Issue - meetings

The Board was given a presentation by the LSC which outlined its London Learning and Skills Plan and some of the broad targets the LSC have in raising learning achievements foryoung people and adults in an effort to tackle a perceived skills gap within London. During a lengthy discussion about the presentation and the issues raised by it, the Board heard that the LSC give more detail on the top-ten targets it is working towards, and that the LSC would welcome the chance to take part in a Council led Scrutiny Review. The Board were informed that in partnership with the College of North East London (CoNEL), the LSC were able to offer a range of creative and innovative providers that attract a range of community groups, including black Caribbean boys who had been identified as requiring particular attention in terms of raising achievements. The Board heard that although there were issues relating to budgetary challenges within the learning and skills sector, this would not affect the priority areas within the Learning and Skills Plan. However, funding for other areas would only be achieved through partnership working.

There were concerns raised during the discussion relating to securing provisions of skills trainings, ensuring that that LSC is focussed to local issues, and recognising that other working class groups require attention in terms of skills achievements. In response to these concerns, it was established that a robust monitoring system has enabled the LSC to ascertain what the priorities are in terms of funding, and where other funding will come from in order to ensure that gaps in skills are exposed and dealt with effectively. In respect of ensuring that the LSC is focussed, the concerns had been raised as a result of a re-organisation of the LSC which had caused some tensions. However, the Board were assured that a local focus was desirable and that future activity will be to settle these tensions. Evidence of this is that the new structure of the LSC was locally focussed by the use of local intelligence which would be fed back to the Board at its future meetings. It was agreed that attention on other working class groups such as Turkish and Somali boys was also an area of focus for the LSC.

RESOLVED:

The HSP agreed

(i)                 that the presentation be noted

(ii)               that the LSC, in conjunction with the CoNEL, be the subject of a Council Scrutiny Review

(iii)             that the LSC targets and deliver channels, and CoNEL Haringey ward based statistics and targets be reported to the HSP at its June 2006 meeting.