Economic Stimulus Plan: Budget Allocation for Apprenticeships Project

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A decision made (24.08.2009) to approve budget allocation to the Economic Development Department in relation to the States' Apprenticeships Project.

Decision Reference: MD-TR-2009-0141
Decision Summary Title:	Discretionary Fiscal Stimulus – Economic Development Department Budget Allocation		Date of Decision Summary:	19 August 2009
Decision Summary Author:	Treasurer of the States		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title:	Allocation of fiscal stimulus funding to skills and training project group		Date of Written Report:	19 August 2009
Written Report Author:	Interim Programme Manager, Discretionary Fiscal Stimulus		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Economic Stimulus Plan: budget allocation to the Economic Development Department in relation to the States’ Apprenticeships project to be undertaken by the skills and training project team.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the allocation of £972,750 to the Economic Development Department, to be transferred to the department budget as soon as possible and allocated to revenue expenditure as set out in the accompanying report. He further instructed the skills and training project group to report on spend of all stimulus monies, and project progress/performance, on a monthly basis in accordance with guidelines set by the Treasury.
Reason(s) for Decision: A discretionary fiscal stimulus allocation from the Stabilisation Fund of £44m has already been approved. The £972,750 approved funding will enable the skills and training project group to commence the States’ Apprenticeships Scheme at the beginning of the academic year 2009/2010.
Resource Implications: No resource implications other than those already approved at the States’ debate (P55/2009) on 19th May 2009.
Action required: Treasury to be informed of decision to release necessary funds to the Economic Development Department budget.
Signature:		Position: Senator P F C Ozouf, Minister for Treasury and Resources
Date Signed:		Date of Decision:

Economic Stimulus Plan: Budget Allocation for Apprenticeships Project

Allocation of Fiscal Stimulus Funding to Skills and Training Project Group

Report summarizing recommendations of the Fiscal Stimulus Steering Group

24th August 2009

Background

A bid from the Economic Development Department to introduce an apprenticeships scheme within States’ departments is included in the provisional programme of fiscal stimulus initiatives. The scheme will create 21 positions in administrative and technical roles across a number of States’ departments for between 2 and 3 years. The technical apprenticeships necessarily run over 3-4 year periods, of which 3 years (September 2009 to August 2012) is included within the funding total set out in this report, with any residual costs agreed to be absorbed by the relevant department. The business administration and secretarial positions are intended to last 2 years, during which time candidates will undertake a variety of tasks in different States departments during their apprenticeships.

The creation of these roles will provide on and off the job training to the participants, many of whom will be young people who may be experiencing difficulties finding employment in the current economic environment. It will also provide them with the skill base to strengthen their ability to find permanent work at the end of the apprenticeships, when it is expected that economic conditions will be improved.

The requested funds set out below will cover the costs of recruitment and administration of the initiative, apprentice salaries and training costs over the 2 or 3 year duration of each role.

Fiscal Stimulus Steering Group Recommendation

At a meeting of the Fiscal Stimulus Steering Group on 18th August 2009, various documents submitted by Economic Development and the skills and training project group in accordance with the programme governance structure, including project plans and financial projections, were discussed.

Further to discussion of those documents the Fiscal Stimulus Steering Group recommend to the Treasury and Resources Minister that £972,750 being the total projected spend for the scheme throughout its duration, is allocated to EDD to enable the recruitment process to commence.

The allocation should be made to revenue budgets as set out below:

Financial Year				Total Budget Allocation £
Ending 31 December 2009				87,300
Ending 31 December 2010				389,250
Ending 31 December 2011				381,000
Ending 31 December 2012				115,200
TOTAL				972,750