within the system.
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To horizon scan and identify change, challenge and issues arising, and where appropriate to lobby to address such issues where they impact on apprentices, employers and/or training providers.
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To provide oversight and enable the coordination of key stakeholders, strategies and communication plans.
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To ensure alignment with the Careers and Enterprise Company’s Apprenticeships and Technical Education (ATE) framework to support identification of challenges and develop an AES annual action plan.
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To incorporate the Skills East Sussex priorities and key sectors in planning.
How Apprenticeships East Sussex will work
Apprenticeships East Sussex will act as the strategic body for apprenticeships in the county and will:
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Meet on a quarterly basis. Agendas and background papers will be sent to members at least five working days prior to meetings.
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Minutes of actions and decisions will be circulated to members for approval no later than ten working days following each meeting, and actions will be monitored as a standing item at subsequent meetings.
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Report on key actions from the AES annual action plan to the Skills East Sussex board.
Membership, decision-making and secretariat
Membership
Members of Apprenticeships East Sussex will include representatives that can advocate on behalf of and represent the three pillars of apprenticeships – apprentice, employer and training provider – including:
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Local authority stakeholders – East Sussex County Council (ESCC), District and Borough Councils.
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Apprentice representative bodies – the East Sussex Youth Employability Service (YES), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the prime contractor for delivery of National Careers Service, CXK.
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Employer and/or industry representative bodies – for example Chambers of Commerce, industry bodies and local employers.
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Training Provider representative bodies and strategic partners – Sussex Council of Training Providers (SCTP), East Sussex College, Plumpton College, the University of Brighton and local independent training providers.
Decision-making
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Attend all meetings. With the consent of the Chair, members may send a substitute.
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Commit to undertaking actions agreed at AES meetings and in the action plan
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Input in to and agree the annual plan in line with aims and priorities set out above
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Input in to and agree agenda items for each meeting
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Bring forward issues and ideas for debate and decision
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Feed in and out from the organisation(s) that they represent to ensure relevant input to the meeting
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Recognise and disclose any activities that might give rise to conflicts of interest.
Secretariat
The Secretariat for Apprenticeships East Sussex will be provided by East Sussex County Council (ESCC). Meetings will be chaired by an ESCC Employability and Skills Manager, who will:
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Chair meetings.
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Ensure that all representatives have a fair and equal opportunity to contribute to debate.
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Act as the key spokesperson for Apprenticeships East Sussex, where necessary.
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Agree all Apprenticeships East Sussex papers and action tracker before circulation.
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Make sure that conflicts of interest are properly managed or avoided.
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Organise meetings, agree dates and venues, and provide agendas and background papers.
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Ensure that papers and action tracker are circulated in accordance with these Terms of Reference.