Issue - meetings

[To approve receipt of an Education and Skills Funding Agency Grant budget to deliver Traineeships]

1.      That the Council enters the Contract for Services with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to deliver Traineeships.

2.      That the creation of supplementary revenue expenditure budgets up to £33,000 fully funded from income to support the Traineeships programme be approved.

3.      That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration, to annually approve entering into a Contract for Services with the ESFA for up to a further three years.

4.      That it be noted that this contract is anticipated to generate up to £308,000 of income from the (ESFA) for the delivery of Traineeships.

The intention to make a key decision on the report ‘Adult Education Traineeship Budget’ at the meeting was not publicised in advance as required by the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.  The decision was urgent and could not be reasonably delayed for the following reasons:

·       Notified on 20 January 2021 of successful outcome of Education and Skills Funding Agency Traineeship bid.

·       Proposed original timeline for start date for contracts is 1 February 2021. (This may be slightly delayed due to late notification of award.)

·       Due to tight timeline between notification of award and contract start date it could not be put on the forward plan for February and March Cabinet (Resources) Panel (CRP) meeting would be too late.

·       CRP approval to receive the associated budget is the first step to getting contracts signed and delivery in place.

In light of the above, consent had been obtained for the key decision to be made at the meeting under the General Exception provisions.

Councillor Dr Michael Hardacre presented the report on a proposal for the Council to enter into the Contract for Services with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to deliver Traineeships to prepare young people in the city aged 16 to 24 (up to 25 for those with an Education Health Care Plan) for moving into work. The proposal would provide increased opportunities for young people in the city; provide valuable work experience employability skills; provide a pathway to employment; and form part of a wider offer to young people in Wolverhampton.

Resolved:

1.    That the Council enters the Contract for Services with the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to deliver Traineeships.

2.    That the creation of supplementary revenue expenditure budgets up to £33,000 fully funded from income to support the Traineeships programme be approved.

3.    That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, in consultation with the Director of Regeneration, to annually approve entering into a Contract for Services with the ESFA for up to a further three years.

4.    That it be noted that this contract is anticipated to generate up to £308,000 of income from the (ESFA) for the delivery of Traineeships.