The Resources Scrutiny Committee of Derbyshire Council was scheduled to meet on Thursday, 26 February 2026, to discuss the council's Talent Strategy, with a particular focus on apprenticeships, and to receive an update on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in the Derby and Derbyshire area. The meeting agenda also included provisions for public questions.

Talent Strategy

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the development of Derbyshire County Council's Talent Strategy, with a specific focus on apprenticeships and preparations for an Apprentice Recruitment Pilot planned for September 2026. The report highlighted ongoing activity to identify key roles across the council suitable for apprenticeships. Recruitment was underway for various apprentice vacancies, including Business Administrator roles within Corporate Services and Transformation (CST), Customer Service Specialist and Practitioner roles within Call Derbyshire, and Construction Civil Engineering roles within Highways Maintenance. Other identified apprenticeship areas included Civil Engineering Technician, Comms and Marketing, and Data Protection and Information Governance Practitioner roles within the Place department, as well as Adult Care Worker roles within Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH), and Production Chef and Hospitality Supervisor roles within Catering (CS).

The report detailed that fourteen apprentice roles were live, with the remaining nine in CST awaiting executive director approval. Apprentice roles in Highways and Digital were slated for advertisement in the spring. To support the recruitment campaign, videos featuring current and former Derbyshire apprentices were created and disseminated as part of National Apprenticeship Week. Further filming was planned, and the council had participated in outreach activities with Derby University to promote apprenticeship opportunities to students and colleges.

Forthcoming actions included monitoring application levels, creating role-specific videos, developing a short-term attraction plan to engage with local schools and colleges, and producing visual career pathway materials to illustrate longer-term opportunities and retention plans. The committee was also to be updated on the development of an assessment and selection approach for the recruitment process.

Furthermore, the council had developed a new apprenticeship dashboard to manage spend against the Growth & Skills Levy (formerly the Apprenticeship Levy) and improve forecasting. Financial data as of February 2026 indicated a total levy available of £4,333,237, with £2,239,165 spent since August 2024. The report also noted plans to support Digital Services colleagues in launching an AI Skills Learning Pathway, with the aspiration of launching a council-wide AI apprenticeship cohort from April 2026. Additionally, an additional enrolment window for the leadership apprenticeship programme in 2026 had been created, with seventeen leaders set to begin their apprenticeships. Eleven leaders would commence a Level 5 Operations Manager apprenticeship, and six would start a Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship.

The committee was recommended to note the work undertaken and the current position regarding the apprenticeship pilot and to agree whether a further report was required for the next meeting.

Local Government Reorganisation Update

The committee was scheduled to receive a presentation providing an update on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) concerning the Derby and Derbyshire area. This followed a previous briefing on 11 December 2026, which covered the national context for LGR, the council's proposal submitted on 28 November 2026, and members' initial views. The committee's role in supporting the council's approach to LGR was discussed, with an agreement that it would receive regular updates to provide views and advice, potentially taking on a broader review and scrutiny role as decisions affecting council resources were made.

The presentation was expected to cover general LGR developments across England, specific updates for Derby and Derbyshire, an updated timeline for LGR, the council's approach to the current government consultation, and its preparatory activities ahead of any government decision on new local government structures. Members were recommended to consider and discuss the matters presented and provide views to support the council's developing approach. The report noted that LGR is a key priority for change, outlined in strategic objective 17 of the Council Plan delivery framework.

Public Questions

The agenda also allocated a maximum of 30 minutes for public questions. Members of the public who are registered electors, council taxpayers, or non-domestic ratepayers in Derbyshire were eligible to ask questions of the committee or attending council officers. A procedure for submitting questions in advance was outlined, requiring written notice by noon three working days before the meeting. Questions could be rejected if they exceeded 200 words, were not about a matter for which the committee had responsibility, were defamatory, frivolous, offensive, substantially the same as previous questions, or required the disclosure of confidential information. Questions received by the deadline would be shared with respondents, with written answers requested by 5 pm the working day before the meeting. A schedule of questions and responses would be made available 30 minutes prior to the meeting. Questioners would be invited to ask a supplementary question arising directly from the original question or the reply. Any questions not answered within the allocated time would be answered in writing.