Issue - meetings

Report of Commercial Director and Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy

Purpose of report

The purpose of this report is to provide an update for the Executive on the progress being made to secure construction apprenticeships arising from the planned growth across the District. It is a year since the Executive approved guidance which was intended to operate informally to secure construction apprenticeships and skills through the processing of planning applications by the Council (attached at Appendix 1). It is therefore timely to review how the initiative has been progressing.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1         To note the report.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

The Commercial Director and Head of Strategic Planning and the Economy submitted a report to provide an update on the progress being made to secure construction apprenticeships arising from the planned growth across the District. It is a year since the Executive approved guidance which was intended to operate informally to secure construction apprenticeships and skills through the processing of planning applications by the Council and was therefore timely to review how the initiative has been progressing.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

Reasons

Increasing the number of new apprenticeships in England is a high profile Government objective. Cherwell District Council supports this aspiration. The amount of new development taking place in the District over the next 20 years or so, coupled with the evidenced shortage of construction skills provides both an incentive and opportunity to secure the provision of new construction related apprenticeships through the land use planning system.

The Cherwell District Council Local Plan Part 1 as well as CDC’s Economic Strategy contains strategic aspirations relating to the need to support an increase in skills and training within the District. The Interim Position Statement has usefully provided detail for developers and colleagues in CDC’s Development Management on how this overarching strategic aim can be achieved through the land use planning process, prior to having statutory planning policy in place.

The signals from informal discussions with developers to date are that they generally support the approach CDC is promoting, as a helpful initiative designed both to increase the number of local skilled construction operatives available to support the building industry, as well as promoting the construction trades generally as a valuable future career path for young people.

The setting up and operating of The Apprenticeship and Training Company to manage apprenticeships on behalf of developers and their contractors is a key element of delivering the apprenticeships. This is because it will make the whole process easier for developers by managing all the elements that go towards supporting an individual towards the successful completion of an apprenticeship. Given that CDC is the accountable body for the OXLEP grant, as well as its strategic commitment to support skills and training, it is appropriate that there is CDC representation on the Board.

Alternative options

This report is submitted for information only.