MINUTES
ECONOMIC WELLBEING GROUP MEETING
Date/Time: 19 November 2014, 10:30-12:30pm
Venue: Wandle Valley Resource Centre
Attendees:
(DS) Diana Sterck (Chair), Merton Chamber of Commerce
(CND) Cllr Nick Draper, Community and Culture
(RK) Ray Kinsella, Merton Chamber of Commerce
(SB) Steve Boucher, Grenfell Housing and Training
(JO) Joyce Ogunade, LBM Employment and Skills Officer
(RH) Robyn Harley, Capital Training Group
(IB) Ian Beever, MVSC
(PMG) Paul McGivern, LBM School Improvement Inspector
(SF) Steve Farrow, Training and Recruitment Partnership
(MS) Mellisa Stewart, Merton CSF Commissioning Manager
(AP) Amy Potter, LBM Public Health Team
(AO) Abigail Okuley, Future Merton Finance and Administration Officer
Apologies:
Naomi Martin, Commonside Development Trust
Sara Williams, LBM Regeneration, Investment & Renewal Manager
Jacqui Cayenne, Circle Housing Merton Priory
Blanch Williams, Circle Housing Merton Priory
Gallal Muflahi, LBM Apprenticeships & Skills Development Adviser
Jamie Stevenson, South Thames College
Sarah Horrell, South Thames College
Caroline Quinn. MOAT
Yvonne Tomlinson-Miller, Merton Adult Education
Anne Hoblyn, Merton Job Centre Plus
Agenda:
1. Introductions and apologies
2. Minutes / Matters arising from last meeting
3. Employment and Skills Action Plan Refresh
4. P1. Increasing employer demand and take-up of apprenticeships
5. P2. Employer engagement
6. P3. Simplifying the employer offer
7. P4. Supporting those furthest from the labour market
8. P5. Co-ordination and joint funding
9. P6. Promoting the Merton employer offer
10. P7. Co-ordination of apprenticeship programmes and outreach across the borough
11. Input to Partnership Newsletter
12. AOB
Date of next meeting
1.
AGENDA ITEM
Introductions and apologies (see above)
ACTION
1
2.
Minutes of the last meeting / matters arising
-
Agreed
Matters Arising:
2. Matters arising: P2 Employer engagement - “All to forward any
apprenticeship case studies to DS”
Matters Arising / 6. P4: Simplifying employer offer – “S Farrow to head
sub group”
- See item 6a.
4, P2: “RH to forward toolkit links to Group”
- Action completed
(Recurring item)
All to forward
case studies on
apprenticeships
/ work
experience /
volunteering /
traineeships to
DS for
publicising on
MCC website
-
7b, P5: Co-ordination and joint funding ESF / ERDF update - “next
meeting agenda item”
- See item 7
9, P7 Co-ordination of apprenticeship programmes and outreach across
the borough - “next meeting agenda item”
- See item 9
3.
11, AOB: KT, NEET update – “NEET’s update to be recurring item on
agenda
- See item 6b.
P1 Increasing employer demand and take-up of apprenticeships
Electronic note provided by Gallal Muflahi (attached)
Update on
Apprenticeships for the London Borough of Merton - October 2014 (2).docx
-
Request made
for
apprenticeship
update to
include ward
data
-
Supply chain
event next
agenda item
Questions / comments;
- CND: Green space apprenticeships to be protected in
tender/procurement process
- MS: When the council is commissioning services, is the potential for
taking on apprentices or recruiting local people part of policy?
A discussion took place regarding the organisation of a supply chain
/ procurement event, hosted by LB Merton and Partners across the
borough
4
5.
