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Devon Employment and Skills Boards

There are 5 local ESBs in the footprint of the Heart of the South West LEP, namely:

• Plymouth (travel to work area)
• Torbay and South Devon
• North Devon
• Exeter and the Heart of Devon
• Somerset

These ESBs work on a collaborative basis whilst maintaining a local identity and responding to local priorities. They share a common purpose, viz:

Their role:

• to promote skills, raise aspirations and increase productivity;
• to provide information and understanding of sub-regional and local employment and skills data and developments;

Leading to:

• productivity related growth: skills needs are met both for current employers and to satisfy growth requirements;
• employment related growth: improved roots into employment, leading to full employment and reduced worklessness;
• more sustainable local economies.

Which is achieved through:

• an employer led network with a wide range of employers actively involved;
• providing a gateway to the complex network of skills and employment providers (public, private and third sector);
• monitoring training provision and resources available for skills development;
• collation of information and data to provide an up to date, locally relevant evidence base; - brokering dialogue to encourage co-design of skills delivery and employment support services;
• monitoring and disseminating information effectively to all relevant players;
• piloting new approaches and championing good practice in recruitment and workforce development;
• removing barriers which deter people from entering or staying in education, training or employment;
• influencing investments by others in employment and skills to meet the need of people, places and businesses both now and in the future.

For more information on individual EBSs see below.

The Exeter and Heart of Devon (EHOD) Employment and Skills Board is a voluntary, employer-led partnership. It brings together a range of private, public and third sector organisations for an integrated approach to improving the skills and employment opportunities of people across EHOD. The Employment and Skills Board's primary purpose is to understand and articulate the skills needs of businesses within the EHOD area and improve the skills of the workforce in line with economic priorities.

The Employment and Skills Board's vision is for a growing local economy built from productive, sustainable businesses and a workforce armed with relevant skills to enable them to enter and progress in employment. The Board aims to address employment and skill issues within two strategic themes:

1. Preparing for Employment - Ensuring that local people can access the right skills and support so that they are ready for employment.
2. In-Employment - Ensuring that local people can access the right skills and support to progress in employment and build successful, sustainable businesses.

Two working groups operate under the Employment and Skills Board, developing activities and projects which support the Board’s priorities.

More information on the Board and its members, working groups and analysis of the local labour market can be view at the EHOD Employment and Skills Board website: www.exeter.gov.uk/ehod-esb

Plymouth Employment and Skills Board (ESB) is an employer led voluntary body established in 2008.

Primarily, its remit is to engage both private and public sector employers in the development and delivery of the local employment and skills strategy. Being employer led, the ESB aims to ensure that skills, training and employment in the city is driven by the needs of local employers and the workforce, as well as future economic growth.

Its main purposes are

• To identify and articulate local strategic skills priorities and needs.
• To raise demand for and investment in skills provision related to these priorities and needs. To visit Plymouth ESB's official website please follow this link: www.plymouthesb.co.uk. Please also see www.workinplymouth.com.

To raise the skills, aspirations and productivity of the Torbay and South Devon workforce to support the growth of a vibrant and successful local economy. The ESB is an employer led, employer focused strategic body designed to help ensure that employers are ideally positioned to guide and influence the skills priorities for the area.

The area of focus for the Board consists of Torbay, Teignbridge and the South Hams, a geographical area with a population of over 345,000, a working population of 200,000 and a business base of more than 15,000. An area of contrasts not only physically and economically but also because of its mix of both urban and rural character. The geographical area has a number of requirements to success including the desire to build a stronger more vibrant economy with successful businesses, increased average wages, a higher skilled workforce and increased and sustained employment levels.

Working with key partner agencies the ESB also acts as a focus for co-ordinated activity to optimise the marketing and delivery of relevant services.

Torbay Development Agency - Employment & Skills Board

The Northern Devon Employment and Skills Board is charged with understanding and communicating the needs of employers and investors in Northern Devon relating to business development, employment and skills issues which impact on the economic wellbeing of the area, and with identifying and implementing appropriate actions through partners to improve provision and support.

It will contribute a Northern Devon perspective to County and Regional economic and skills strategies and with the North West Devon Workforce Development Action Group act as a specialist adviser to North Devon Plus, specifically focusing on the following six areas:

• Skills development of the current and future workforce at all levels including further and higher education
• Employment generation and recruitment
• Business development and support
• Redundancy planning and support
• Inward Investment
• Worklessness.