EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND ESF INFORMATION EVENT 16 April

EUROPEAN SOCIAL FUND (ESF) INFORMATION EVENT 16 April 2019

Introduction SHONA DUNCAN HEAD OF EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT & SKILLS TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY

Programme 11: 30 Welcome and purpose of today 11: 35 Context - Tees Valley Combined Authority – Education, Employment & Skills Strategy - ‘Inspiring Our Future’ 12: 05 Questions & Answers followed by opportunity to network 13: 30 Close

Tees Valley Combined Authority • Covers the Local Authority areas of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland Stocktonon- Tees. • Remit to drive forward economic growth within the Tees Valley • • • 300 square miles Population 672, 500 £ 13 bn per annum to the national economy Under the devolution deal with Government, we are taking on new responsibilities previously held by Westminster and Whitehall: • • • Transport & Infrastructure Education Employment & Skills Business Investment Housing Culture and Tourism On 4 th May 2017, the people of the Tees Valley elected Ben Houchen as the Tees Valley Mayor

Tees Valley Strategic Economic Plan and Education, Employment & Skills Strategy ‘Inspiring Our Future’ Strategic Economic Plan: Industrial Strategy for the Tees Valley Two transformational ambitions: • Enhance productivity in those high growth firms which have the greatest potential to create jobs; and • To increase educational attainment, produce skilled workforce and increase lifetime opportunities Our 2018 -21 plan to build the skills we need for a modern economy

Education, Employment & Skills Strategy – ‘Inspiring Our Future’ Challenges • There are skills shortages across most of our key sectors, and employers cite a lack of access to skilled workers as their greatest barrier to growth • Fewer of our learners choose Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects, and fewer achieve higher • Only 52% of our secondary schools are rated as good or better, compared to 75% nationally • We have higher levels of unemployment compared to national averages, 3. 4% of Tees Valley residents are claiming Universal Credit and searching for work, compared to 2. 1% nationally • Youth unemployment (age 16 -24) is almost double the national average, with 5. 1% of Tees Valley residents aged 16 -24 claiming Universal credit and searching for work, compared to 2. 6% nationally • There continues to be a problem with under-employment – highlighting a mismatch between the skills that residents have and those that businesses need

What will change? We will ensure: • Business plays a leading role in setting priorities, identifying barriers, and delivering better outcomes • High quality evaluation and research drives future improvements and helps the Tees Valley learn from experience

What will we achieve? We will: Support education innovation and collaboration Develop a skills system for business growth Support people most distant from the labour market to secure and retain work Create a Tees Valley careers initiative – improve and extend high quality careers education for all Business challenge and workforce planning Enhance the higher education role in driving economic growth Research, analysis and evaluation

Education, Employment & Skills Strategy – ‘Inspiring Our Future’ What do we plan to do? We will ensure we are better informed by gaining robust evidence from businesses: a. Increase businesses that identify and plan for the future workforce demand predict future skills gaps b. Increase our knowledge of priority high-demand sectors’ skills needs We will: i. Provide business support to carry out workforce planning, to identify current and future skills needs ii. Support businesses to create more jobs, apprenticeships, work experience and volunteering iii. Support employers to maximise the potential of their Apprenticeship Levy

Skills for Growth Investment Priority 2. 2: Improving the relevance of labour market training Eligible activities which can be supported under Investment Priority 2. 2 include: • Support for collaborative projects, placements, internships or other activities with SMEs that enable students and graduates to gain industryrelevant experience and skills • Building capacity in SMEs to provide project/placement/internship opportunities and enhance the contribution of advanced skills to SME growth, including programmes to specifically engage the most disadvantaged groups or those who face particular local disadvantages in utilising advanced skills

Managing Authority / ESF requirements • Value - approximately £ 3. 09 m of funding is available; • Maximum ESF grant intervention rate of 60%; • Match funding of 40% required; • The Managing Authority does not intend to allocate less than £ 773, 000 of ESF to any single project; • One stage application process • IP 2. 2 CLOSING DATE: 25 JUNE 2019

Skills for Growth Investment Priority 2. 2: Improving the relevance of labour market training The link to the Calls page on Gov. uk is: https: //www. gov. uk/european-structural-investment-funds/improving-thelabour-market-relevance-of-education-and-training-systems-tees-valleyoc 34 s 19 p 1353

Technical Assistance SUE DONNELLY Telephone: 01642 524422 Email: sue. donnelly@teesvalley-ca. gov. uk