The Lancashire Skills and Employment Board met to discuss a range of issues relating to skills and employment in the county, including the evolving Lancashire Economic Plan, the government’s “Get British Working” white paper and an update from the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub.

Lancashire Combined County Authority and Devolution Update

The board received a verbal update on the progress of devolution in Lancashire. The Lancashire Combined County Authority is being created following Lancashire County Council's successful bid for devolution in 2023. The council is due to receive £5.6bn in funding over the next 30 years to improve transport, housing and skills. The Board were scheduled to be told that:

conversations were ongoing to establish a Devolution deal and conversations around the governance structure of the Combined County Authority were still being had.

The Board were also scheduled to receive a presentation on the Lancashire Economic plan, and to discuss the relationship between local colleges, the Lancashire Business Board, and the Combined County Authority.

Careers Hub and associated projects - priorities for 24/25

The board were scheduled to receive a presentation on this topic from:

• Mark Bowman, CEO of Inspira
• Kay Vaughan, Careers Hub Lead at Inspira and
• Kerry Harrison of the Digital Skills Partnership, Skills.Hub

Inspira is a Lancashire-based charity providing careers advice, skills training and personal development programmes. The Careers Hub is a Department for Education programme designed to support schools and colleges to improve careers education. The Digital Skills Partnership is a Lancashire-based organisation working to improve digital skills in the county.

Update from Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub and Partners

The board were scheduled to receive a report providing an update from the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub. The Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub is a partnership between Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, and the Lancashire colleges.

The following key points were scheduled to be highlighted:

• The progress of the Careers Hub in Lancashire.
• A pilot scheme which saw school students visit digital businesses.
• A scheme which saw teachers and tutors visit Lancashire businesses.
• The Early Connect pilot with the Department for Education.
• The FE Bursary Programme, funded by the Ministry of Defence.
• The success of Skills Bootcamps in Lancashire.
• The appetite to take forward a supported employment programme.
• The Young Apprenticeships Grants scheme.
• The Lancashire & South Cumbria Work Well Partnership Programme.
• The Lancashire Skills Pledge.

The Skills Pledge is an initiative from the Lancashire Skills Hub in which Lancashire businesses are encouraged to sign up to a set of commitments to support skills and employment in the county.

Get Britain Working White Paper and Connect to Work

The board were scheduled to receive a presentation on the government’s “Get Britain Working” white paper and the Connect to Work scheme.

The “Get Britain Working” white paper was published by the government in May 2024 and sets out a plan to get more people into work. Connect to Work is a Department for Work and Pensions scheme that helps employers to fill vacancies by connecting them with jobseekers who are claiming benefits.