Rise in number of apprenticeships in York

City of York Council has welcomed figures showing a 30 percent increase in the number of people starting apprenticeships in the past year making it the UK’s sixth top-performing local authority.

Figures released by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills have shown that 1,690 York residents have started an apprenticeship in the last year (2014/15), 390 more than the last academic year.

The statistics also show York to be one of the highest performing local authorities for Apprenticeship growth amongst businesses with York ranking sixth out of 151 at full Local Authority level, meaning it is in the top four per cent of Local Authorities.

The figures also showed that around 20 percent of this growth in apprenticeships was generated by the council-led York Apprenticeship Hub which helps small businesses new to apprenticeships, supporting them through the process and helping them find the training provider and right person for the job.
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Unemployment level in York fairly stable – 0.7% now seeking work

Figures released today by the Office of National Statistics confirm that employment levels in York remain fairly stable.

976 people were seeking work and claiming Job Seekers Allowance/Unemployed Universal Credit at 9th July.
This represented 0.7% of the population.
Of the job seekers, 665 were men and 321 women.
The figures remain below the regional (2.4%) and national (1.9%) averages

Make it York – the unanswered questions

The confused relationship between York’s newest QUANGO “Make it York” (MIY) and the Council will be up for discussion at a meeting taking place later in the week.

A scrutiny committee will consider how the new organisation will be held to account.

In April MIY took over management responsibilities for tourism, “Science City” and activities in the “City Centre” including the market.

The Council has agreed to pay Make it York £918,000 in 2015/16 and £898,000 in both 2016/17 and 2017/18.

In return, Make it York is required to reimburse the Council £374,000 representing the net income that the council historically collected from City centre Markets and events.

click to enlarge

The funding is not ring fenced or stipulated against any particular category of spend.

An unseemly row developed a couple of weeks ago when MIY announced that the fountain in Parliament Street would be demolished to make way for more specialist market stalls. There had been no prior consultation before the event.

The Council has so far refused to publish a table indicating the performance indicators that the new organisation will be judged on. What has emerged into the public arena this week is a copy of the Service Level Agreement apparently signed off by all parties in March. Click here to download

It includes a very limited number of PIs. (See table right)

There are also a number of “self reported” performance measures (which will be difficult to verify)

Examples include

“creating 700 jobs through interventions, with at least 500 estimated to be paid above national median wage (currently £11.62 per hour)”
“2,000,000 unique visitors accessing promotional or informative material about York for visiting, culture and events through channels in the ownership and influence of the company, e.g. VisitYork.org (total from web / twitter / youtube / visitor information centre / face to face etc) each year”

Noticeably lacking are numeric targets for City centre management activities.

Lack of transparency has always been one of the key issues with QUANGOS. Bodies like MIY, which are receiving large amounts of Council taxpayer’s money, need to be tied down on measurable – and independently verifiable – numeric targets.

It seems that part of the process hasn’t yet been completed.

It is therefore hardly surprising that there is a lack of baseline data which should have been published in April.

Time for the Council to get roles and responsibilities sorted out we think.

City of York economic activity figures updated

The latest economic profile for the City of York can be found by clicking here

The new Council will have some issues to address particularly in terms of wage levels in the City.

York eleventh in foreign visitor league

According to new figures published by ONS, York attracted fewer foreign visitors than its neighbour Leeds last year. The City was also behind both Oxford and Cambridge

The visitors included those on business trips and well as holidaymakers.

Neither the York Council nor Visit York have as yet commented on the new figures.

There was an increase in the number of visits to the UK by overseas residents for the fourth consecutive year in 2014, and the highest number of visits since the IPS began in 1961. It also had the highest recorded spending.

In 2014 overseas residents made 34.4 million visits to the UK, 5.2% higher than in 2013.

Earnings from visits to the UK reached a record level of spending in the UK of £21.8 billion, they increased by £0.6 billion (2.8%) compared to 2013.

The number of nights spent in the UK rose to 264.6 million, an increase of 7.8% compared to the previous year.

Visits from North America and Europe increased in 2014 by 3.3% and 6.6% respectively. Spending from North America and Europe also grew by 11.6% and 4.2%. However, visits and spending by visitors from “Other Countries” showed a decline of 0.2% and 2.9% respectively.

Holidays remain the main reason for visits to the UK, accounting for 13.6 million visits, a rise of 7.2% compared with 2013. Business visits and visits to friends and family both showed a growth of 4.8%.

A record 17.4 million overnight visits to London were made by overseas residents in 2014, an increase of 0.6 million (3.5%) from 2013, and £11.8 billion was spent on these visits.

Overnight visits to the rest of England grew by 5.1% to 14.2 million. Visits to Scotland and Wales also continued to rise in 2014, with Scottish visits up 11.5% and Welsh up 7.3%.

UK residents made 4.0% more visits abroad and spent £1.0 billion (3.0%) more during these visits in 2014 than 2013. The length of visit also increased, up 1.9% to 616.5 million nights.

UK growth now highest in the G7

Growth in the UK has shown the strongest performance among G7 countries from 2013 to 2014, according to the latest report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander has welcomed the fact that today’s OECD report sets out that the best way to secure the recovery in the next Parliament is to finish the job of deficit reduction and to do so fairly by selective tax increases on the wealthy.

