1. Delivering Skills in the West Midlands - new opportunities, a new approach Rachel Egan Productivity and Skills Programme Lead

2. A West Midlands Renaissance
Largest CA economy outside London
A region that’s connected
A region that’s growing
A region that’s investing in the future
A region that’s winning
A region full of talent
Population of 2m +
Over 30% residents under 25
90% of the UK’s market within four hours
High Speed Rail will connect the region to London within 45 minutes
Significant growth in employment in recent years – fastest growth in jobs in UK
500,000 more jobs expected, fuelled by large scale investment in transport and connectivity Commitment to building 215,000 more homes
Competitive advantage in sectors like advanced manufacturing, digital and life sciences, and business/professional services
Focus on new technologies: battery technology, connected autonomous vehicles, 5G digital etc
FDI investment
Employers relocating
Coventry is City of Culture and City of Sport, 2021
Commonwealth Games, 2022
12 Universities teaching 65,000 graduates every year
23 FE colleges and many more providers training 000s more young people every year
“Our Time is Now”

3. Key challenges remain
Low educational attainment - 55% of schools in the area fall below the national state school average performance at Key Stage 4.
Low employment rate % of working age residents in work – with over half (56%) of BME groups inactive. (National average is 74.2%.)
High youth unemployment – persistent numbers of young people are not in employment
Low productivity – WMCA’s indexed productivity per head was 19 points behind the national average (80.9;100)
CHILDREN IN POVERTY
Only Dudley (26.9%) and Solihull (20.4%) have a child poverty rate that is below the national average of 30%.
Key hotspots include Birmingham, Ladywood which has the highest child poverty rate of any constituency in the UK
End Child Poverty 2016
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE BELOW AVERAGE
There has been a decline in GCSE performance in the WMCA MET since 2013/14 (53.5% in 2013), 52.7% in 2015/16.
Only 46% of schools are above the national average in 2016, compared to 48.5% in 2015.
Department for Education

4. Increasing skills gaps
Key challenges remain
Increasing skills gaps
Share of jobs requiring level 4+ skills will grow - by 2024 higher skills required in 42% of jobs
Only 29% of working age residents in the region qualified to level 4 and above
Share of jobs requiring skills at level 2 or below will fall to 36% by 2024
Half of our region’s current workforce is qualified to level 2 or below
Skills shortages across all sectors, with increasing concern about the impact of Brexit on future labour supply

5. The devolution opportunity
West Midlands is on a mission to deliver
Focus on inclusive growth
Devolved powers– opportunity to integrate
Shift in power away from London/
national government
Closer to businesses and communities – understand what works
Active collaboration – business, local government, academia and skills
Opportunity for new system leadership

6. The devolution opportunity
c£100m+ Adult Education Budget
£5m construction retraining fund
£4.7m Employment Support
£2m in-work careers and training support
Integrated skills and employment strategy - from T Levels through to HE
New funding
Influence
Wider system leadership

7. Skills at the heart of our drive for inclusive growth
More people in employment
More people in higher skilled jobs
More skilled employees to support business growth and productivity
All communities benefit from the region’s economic growth
An agile and responsive skills system that is more aligned to the needs of business and individuals

8. A Skills Plan for the region to get behind
Prepare our young people for future life and work
Create regional networks of specialist, technical education and training
Accelerate take-up of good quality Apprenticeships, across the region
Deliver inclusive growth by giving more people the skills to get and sustain good jobs and careers
Enable a more agile and responsive skills system

9. Key elements to our approach
Focus on delivery – not more strategies
Prioritise: Construction, Automotive, Digital, Business and Professional Services Sectors
Shared endeavour with key stakeholders
Co-design – employers and providers
Build on what’s there and what’s working
Use sector expertise – but challenge ourselves to do more
The region taking ownership – leading on solutions

10. Shaping the Regional Careers Offer
Create a Career Learning Hub to support, develop and co-ordinate an all age careers offer
Inspire more young people
Improve the focus and impact of careers education

11. Next Steps Publication of Regional Skills Plan
Ongoing: keen to develop strategic and operational relationships in region
Autumn 2018
Establish Regional Careers Partnership
Publish findings from audit of existing careers activity
July 2018
Publication of Regional Skills Plan

12. Questions?