Issue - meetings

To approve the establishment of a Youth Forum (age 16-21) that will ensure the young person’s voice is embedded into plans for the delivery of for the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer.

RESOLVED:

A.    To approve the establishment of a Youth Forum (age 16-21) that will ensure the young person’s voice is embedded into plans for the delivery of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer.

Eva Woods, Programme Administrator, introduced the report which provided Members with a proposed Terms of Reference and delivery timeline for the establishment of a Youth Forum that would ensure the young person’s voice was embedded into plans for the delivery of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer.

During discussion the following points were noted:

a)    Members expressed excitement about the project and emphasised the significance of the project for the region’s future, highlighting its potential to unlock opportunities for future generations.

b)    The Assistant Director supported Members’ requests to align this forum with the Skills and Employment Board and to increase youth involvement in all relevant programmes, emphasising the benefits of co-production of policies and initiatives with young people.

c)    Officers agreed that the application process to become involved in the Youth Forum should be as straightforward as possible and that alternative methods for expressing interest, such as video or audio submissions, be considered to accommodate different communication preferences.

d)    The importance of diverse representation was highlighted. The Committee discussed strategies to involve young people outside established youth organisations such as collaboration with job centres, youth organisations, and community groups working with vulnerable groups such as young parents and care leavers.

e)    Members expressed the need for employer support in adapting to the needs of younger generations in the workforce and highlighted existing efforts, such as initiatives to create "young person-ready" workplaces. They agreed on the importance of not reinventing existing frameworks but instead building on successful models.

f)     Concerns were raised about overburdening young volunteers with multiple requests from various organisations and the Committee agreed to streamline requests and coordinate efforts across organisations to ensure effective collaboration.

g)    Officers clarified that the terms of reference to be agreed by the Committee were a ‘starter for ten’ and would be subject to review and refinement by the youth participants but would update the Terms of Reference to explicitly state that the “terms were subject to refinement by the Youth Forum upon formation."

RESOLVED:

On being proposed by Cllr Nethsingha and seconded by Cllr Smith the Committee unanimously resolved to:

A.    Approve the establishment of a Youth Forum (age 16-21) that will ensure the young person’s voice is embedded into plans for the delivery of the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer.

ACTION:

1.    Officers to amend the Terms of Reference for the Forum to explicitly state the terms were subject to refinement by the Youth Forum upon formation.