Danny said:

“There’s a famous saying that in life ‘the past is the best guide to the future’ and that is true in economic matters too. That’s why we are committed to offering that same balanced approach in the next Parliament as we have had in this Parliament, as endorsed today by the OECD.

“This report confirms that the UK economy is returning to health and highlights the vital role of key Liberal Democrat policies in the turn around. Our dramatic increases in the personal allowance, the greening of the economy, the focus on infrastructure, and putting the financial sector back on an even keel are just a few examples of where Liberal Democrat thinking has been central to the economic turnaround.

Our commitment to continue the same balanced approach in the next Parliament is in stark contrast to the Conservatives who are abandoning fairness and the centre ground. By urging years of cuts for cuts sake, by unfairly finishing the job of balancing the books on the backs of the least well off and undermining our position in Europe they will put this hard won recovery at risk”.

With the country on the right track, a lurch to the right with the Tories or to the left with Labour has never posed a greater danger to our economic recovery.

Record number of part time jobs in York

With the numbers claiming job seekers allowance in the City at a low level, the York Council has admitted that the numbers in part time employment are at record high levels.

Numbers of York residents in part time employment

The proportion (33%) in part time jobs is higher that either the regional (26.3%) or nation (25.3%) averages.

To a degree the figure may reflect the transient nature of the tourism sector of the York economy while many students in the City do actively seek out part time employment and shared jobs.

Nevertheless there has been a significant shift in working profiles over the last 4 years.

The numbers in employment in the City are still fewer than in 2011 (contrary to the national trend) and it will be 2020 before pre recession employment levels in the City are seen again

Challenged at the last Council meeting about the shortage in the social care sector the former Council Leader commented that,

“there is an ageing workforce, with expertise leaving the sector and increasing demand for services, all of which is putting pressure on the delivery of quality care services.

Looking at the shortage of key workers in social care is a focus for the transformation of adult social care which includes the following proposals:

for recruitment and retention of key workers in York and what the council could contribute/enable; and

for how CYC’s Workforce strategy could be amended to support the recruitment of key workers

This work is at a relatively early stage but will be progressed by the relevant Cabinet Members”

So it looks like things may get worse before they get better in the Social Care sector with job vacancies in other areas – such as construction and retail – also increasingly difficult to fill.

Businesses urged to go for growth with share of £200m fund

A new round of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund has opened for businesses across the country, and firms in York have until 30 September 2014 to bid for a share of the £200 million cash pot.

The fund has already helped over 220 projects get started across the country, creating and safeguarding jobs in a diverse range of industries from life sciences to motor vehicle manufacture.
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Anger as York snubs Blackpool in favour of Cannes

Cannes pitch for York growth

It’s another jaunt to Cannes for those supporting York’s unrestricted growth.

The “MIPIM” started yesterday in Cannes. York is represented – with the Leeds City Region – on a stand in the Riviera Hall.

The MIPIM, the annual estate agents jamboree, has been targeted by the Councils “business team” with a glossy brochure which seems to assume that Labours plan, to increase the size of the City by 25%, will get the go ahead.

A booklet extols the virtues of several development sites (click here ) while the Councils own web site lists many locations the development of which was assumed already to be fully funded (most have planning permission).

The initiative is therefore essentially cosmetic one.

The Council is keen to give the impression that it is influencing local prosperity. The reality is that, because of changes in the York economy over the last decade, it is the national financial recovery which will drive local investment.

The Council have been asked in the past to demonstrate measurable outcomes from events like these.

Apart from vague claims about new “leads” they have been unable to point to a single instance where a new investor has been found and has actually put money into York.

Hopefully opposition Councillors will quiz the Labour Leadership closely on this latest adventure.

Taxpayers have a right to know how much all this is costing?

Vince Cable launches business survey in York

Vince Cable launching York Business survey

York born Business Secretary Vince Cable visited the city on Saturday to officially launch a major new business survey.

The Liberal Democrat survey looks at how local businesses can be supported and what more can be done to encourage employers to take on apprentices. It also asks businesses for their views on the Labour run Council’s decision to close Lendal Bridge and issues such as tax, barriers to taking on new staff and the impact of EU membership. The survey will initially be delivered to over 500 businesses across York in the coming weeks.

Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, commented:

“I am delighted to support this effort to engage with local businesses in York. It is crucial that we listen to what employers are saying and ensure that everything is being done to support businesses locally as well as understanding the impact on the ground of national issues.

Speaking on the efforts to encourage employers to take-on apprentices, Vince Cable commented:

“Apprenticeships are one of this Government’s top priorities. Practical, technical and vocational skills should be valued as equals to academic achievement. Since 2010 1.2 million new apprenticeships have helped young people into work including over 4,000 in York. We need to continue this progress by highlighting successful schemes and by understanding what more can be done to encourage local employers to take on apprentices.”

As part of the survey the York Lib Dems will be establishing a new Local Business Forum. This will give employers in York an opportunity to discuss the local economy and the impact of City of York Council policies.