The Acting Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning sought approval to extend the Council’s European Social Fund (ESF) ‘tackling worklessness’ and ‘supporting apprentices’ programmes contracted with Knowsley Council, who were the accountable body for the funds across the Liverpool City Region (LCR) on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. He commented that reducing worklessness and increasing the number of apprenticeships was a fundamental element in the delivery of Wirral’s Investment Strategy and the recommendations contained within his report set out how the Council could maximise the ESF resource and achieve additional job outputs.

Resolved –

(1)  That the delivery timescale of the Tackling Worklessness programme be extended to meet the contractual target reported to Cabinet on 3 February 2011 within the original contract value of £2,440,610.

(2)  That the delivery timescale of the Supporting Apprentices programme be extended to meet the contractual target reported to Cabinet on 3 February 2011 within the original contract value of £1,714,539.

(3)  That authority be delegated to the Acting Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning to negotiate, finalise and sign the extended contractual funding agreements with Knowsley Council as accountable body for ESF funds for the Liverpool City Region.

(4)  That authority be delegated to the Acting Director of Regeneration, Housing and Planning to negotiate, finalise and sign the contractual funding agreements with the Council’s contracted supplier for an element of the worklessness programme.