Agenda item

Resolved: The Committee recommended that funding should be made available from borough wide community infrastructure levy funding for a employment training and business support programme.

6.1    Fen Beckman (Head of Economy and Partnerships) introduced the report, the following key points were noted:

·         The report set out how the Economy and Partnerships Service supported the implementation of the Corporate Strategy.

·         Documents appended to the report (The Local Economic Assessment; Creative and Digital Industries Strategy; and the Creative and Digital Industries Spatial Guidance) would form a central part of the new inclusive growth strategy.

·         It was proposed that a draft of the inclusive growth strategy would be presented to the Committee at a future meeting.

6.2    Fen Beckman, Joe Dromey (Cabinet Member for Culture, Jobs and Skills (job share)) and Fiona Colley (Director of Strategy and Communications) responded to questions from the Committee, the following key points were noted:

·         All of the apprentices on the Mayor’s apprenticeships scheme were people accessing first jobs – or those changing careers across a range of ages.

·         Some workforce progression schemes used the apprenticeship levy to fund workforce training. This was also apprenticeship participation – but not in a classical sense. Workforce progression was an important function of apprenticeship funding.

·         The Council attempted to use all of the apprenticeship levy funding that it had available – through traditional apprenticeships; workforce progression and through funding apprenticeships in other organisations.

·         Monitoring was being set up to oversee the funding being used to place apprentices in other organisations.

·         Officers in Economy and Partnerships worked with heads of the Council’s services to find suitable locations for new apprenticeships. The team had also looked at the areas of highest agency spend.

·         Even though apprentices could be brought in at different levels of the organisation and at different ages they could not fill all of the gaps in the Council’s workforce.

·         Further work would take place in the future to ensure that the Mayor’s apprenticeship scheme would meet the needs of the Council – and that it was targeted (using pay progression as one means) to ensure that it would fulfil the ambitions of the corporate strategy.

·         The Council didn’t have a current industrial strategy – but it had a number of programmes and strategies that formed all of the elements of a successful strategy.

·         The forthcoming publication of the London industrial strategy provided an opportunity for Lewisham to develop its own strategy. Councillors’ contribution into the new strategy would be welcomed.

·         Some work was being carried out to improve Lewisham’s digital infrastructure – to ensure that high-speed internet infrastructure was available to businesses.

·         Some work had been carried out to encourage inward investment in the borough.

·         The Council’s focus was on supporting small and medium sized businesses. There was a small number of large employers in the borough – but some of the largest employers were public sector ‘anchor institutions’. Work was taking place to ensure that these institutions helped to support the local economy.

·         A great deal of work had taken place to secure the DEK in Ladywell following some instances of anti-social behaviour.

·         Some businesses had moved back into the Ladywell offices. Work was taking place to attract new tenants. Mayor and Cabinet would also be asked for a decision about the long term future of the DEK programme.

·         There were a number of programmes in Lewisham that supported businesses from initial ideas and start-up advice to business growth advice and support for businesses in collaboration with regional higher education providers.

·         The Economy and Partnerships team kept a register of available space for small businesses in the borough.

6.3    In the Committee’s discussions – the following key points were also noted:

·         The Committee commended the work carried out by the team.

·         Members recommended that there should be a process for apprentices to anonymously report concerns about their working conditions/pay where they were placed in other organisations but funded by the Council.

·         The Committee recommended that the service should work with Council teams to determine where apprentices were most needed (specifically in planning and social work)

·         Members would welcome the development of an industrial strategy, which made the most of Lewisham’s assets.

·         Members welcomed the content of the Local Economic Assessment; Creative and Digital Industries Strategy; and the Creative and Digital Industries Spatial Guidance. (Councillor Ingleby requested that some specific passages from each of the documents be highlighted. These are appended to the minutes for reference).

·         The Committee welcomed the focus on ‘place shaping’ and creativity in the Strategy, Assessment and Guidance.

·         Members expressed concerns about the lack of space for small business.

·         The Committee encouraged the team to ensure that it worked closely with the planning service.

·         Members expressed concern about the perceived bias towards projects in the north of the borough to the detriment of the south.

6.4    Resolved: The Committee recommended that funding should be made available from borough wide community infrastructure levy funding for a employment training and business support programme.