Agenda and minutes

Members will disclose any pecuniary and any other significant interests they may have in relation to the matters to be considered at this meeting.

None.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 9 December 2021.

The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 9 December 2021 were confirmed as a correct record.

A presentation by Geoff Mason and Jamie Jervis-Parker for Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

Geoff Mason, Lancashire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), submitted a presentation and provided an update on the recent work of the LSIP including the Lancashire Employment Skills Survey.

He explained the purpose of the Local Skills Improvement Plans were to put employers at the heart of skills decisions made in the local area.

Geoff Mason covered the following key points of the presentation:

·         The Employers Skills Survey

·         The sector split across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre

·         Service sector spilt across Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre

·         A breakdown of the manufacturing sector – priority areas now and in the future

·         Barriers found

·         General issues identified

·         Other research activity

·         The future of the Lancashire Local Skills Plan

He assured the board that the completed report, scheduled for the end of March 2022, would include a detailed analysis of the requirements needed for each sector.

Garry Payne, Chief Executive of Wyre Council, mentioned the ongoing work of Lancashire 2050, which set out the headline themes including employment skills, which could be included in a long-term strategic plan and ambition for Greater Lancashire and suggested that the LSIP report be circulated to the policy team to be used as evidence.

In response to questions posed by Councillor Smith, Geoff Mason updated the board that the results of the work have shown that many businesses rely entirely on in-house training and explained some of the issues surrounding this. He then addressed some of the issues with ageing workforces, such as being less willing to take on new training and experience gaps. He also touched on the implications of working from home and how many businesses were looking at more blended ways of learning.

Daryl Platt brought the boards’ attention to the potential benefits of the lifelong loan entitlement.

Additional questions and comments were raised regarding opportunities for graduates, the implementation of the plan and explored links with training associations.

In response to a question around the detail of survey responses, Geoff Mason explained a second survey that they were currently analysing, which asked for more detail of experiences with local providers, he also added that follow up interviews with survey respondents had taken place.

The Chairman, Councillor Henderson, thanked Geoff Mason for his thorough presentation.

A presentation by Daryl Platt, Vice Principal – Engagement at Blackpool and the Fylde College.

Daryl Platt, Vice Principle Engagement at Blackpool and the Fylde College, submitted a presentation that provided an overview of the green job opportunities and skill gaps on the Fylde Coast and what the college was doing to address this topic.

Daryl Platt introduced his presentation that covered the following key topics:

·         The complexity of the green jobs economy (business, jobs, skills)

·         Green job titles

·         Skills for green jobs

·         ‘Greenifying’ traditional jobs

·         Green job group trends and job roles statistics

·         Where recruitment is rising

·         Job Posting Analytics data and average salaries

·         Blackpool and the Fylde College and green provision and meeting the 10 point green plan

·         Lancashire Institute of Technology (IoT programme)

Garry Payne alluded to the potential issue of continued upskilling resulting in a gap of more ‘traditional industry’ skills such as petrol and diesel mechanics. Daryl Platt confirmed that the age of people taking these traditional qualifications would evaporate over time, however assured the board that currently there were still young people taking these qualifications and electric modules were built on top of these existing modules.

Further questions were asked, regarding electric cars, home charging points, and additional businesses, such as Dennis Eagle, for the Lancashire Institute of Technology.

The Chairman thanked Daryl Platt for his attendance and contributions to the meeting.

The discussion of the reports submitted under items 7 and 8 of this agenda may involve the disclosure of “exempt information”, as defined in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972. If at any point during the meeting, the board wishes to move to confidential session, it will need to pass the following resolution:

 “That the public and press be excluded from the meeting whilst the remaining agenda items are considered, on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in category 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act, 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Variation Order 2006 and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information”.

The Economic Prosperity Board agreed that the public and press be excluded from the meeting whilst agenda items 7 and 8 were considered, on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in category 3 (Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person, including the authority holding that information) of Part 1 of Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act, 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Variation Order 2006 and, that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of the Head of Enterprise Zones, Blackpool Council.

Rob Green, Head of the Enterprise Zone, submitted a report on the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

Rob Green introduced the report and summarised some of the key points in the report.

Councillor Karen Buckley raised her concern at the proposed change of logo for the Enterprise Zone, particularly with the removal of the word airport, as she believed this to be misleading.

Following thorough discussion, the board agreed for Nicole Billington, Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone Marketing and Administration Officer, to go back to the Enterprise Zone Governance Committee and the LEP and raise the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Economic Prosperity Board’s concerns with the logo change.

It was also suggested that Sarah Kemp, LEP, be invited to a future meeting of the EPB to provide an update.

The report was noted.

Report of the Head of Enterprise Zones, Blackpool Council.

Rob Green, Head of the Enterprise Zone, submitted a report on the Hillhouse Technology Enterprise Zone.

Rob Green introduced the report and summarised some of the key points in the report.

He updated the board that they had received feedback from one of the submitted proposals to the Department for International Trade (DIT).

In addition, he highlighted the potential issue caused by the manufacturing of hydrogen on Hillhouse that could result in the ruling out of data centre opportunities.

The report was noted.

The Chairman thanked Rob Green for his reports and contributions.

The board to discuss the following proposed dates and times:

•         Thursday 9 June 2022 – 2pm

•         Thursday 8 September 2022 – 2pm

•         Thursday 8 December 2022 – 2pm

•         Thursday 2 March 2023 – 2pm

The board agreed the following dates for future meetings of Economic Prosperity Board:

·         Thursday 9 June 2022 – 2pm

·         Thursday 8 September 2022 – 2pm

·         Thursday 8 December 2022 – 2pm

·         Thursday 2 March 2023 – 2pm

Both presentation slides from this meeting have been attached to the minutes.