Content

8.1

The Committee considered a report of the
Executive Director, City Futures Portfolio, which sought approval
for the final Sheffield Employment and Skills Strategy document and
accompanying Action Plan and asked the Committee to formally adopt
the strategy.  

 

 

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the
Economic Development and Skills Policy Committee:
 

a)   
Notes the progress made to finalise the Sheffield Employment &
Skills Strategy and role of stakeholders, including Sheffield
Employment & Skills Advisory Board (SESAB) partners, in
developing this strategy on behalf of the city.

b)   
Approve the strategy document and Action Plan, and adopt the
strategy

c)   
Instruct the Council’s Employment, Skills & Economy
Service to provide ongoing project management and administrative
support to ensure: (i) monitoring of
strategy outcomes, (ii) production of an annual outcomes report,
(iii) an annual update to the Action Plan, and (iv) an annual
refresh of the Evidence Base Dataset

 

 

8.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

8.3.1

By noting the progress made by SESAB partners
to develop the Sheffield Employment & Skills Strategy,
approving and adopting this strategy, and endorsing the proposed
approach for monitoring and reporting, EDPSC will enable city
partners to adopt the strategy and begin delivering against agreed
actions, to the benefit of residents, businesses, providers and
other employment & skills stakeholders. EDPSC will also ensure
a robust approach is taken towards the monitoring of partner
activity and reporting of outcomes to assess collective
performance, in terms of delivering on the three core missions
outlined in the strategy.

 

 

8.4

Alternatives
Considered and Rejected

 

 

8.4.1

Alternative Option 1: Delay the launch
of the Sheffield Employment & Skills Strategy to enable further
consultation and/or development work, with further input from the
EDSPC Task & Finish Group The project has been in delivery
since April 2024, with extensive input from a range of SESAB
partners, the Task & Finish Group and EDSPC. By reviewing the
existing draft products and the direction the project is taking,
Members have an early opportunity to validate the approach or
suggest alternations to ensure strategic alignment. The project has
gone through two rounds of consultation with a broad range of
stakeholders, and is underpinned by a
robust evidence base. Consensus has been reached among SESAB
partners, who are satisfied with the content of the strategy and
the proposed approach to move forward into delivery; further
consultation and/or development work would increase project costs
and delay adoption and implementation. April 2025 may be a timely
moment to launch the strategy, with further devolution in
employment & skills taking place and South Yorkshire’s
Economic Inactivity Trailblazer and NHSE Growth Accelerator
programmes getting underway as part of Pathways to Work.

 

 

8.4.2

Alternative Option 2: Adopt the
strategy but appoint an external consultant to monitor delivery. In
this scenario, EDPSC would approve the strategy but instruct the
appointment of an independent contractor to provide a monitoring
and reporting function for SESAB. This would be in place of SCC, as
the SESAB secretariat, providing this governance function. The role
of the consultant Page 45 would include liaising with Action Area
lead organisations, undertaking bi[1]annual monitoring to assess progress, producing
an annual outcomes report and providing an operational link between
Action Area Groups outside of formal SESAB meetings. This option
would incur ongoing costs, which are likely to be significant and
incurred by SCC on behalf of SESAB, on the basis that SESAB has no
budget or mechanism for funding a commission. SCC would have
greater flexibility to absorb the resourcing requirements and
additional costs of providing this function, as part of its wider
strategic work within local employment & skills.