Policy GESP15: Inclusive Employment and Skills
To promote wider access to jobs and address skills shortages:
- Major planning applications should be accompanied by proposals to invest in construction skills. For the larger development schemes, the submission of an Employment and Skills Plan will be sought, covering their construction phase in line with the National Skills Academy for Construction client based approach or similar recognised scheme
- Larger businesses expanding, starting up or moving into the area will be expected to sign up to an agreement to deliver links to local education providers, apprenticeships, training programmes and other measures to support people into work from the local area.
6.29 The draft GESP vision emphasises the need to nurture, attract and retain a world class workforce. It is recognised that the development of a skilled workforce is a key driver of productivity so we want to ensure we have the right type of skills for current jobs and also, as far as we can, for the area’s future growth sectors. The skills shortage (particularly evident in the digital, construction, and health and social care sectors) is one of the Greater Exeter area’s key constraints. With an economy presenting near full employment, challenges are emerging in the labour market in terms of filling vacancies, with a number of sectors reporting significant difficulties in sourcing appropriately skilled labour. 47% of data analyst jobs advertised within the Local Enterprise Partnership area were in Exeter, but 80% of data-intensive industries report shortages of staff.
6.30 The Greater Exeter councils are working with local educational providers including the University of Exeter, further education colleges, a number of local employers and schools. A South West Institute of Technology has recently been approved to support these activities, involving collaboration and investment between the University of Exeter and other establishments across the south west. It includes an Exeter Digital and Data Education Hub at Exeter College to provide a focal point to exploit opportunities to integrate data science into the primary and secondary curricula. Together with other potential skills escalators in construction, aviation and health, the aim is to support the retention of the area’s young people in higher paid and more skilled jobs.
6.31 The construction skills shortage is well documented locally and nationally. Having an appropriately skilled construction workforce of sufficient number is vital to support growth ambitions and deliver associated infrastructure. A Centre for Excellence for Construction is proposed for the new town of Cranbrook, and new developments can support its success to promote construction as a skilled and thriving occupation. The National Skills Academy for Construction Industry Training Board’s Client Based Approach provides end to end guidance that aids the creation of employment and skills interventions, including apprenticeships, work placements, job creation and upskilling opportunities that are relevant and proportionate to the construction activity being procured. Draft policy GESP15 encourages major developments in the Greater Exeter area (which are likely to have a construction cost of over £1 million) to invest in construction skills for their workforce. The larger schemes can achieve this by taking up support from the Building Greater Exeter scheme which is a linked project to address the challenges facing our construction sector. This partnership offers help to people to prepare Employment and Skills Plans which supports people into jobs and training, promotes apprenticeships, encourages work experience and careers information for local young people. This will link construction companies with training providers, Further Education (FE) colleges and schools to provide skills and training to the existing workforce and new entrants.
6.32 Draft policy GESP15 also recognises the importance encouraging people to develop work- place skills in order to increase their likelihood of employment and career development, whilst also addressing skills shortages in the health and social care sectors. Working with partner agencies, the Greater Exeter councils will continue to focus their efforts on supporting unemployed people in taking the next steps into employment, education, skills development or training. This includes helping people benefit from the employment opportunities offered by initiatives such as work placements, apprenticeships and pre- employment training programmes. Draft policy GESP15 aims to create an environment where the larger businesses (50 or more employees) can be expected to make greater efforts in this regard.
Regional Sports Hub
6.33 Increasing physical activity levels to improve health and wellbeing are an element of creating greater places for people – part of the vision for the Greater Exeter area. Steps towards increasing activity levels can be seen in Cranbrook, part of the NHS England Healthy New Towns Programme, and both Exeter and Cranbrook working with Sport England to transform physical activity.
6.34 Much of this work relates to the design of places, the promotion of active and sustainable travel modes within and between neighbourhoods and the incorporation of well-designed accessible green infrastructure. There is the possibility of trying to go further, seeking to establish a regional sports hub in the Greater Exeter area, combining and integrating a range of sports facilities in one accessible place. This could benefit from coordinated and consolidated management to improve its long term viability. This would build upon the success of the area’s professional and university sports offer, and the potential impact of data analytics on sports science. Provision of such facilities could be a driver in retaining the area’s young people and graduate talent.
6.35 A regional sports hub concept and feasibility study (March 2020) has been undertaken for the Greater Exeter councils, published alongside this consultation document at www.gesp.org.uk/evidence. The report identifies challenges in creating such a facility in Greater Exeter. It suggests a community hub for sports could be provided as part of a larger development, which could then form a catalyst for such a facility. As the GESP progresses we will continue to consider the potential for such a facility in the Greater Exeter area.