P2. Employer engagement,
ASSP update, RH
- 64 delegates attended workshops
- Delegates teams- from various local authorities - are completing
their Action Plans, for evaluation
- Dissemination event will take place 4 December at the House of
Commons – hosted by MP Steven Hammond
- Project will come to an end in December. ASSP Phase 2 to be will
be decided Conference will take place / it will be decided in January
phase 2 to be decide
P3 Simplifying employer offer
Take One
- 184 vacancies identified – conversion rate of suitable candidates
increasingly better
- Discussion took place re local placements and jobs for Merton
-
RH and DS to
look at getting
apprentices to
attend HoC
event
-
SF to liaise with
JCP to give a
presentation re
apprenticeships
2
-
6.
residents - it was agreed, going forward, to collect data of on the
number of Merton residents placed
It was also agreed to arrange a targeted activity on Phipps Bridge in
order to engage residents re skills pathways
-
P4 Supporting those furthest from the market
6.a EWG subgroup - “Adult skills initiatives and apprenticeships”
Meeting is to be re-arranged from 27/11 in order for JCP reps to be
in attendance
Objects will be based around identifying who the local people are,
where they are, their skills set, what Group can do for them
Discussion took place re anticipated challenges, barriers of the
various data sets / cohorts
Next meeting
agenda item /
RK to invite Bec
to next meeting
-
6.b NEET’s update
N/a
6.c Grenfell training update, SB
- Care pilot in partnership with Home Instead – 5 applications put
forward all 5 successful. Another programme will be run in the near
future
7.
P5. Co-ordination and joint funding
7a. New Flexible Support Fund Update, SB
Community Learning Fund, London Learning Consortium – 32k
match fund bid was successful (film projects and driving lessons)
-
7b. ESF Big Lottery, IB
Consultation from BIG now closed on what ESF will look like - to
be focused on social inclusion and barriers to work, linked to
LEP priorities
MVSC, as lead partner, will broker a number of voluntary
community groups re bid submission
-
7c. ESF London Councils, DS
New prospectus launch to take place 11 December
What is relevant to this group
What match funding is required
Lead partner
7d.ESF SFA, DS
LEP is now delayed and won’t be out until 2015.
DS suggested EWG should start to prepare in anticipation of
putting a bid when the time comes.
7e. Other opportunities
DS: GLA Market warming event for prospectus about to be
issued on employer engagement and apprenticeships.
Ties in with Mayors apprenticeships target for March 2015
Merton to put forward a bid
8.
P6. Promoting the Merton employment offer
- Latest newsletter released 18/11
- Next edition will be in January
- In addition to the organisations and council departments
represented on EWG, the newsletter is currently circulated to;
-
All to let JO
know of other
Groups to add
3

Attendees on the Merton and Sutton apprenticeship forum
LBM Library Services
Raising the Participation Age group
An extensive discussion took place re communication strategy/ies


-
-
to circulation
list
Communication
objective next
meeting agenda
9.
P7. Co-ordination of apprenticeship programmes and outreach
across the borough,
- No formal announcement been made – deadline slipped from 2016
to 2017. Rumoured announcement to be made after the General
Election
-
10.
Input to Partnership newsletter (Merton Together)
Future deadlines:
16 January 2015
9 March 2015
10 May 2015
10 July 2015
11.
AOB
- PM: Merton only Local Authority GSCE results have increased
2013/14
- IB: Public Health new alcohol strategy for borough
- CND: LB Merton - Small business award winners – congratulations
- SB: Another care group has started at Grenfell –community learning
fund – more referrals needed
- JO: Focus groups to be hosted 25 November re Action Plan refresh.
These groups are to look at the barriers individuals - who are long
term unemployed and / or carers - experience when looking for
employment.
- Pop up talent shop – employments and skills show for 16-25 year
olds
- AP: In post since October as new Consultant in LBM Public Health
Team; leading on the prevention of ill health agenda, including the
social determinants of health, and on health intelligence (data).
Please do look at the Merton Joint Strategic Needs Assessment
(JSNA) and feedback how you think it could be made more useful to
support you to make evidence-based commissioning decisions.
- SF: Cllr in Croydon has advised increase in unemployed
professionals and execs
Date of next meeting
14th January 2015
-
4