Minutes:
(1) The Committee considered all the evidence and information that they had received from the interviews with the Students, Employees, FE College Principals and Officers and the evolving role of this Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee (POSC) and the wider role of the County Council.
(2) The Committee made suggestions and comments and agreed that the Chairman formalise the recommendations to progress KCC’s role in the planning and commissioning of provision of learning and development for 16-19 year olds. The chairman agreed to circulate the recommendations to the Committee outside the meeting.
(Following the meeting the Chairman produced the following recommendations using the Members conclusions from the evidence gained at the interviews with students, employers, FE College Principals and Officers)
(3) RESOLVED that:
(Recommendations generated from student and employers interviews)
(a) agreement be given that each year there be at least three, one to one relevant consultations on Information, Advise and Guidance for all 14 -19 students, and that activity is monitored and reported once a year to this POSC;
(b) agreement be given to formalising the tracking of individual 14 -19 yr old students progression, by following yearly cohorts of 15 students drawn from and managed by providers and an annual report to be presented to this POSC;
(c) following research of previous projects agreement be given to a new “certificate of employability” be developed to prepare students for the world of work;
(d) across directorates agreement be given to, the present programs for apprenticeships and targets and their achievement be reviewed and reworked in the light of the current economic climate;
(e) agreement be given to examine how talented people can be retained in Kent and a report be submitted to this POSC on the progress of the Graduate Gateway;
(f) Dr Holt’s warnings of rigid division of academic and vocational qualifications be noted;
(Recommendations generated from the FE sector interviews)
(g) agreement be given to the Canterbury College model of shared timetabling and premises be extended out to other towns and colleges;
(h) agreement be given to KCC examining any comparable inequality of funding across providers in order to provide best value for learners;
(i) agreement be given to examine and prevent re take of qualifications or learning at students’ transfer from school to post 16 education;
(j) agreement be given to better partnership working, for student choice and Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) at the interface of school and college and college and university;
(k) agreement be given to the Learning and Development POSC and other POSCs to visit the Canterbury, West Kent and Hadlow Colleges that presenting on 20 May 2010, to capture “ how it is on the ground”;
(The Learning and Development POSC’s evolving role)
(l) the Learning and Development POSC continue to use the distinctive and unique talents and experience of its membership for the benefit of learners and to be able to think and act “out of the box” be noted;
(m) the Learning and Development POSC be able to use all the avenues of research, reporting and scrutiny, select committee techniques, rapporteurage, Informal Members Groups and Members Monitoring Groups be noted;
(n) the Learning and Development POSC continue to “drill down” to children, learners and students and continue to develop its communication directly with young people, employers, providers and stakeholders be noted;
(o) agreement be given to the scrutiny role for Learning and Development POSC being more fully developed;
(p) agreement be given to the Learning and Development POSC strap line being established as “POSC that is different and a POSC that makes a positive difference for young people in Kent.”
(q) the recommendations be endorsed by the Scrutiny Board;
(Strategic recommendations)
(r) across directorates agreement be given to the student journey through learning, skills, education and experience becomes a priority in order to fulfil Kent’s economic, social and environmental regeneration aspirations;
(s) agreement be given to KCC planning and commissioning for a vibrant and sustainable business network for at least six specialist sectors of the Kent economy; that network to feed back to the learning providers for 14-19 year olds in order to achieve a smooth progression though learning to better jobs;
(t) agreement be given to KCC continuing to explore and develop new opportunities of planning and commissioning for 16-19 yr olds and a report submitted to Learning and Development POSC at least once a year; and
(u) the Scrutiny Board endorse a Select Committee being set up after the reporting of the Regeneration and Economic Development POSC and Children, Families and Education POSC visits to districts “To examine and report on the integration of the learning skills and education with jobs and regeneration in Kent”.
(v) the Deputy Cabinet Member be requested by the Chairman of the Learning and Development POSC to champion the recommendations.