Regeneration & Devolution Cabinet Member – Minutes – 28 September 2015

8          (8)  ADULT COMMUNITY LEARNING – The Director of Places submitted a report which sought approval to transfer Adult Community Learning from Customer Services to Planning and Regeneration within the Places directorate.

It was explained that Adult Community Learning (ACL) formed part of the Customer Services division in the Places directorate.  The service delivered a range of learning opportunities to adults across North Lincolnshire.  It operated through three dedicated centres, and many local community venues.

The ACL service was entirely funded through external grants and was subject to the Ofsted inspection regime.  The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) provided the vast majority of funding through two core funding streams:

·        Adult Skills budget – which funded formal, vocational, accredited learning

·        Community Learning – which focused on informal, non-vocational learning

It was vital that the funding was directed to best meet current and future priorities.

The focus on skills and employability had seen ACL staff increasingly work with Planning and Regeneration colleagues to deliver services in the previous two years.  This included:

·      More targeted ACL provision in Westcliff through the Westcliff task force

·      Part of the Action Station group and a commitment to a permanent presence at the Action Station

·      Contribution and participation in the Festival of Skills for October 2015

·      ACL delivery of apprenticeship programmes for council apprentices

·      An increasingly integral role in identifying and developing local skills needs and provision through links with Planning & Regeneration and the LEP

It was considered that the transfer of the ACL from Customer Services to the Planning and Regeneration division within the Places directorate made sense.

Resolved – (a) That the transfer of Adult Community Learning from Customer Services to Planning and Regeneration take effect from 1 October 2015, and (b) that the Assistant Director Planning and Regeneration and Head of Adult Community Learning develop an action plan in consultation with the Cabinet Member to ensure that the service is able to contribute fully to the emerging local skills and employability agenda in the future, thereby maximising the opportunities in these regards arising from the decision to locate the service as part of the Planning and Regeneration division.