You are here: Home >
Committee Minutes
> Educational Services Standing Sub Committee
Educational Services Standing Sub Committee
12 October 2005
AGENDA ITEM 2
Irvine, 12 October 2005 - At a Meeting of the Educational Services Standing Sub Committee of North Ayrshire Council at 2.00 pm.
Present
Jacqueline Browne, Gordon Allison, Jean Highgate and Rev Sandy Montgomerie.
In Attendance
I Snodgrass, Chief Executive, J Ward, Head of Service (Educational Services); A Osborne and E Fisher, Corporate and Democratic Support Officers (Chief Executive's).
Also In Attendance
Craig Wallace, Inclusion Co-ordinator and Gillian Cowell, Team Leader (Careers Scotland).
Chair
Councillor Browne in the Chair.
Apologies for Absence
Drew Duncan, Elisabethe Marshall and Peter McNamara.
1. Careers Service Presentation
Submitted report by the Corporate Director (Educational Services) on Educational Services collaboration working with Careers Scotland.
At a meeting of the Educational Services Committee on 21 September 2005 the Committee requested that representatives from Careers Scotland be invited to attend the next meeting of the Educational Services Standing Sub Committee to provide further information on partnership working between the Council and Careers Scotland.
The Sub Committee received a verbal report from Craig Wallace, Inclusion Co-ordinator and Gillian Cowell, Team Leader, Careers Scotland.
Careers Scotland, which was formed in 2002, merging Careers Service companies, Education Business Partnerships, Adult Guidance Networks and Lifelong Learning Partnership provides career planning and support services to enable individuals of all ages to maximise their potential and to support employers improve the operation of the labour market.
Careers Scotland outlined their 3 strategic priorities which provide the framework for the delivery of its products and services and also the shared priorities:-
Careers Scotland Priorities
Priority 1
Investing in the workforce of the future - equipping all young people with the underpinning knowledge skills and enterprising 'can do' attitude they will need to make effective career decisions throughout their lives.
Priority 2
Reducing economic inactivity among young people - targeting young people (16-19) who face specific barriers to employment or those still at school who fact specific barriers to employment or who are at risk of disengaging.
Priority 3
Improving productivity through personal career planning - providing access to personal career planning support for people of all ages to secure the best fit between individuals' aspirations and changing labour market opportunities.
Shared Priorities
Ensuring commitment to joint strategic and operational planning, and monitoring/evaluation activities.
Increasing educational attainment levels and the number of school leavers entering a positive destination resulting in a reduction in NEET (Not in Employment or Training) figures.
Supporting the implementation of the Scottish Executive's 'Determined to Succeed' enterprise and careers education strategy within the North Ayrshire Council area.
Implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) Act (Scotland) 2004.
Working with and supporting parents and carers as major influencers in the educational achievements and career decisions of individual students.
Delivery of joint working associated with Community Planning - Promoting Community Learning and Improving Opportunities. To include delivery of the Community Guidance Action Planning Process.
Support for looked after and accommodated young people at key transition stages.
Promoting the benefits of career planning to residents in North Ayrshire.
Implementation of the Scottish Executive's Employability Framework.
The Sub Committee was advised of the Activate Programme in which 4 schools in North Ayrshire participate. The scheme assists pupils who need help from school to the workplace, in particular "looked after children". The sustainability figures are encouraging and funding is available until May 2006.
Discussion followed on employment with the Council as a career opportunity; the Post 14 Vocational Skills for Work Programme introduced by the Scottish Executive; and apprenticeships.