(a)

youth unemployment was an important issue as it could create misery in those affected as well as have an adverse impact on self-esteem and long term earning ability;

(b)

there was an impact from youth unemployment on wages, even ten years later in life;

(c)

since an update to scrutiny in 2012 in which it was recognised that there was a gap in evidence around the issue of young people with special needs (including disabilities) officers confirmed that a review of Special Educational Needs (SEN) / Learners with Learning Difficulties (LLD) was undertaken by a task group;

(d)

the Special Education Need and Disabilities (SEND) Strategy Steering Group established a working group, analysing 16-25 year olds assessing educational needs and emotional challenges;

(e)

officers were working with City College Plymouth and helped to support the application to the Skills Funding Agency for capital funding;

(f)

Plymouth City Council set up a project with key partners, including City College Plymouth, to develop education and training packages for young people with Autism; a self-contained building was refurbished making it fit for purpose allowing eight people to receive skills and vocational training;

(g)

the Post-16 Transition panel comprising of representatives from City College Plymouth, Prince’s Trust, Plymouth College of Art and Careers South West worked with 16-18 year olds who were ready to work but needed support in achieving suitable provision;

(h)

the scale of youth unemployment in Plymouth was currently at 1590, 18-24 unemployed; this had reduced by 20% since last year but still remains an issue;

(i)

1000 club was a successful club in getting people into work; the figures had increased from those listed in the agenda pack. There were now  500+ members, 374 full time and part time jobs created through this programme and 372 apprenticeships;

(j)

Plymouth City Council had won the South West National Apprenticeships Service Large Employer of the Year 2013 award;

(k)

a lot of work was going into equipping young people with the skills required to start employment;

(l)

employment and skills were now both connected in the Council with input from both the Assistant Director for Economic Development and the Assistant Director for Education, Learning and Families;

(m)

there were approximately 40,000 students in Plymouth; officers noted that many graduates were forced to leave Plymouth in order to progress their career. The CityDeal would help to tackle this issue by providing opportunities for graduates;

(n)

officers would provide the committee with an update on the implementation plan, graduate retention figures and forecast growth;

(o)

intensive courses were available to provide training for skilled workers; support was in place, via the Urban Enterprise Programme, to provide coaching and revenue funding;

(p)

employability was integral to creating a healthy economy; work was required in shifting the economy to new sectors; 

(1)

the Committee would be provided with a report on the Skills Plan during the current year’s work programme;

(2)

the Committee would be provided with information regarding the Local Procurement Strategy and how this is supporting youth unemployment;

(3)

officers would provide the committee with an update on the implementation plan and graduate retention;