Venue: By Zoom. View directions
Contact: Email: steve.boyd@powys.gov.uk
No. | Item |
---|---|
CROESO AC YMDDIHEURIADAU / WELCOME AND APOLOGIES Minutes: The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Apologies were received from Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration CCC; Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys PCC; Councillor Amanda Jenner PCC; Lowri Edwards, Corporate Lead Officer: Democratic Services CCC; Jack Straw, Interim Chief Executive PCC; Clive Pinney, Head of Legal and Democratic Services PCC and Ann Watkin, Head of Strategy, Operations Alignment and Planning, Welsh Government.
|
|
DATGANIADAU O FUDDIANT PERSONOL / DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL INTEREST Minutes: There were no declarations of personal interest reported. |
|
COFNODION DRAFFT Y CYFARFOD DIWETHAF / DRAFT MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING 28/03/2023 PDF 85 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of the last meeting held on 28 March 2023 were agreed as a correct record. |
|
Partneriaeth Sgiliau Rhanbarthol Canolbarth Cymru / Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership PDF 115 KB Diweddariad ynghylch Cynnydd / Progress Update - Louise Grove-White
Additional documents: Minutes:
LGW presented the Mid Wales Regional Skills Partnership – Progress Update. The RSP Spring Event took place at the Metropole Hotel in Llandrindod Wells on 23 March 2023 with the aim to engage with businesses to identify their priorities for regional investment to support jobs and growth in the Mid Wales region and to understand the barriers to skills and recruitment. Welcome speeches were delivered by the Leader of Powys County Council, Councillor James Gibson-Watt, Deputy Leader of Ceredigion County Council, Councillor Alun Williams and the RSP chair Emma Thomas. As part of the agenda for the day, Vaughan Gething, MS, joined the event via a pre-recorded video to officially launch the 3-Year Employment & Skills Plan and Action Plan. Tom Yeo, GMW Energy Lead and Grant Thomas, Procurement Spend & Market Analyst, Powys County Council led informative presentations on Net Zero and the environmental and economic benefits aligning with Welsh Government’s Net Zero Wales report. The event was attended by 61 people representing 17 organisations who all contributed to the interactive round table discussions to understand the barriers to skills and recruitment, facilitated by Alun Jones (former CEO of Menter a Busnes). Businesses were invited to register their interest in attending the first business cluster group, joining the GMW mailing list and downloading a copy of the Employment & Skills Plan and Action Plan.
The first RSP Business Cluster Group meeting was held on 15 May 2023 at the National Library in Aberystwyth and was attended by 18 businesses of different sizes representing several priority sectors including digital, tourism, energy, manufacturing, research and innovation and food and drink. Communications activity around the open call for this first cluster meeting focused on social media and targeting key stakeholders and partners to distribute the invitation through their networks of businesses. Key messaging from this event aligned with the voice of businesses at the Spring event - they identified issues around recruitment and retention, connectivity and rurality and the lack of appropriate and flexible training provision across the region. Future agenda items would address these issues to draw out employer-led intelligence further informing the RSP of the barriers businesses are experiencing across the region. The next business cluster meeting will take place on 4 July 2023 in Newtown. Future sub-groups of this business cluster will be established to focus on the digital and net zero sectors in line with Welsh Government’s requirements for the RSPs (Schedule 2). A Chair will be nominated from one of the member organisations of each group. It will be the responsibility of the Chairs to report to the RSP Board when appropriate.
The draft RSP Schedule 2 activities for 2023/24 had been distributed to all the RSPs. The document was finalised at the meeting held on 6 June 2023 for RSP Managers and RSP Chairs.
As Aggie Caesar-Homden had moved to a new role in Powys County Council, Louise Grove-White, the current RSP Project Officer had taken on the position of interim RSP Manager until 30 June 2023. The new ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
|
Bargen Twf Canolbarth Cymru / Mid Wales Growth Deal PDF 198 KB Additional documents:
Minutes: CJE explained that following approval of the updated Strategic Portfolio Business Case (v2.1) and supporting documents by GMW Board on 28 March 2023, they were formally submitted to Welsh Government and UK Government for review as part of the consideration of issuing a Grant Award Letter for the 2023/24 financial year. Feedback to date has been very positive and it was a case of working through the finer details. The Amber/Green Assurance Review in February has helped to contribute to this positivity and demonstrate that the region was ready to receive the funding and proceed with the delivery of the Growth Deal. Consideration of awarding the funding to Mid Wales was now following a process set out between both Governments.
An overview of the delivery, governance, resource and finance was provided as noted in the report. In terms of Capital Profile, following discussions with both Governments, a re-profiling exercise has been undertaken regarding the amount of funding to be released to the region for the first year that was more in line with forecast expenditure, rather than as a flat profile. Discussions have taken place with the S151 officer on how to proceed and proposals have been submitted to both Governments. A response was expected in due course.
Securing the Private Sector Investment required to deliver the Growth Deal remained a high risk across the Portfolio, a concern which was shared by both Governments. It was proposed that the Economic Advisory Group adopted ownership of the Private Sector Investment Strategy; work to clarify their role in delivery was well advanced with several discussions held to date. During the CJC meeting held earlier in the day, it was noted that work was needed to look at the process to ensure the best value for money. Discussions were held regularly with North Wales and Swansea Growth Deals to ensure lessons were learned from one another.
The Risk & Issue Register had been updated with additional risks added to reflect the current position and recommendations from PAR. An overview of the main current risks was provided along with updates to communication and engagement as noted in the report. A press release was planned for when the Growth Deal Grant Award Letter was issued along with a pre-recorded video featuring Leaders from both local authorities discussing the investment. There were also discussions with both Governments to arrange Ministerial visits to the region to meet the Leaders following the Grant Award Letter. A reception to be held on Monday morning at this year’s Royal Welsh Show was in the process of being arranged, to discuss the Growth Deal and skills in the region.
CJE proceeded to present the next steps as noted in the report. During the next few months, they were expecting the projects to submit their Strategic Outline Case (SOC)/ Outline Business Case (OBC). An overview of the OBC Appraisal Framework was provided. The main difference between the SOC and OBC was the level of detail required, including the development of a procurement ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
|
UNRHYW FATER ARALL / ANY OTHER BUSINESS Minutes: None. |
|
DYDDIADAU CYFARFODYDD NESAF / DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS 29 Medi 2023 – Rhithiol / 29 September 2023 - Virtual 15 Rhagfyr 2023 – Rhithiol / 15 December 2023 - Virtual
Minutes: 29 September 2023 - Virtual 15 December 2023 - Virtual
|