Agenda item

To introduce Members to the current Talent Strategy programmes of work across People and Change and the future focused activity on Succession Planning and Early Careers.

This report is being brought to People, Performance and Development Committee because the Committee will ... according to the Scheme of Delegation. [Complete by referring to Section 2, para. 6.12 of the Scheme of Delegation].

Officers:

Anna Reed, Leadership & Talent Development Lead

Sarah Kershaw , Chief of Staff to Chief Executive & Interim Strategic Director of People and Change

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    Officers introduced the report and explained that 13% of the council’s workforce were under 30 and 5% were under 25. In addition, those aged 20-24 were significantly less likely to be successful at recruitment. The Committee noted details of the Early Careers and Succession Planning projects in progress within the People and Change service as presented within the report.

2.    The Chairman noted that there was ongoing work within the wider skills and apprenticeship landscape and that T Levels were expected to change the landscape considerably. Furthermore, the Chairman said that working to engage with young people to set out clear career opportunities that exist was key and that the council had an important role to play.

3.    Members asked for detail on the council’s work to retain employees and better understand reasons for moving to different employment. Officers explained that exit interviews were carried out to understand and learn from employees experiences’ and also find out what attracted people to originally join the council. The information recorded would then be used to better understand how to make the organisation stand out to potential future employees.

4.    Officers said that further detail on the financial and value for money implications would be provided at a future meeting.

5.    Members noted that there had been challenges when using the apprenticeship levy. Further to this, the council was considering how to use the levy resources to represent underrepresented groups.

6.    The Committee requested further information on how the council intended on resourcing the support needed to train inexperienced staff through their career progression. Officers explained that support would be considered on a service-by-service basis to better understand their individual needs. Officers further stated that there was an intention to pilot the scheme in service areas of critical skills.

7.    Members said that positions at the council were diverse and that young people in schools should be made aware of the different career paths available. Further to this, the committee noted the importance of offering work experience to potential future employees. Officers highlighted the work of the Early Careers Network which were considered the ‘youth-voice’ across the council. Further to this, officers informed the Committee that there was ongoing work to increase the council’s engagement with the education sector to provide opportunities such as career fairs, open days and skills development days.

8.    Members noted that Succession Planning was the process of identifying the critical positions the council required for business continuity then identifying employees who had the potential and aspiration to do those roles and implementing specific developmental action plans. Officers further explained that the goal was for all officers to have a personalised development plan through inclusive performance conversations with their manager.

9.    During a discussion around the risk of officers leaving the council after receiving progression training, officers explained that it was a national challenge and that the council’s goal was to create attractive career opportunities so that past employees felt that they could one day return to employment at Surrey County Council.

10.  The Chairman thanked officers for their report and asked that an update was brought back to the committee at an appropriate time.

Actions / further information to be provided:

None.

Resolved:

a. Members noted the different programmes of work being explored to stimulate Early Careers opportunities and routes into the council.

b. Members were made aware of the subjects and timelines for implementation of Technical Level (T Level) placements, relevant to Surrey County Council.

c. Members noted the Work Experience and virtual work experience offer under development to support and share locally.