The VCSE Skills & Employability Focus Group for the North East LEP/ Combined Authority area is relaunching this month with a new Chair, Vice Chair and Terms of Reference for the group. In recent months, the groups’ membership has been reviewing and refining its purpose and objectives and would now like to invite other VCSE organisations to join the network.
The group has changed its name to the VCSE Employment Inclusion and Skills Focus Group to reflect the priorities, focus areas and structures of the North East local Economic Partnership and North East Combined Authority and will also be inviting key stakeholders from these organisations and other relevant bodies to join the group and attend future meetings.
The Focus Group exists to:
- Explore ways of maximising VSCE sector involvement in employment, inclusion and skills activity (including employability and enterprise activities) in the North East Combined Authority (NECA) area, with a particular focus on the commissioning, procurement and subcontracting agendas.
- Act as the voice of North East VCSE employment, inclusion and skills providers influencing a range of public sector partners at a local, regional and national level.
- Elect and / or nominate VCSE representatives, observers and advisors to North East Combined Authority (NECA) and North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) Skills, Inclusion and Employment boards and working groups where appropriate.
- Support those representatives with information about VCSE sector experiences of dealing with Skills, Inclusion and Employment issues, especially in relation to commissioning, procurement and subcontracting.
- With the support of VONNE, feedback NECA and North East LEP policy developments and funding opportunities to VCSE partners, through local VCSE sector employment and skills networks, where appropriate.
- Share intelligence, information, contacts, networks across the membership.
- Identify and support opportunities for collaboration across the membership.
- To share best practice about the delivery of Skills, Inclusion and Employment provision across the NECA area, with VCSE sector partners as well as other partners including from the public and private sector.
Membership of the group is open to VCSE sector organisations that;
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work in the North East Combined Authority area (Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland)
- work on, or have an interest in Skills, Inclusion and Employment issues.
At a recent meeting Maxine Tennet Operations Director of Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle was elected as Chair and Martin Conway, Development Officer Northumberland Community & Voluntary Action was elected as Vice-Chair. Maxine and Martin will now work with Carol Botten, Deputy Chief executive of VONNE to further develop the impact and influence of the network.
Maxine said:
“With over 10 years experience in the voluntary & community sector I am well versed with the issues we face and the process of change required from reliance on grant funding through to the reality of today which is payment by results, and the need to operate like a private business, whilst keeping our social values and ethos.
I believe this very practical experience can only support my colleagues in achieving more in an environment which is rapidly changing, from significant skills gaps being identified, to the impact of North East LEP and North East Combined Authority, as well as the area reviews of FE colleges.
I hope that many more organisations will be interested in joining the VCSE Employment Inclusion and Skills Focus Group so that we can build a strong and cohesive network to give a clear voice to the VCSE sector working in these areas.”
The network is committed to meeting three times a year. Please click here to read the new Terms of reference for the group.
If you would like to join the group, please email us at VONNE.