FORTH NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERSHIP
LEARNING & EMPLOYMENT ACTION GROUP
MEETING DATE:Wednesday 23rd April2008
at 2pmin NELO, 8 WestPiltonGardens
PRESENT: Chair:Martina McChrystal - SfC Partnership & Information;Alison O’Connor and Alan Brazewell, SQW Consultants; Ian Cooke–North Edinburgh Trust;Betty McVay - West Pilton/West Granton CC; Barbara Dawson – Jobzone plus at the Waterfront; Bert Craig - Working Links; Jenny Ewing, Capital City Partnership; Marion Gunn, Royston Wardieburn CC; Roddy Samson - Granton Information Centre;Vicki Ridley – Granton Youth Centre; Theresa Allison & Gill Dudgeon - North Edinburgh Childcare; Myra McCabe - Edinburgh's Telford College;Brian Robertson – CEC Economic Development; Jim Pattison & Elaine Mill - SfC Neighbourhood Partnerships
APOLOGIES:Loraine Traylor - Pilton Youth & Children’s Project; Sharon Telford - Jobcentreplus;Eileen Carr and Norrie Duncan - Muirhouse Salvesen CC;Maureen Webster & Sean Bradley - Careers Scotland;Monica Nall - Craigroyston Community High School; Catherine Cranmer - Working Links; Elizabeth Maginnis - Pilton Equalities Project; Ken Shaw - CEC Economic Development;
1.Minutes & Matters Arising
The minutes of the meeting on 26th February were agreed with the amendment to the final para on page 1 “it is Community Renewals (not CCP) policy to also try and follow up after 6 months and 12 months”
Jenny Ewing agreed to send revised datazone information re the area focus pilot for circulation to the group. Action: JE
2Edinburgh Waterfront Recruitment Centre
Alan Brazewell from SQW Consultants has been commissioned to carry out a final evaluation on EWRC. SWQ are drawing on 3 sources of information: Who were the clients, employment destination and where did the clients come from. Results will be benchmarked against 3 Glasgow projects – The Fort, GlasgowHarbour and Silverburn.
The EWRC are now located inside Edinburgh’s TelfordCollege, rebranded as Jobzone Plus at the Waterfront for a six month period whilst consultation takes place.
Alan explained that they had carried out an evaluation 12-18 months ago and are now seeking this group’s comments on the pilot and options for the future. Views from this group on What has it achieved? Should it continue and if so, in what format? SQW will report back by the end of May.
Views expressed by this group:
- Young people felt that the entry level requirements were too high for jobs in the construction industry, even those who had the required certificates.
- No success stories for young people from Granton Youth Centre
- The Job Centre was aimed at job-ready clients
- Negative perceptions of local people – just another arm of Jobcentre Plus
- Marketing could have been better
- Location not good
- Premises not good enough
- Current location in ETC not best for young people who had school problems
- Not clear what it was about. What was it set up to do?
- There was a positive referral process at EWRC
- Look at referrals out process
Any further comments can be emailed to Alan Brazewell Add Email Address Martina?
3.Election of Community Chair
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership have committed to action groups chaired by community representatives. The Physical Regeneration and Clean Green & Safe Action Groups both now have community chairs and the Health & Social Care and Children & Families are working towards this mode. Following a meeting at North Edinburgh Trust with community representatives, it is proposed that Betty McVay, West Pilton West Granton Community Council, takes the chair of the Learning & Employment Group.
Proposed by: Bert Craig, Working Links
Seconded by: Marion Gunn, Royston Wardieburn Community Council
Martina agreed to continue chairing this meeting and Betty will take over as Chair at the next meeting.
4.Remit and Priorities of Action Group
Marion Gunn commented that there is no current remit and there are too many priorities listed. JP advised that we should concentrate on 3 or 4 key pieces of work from the “wish list”. It was suggested that a mapping process of what kind of activities agencies have been involved in to assess prioritieswould be useful. JP agreed to do some work on this. Action: JP
IC advised that the community conference had drawn up a report on the local economic position which could be presented at a future meeting and used in selecting the priorities. Action : IC
A clear remit of the group should be drawn up and decisions made about who should attend these meetings.
It was questioned whether we should always have to accept the Edinburgh Partnership and Jobcentre plus idea of priorities, when we as a group may disagree and have different priorities.
5.Area Focus Pilot
Community Renewal are working to a range of indicators around improving lives, not only employment issues. The team have moved into the former ETC Training Centre in the Muirhouse Shopping Mall. JE advised that there is one local person on the team and one worker who has previous experience of the area, plus 2 workers from the Glasgow Project setting up.
Jenny Marrow, Jimmy Butler, Jim Pattison and Jenny Ewingagreed the data zones to be included in the pilot, replacing the demolition area, which was included in the research. They have identified blocks where there is no planned demolition during the period of the pilot.
CCP will be setting up a Steering Group and JE asked for a nomination from this group to participate. It was felt that a rep from Muirhouse Salvesen CC would best represent the group, however, due to illness 3 nominated members are unable to attend at present. JE will liaise with IC to approach MSCC for a representative to attend both Learning & Employment Action Group and the Area Focus Pilot Steering Group. Action: JE/IC
Health Services and Jobcentre plus will also be invited to join the steering group. Brian Robertson suggested it would be good to involve one of the Service Users as the project develops.
6.Any Other Business
Myra McCabe was asked if she could provide 4 digit postcode analysis for local students enrolment and sustainability. The areas for the former SIP area fall mainly in the EH4 4 and EH5 1 postcode areas and would provide useful data for this group.
7.Date of Next Meeting
The next meeting will be on Wednesday 11th June at 2.30pm
The following meeting will be on Wednesday 23rd July at 2.30pm