Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      BelfastCity Centre Management

 

      BCCM are currently working on their business plan for the financial year 2009-2010 and have asked for an opportunity to present their draft proposals to Members at an upcoming meeting of the Development Committee.

 

      World Trade Centre Belfast Business Plan

 

      BelfastCity Council acquired the World Trade Centre Belfast licence in 2002 in partnership with Multi Development. In 2007, the Council purchased back Multi Development’s 50% of the licence. Since the appointment of the WTC Officer in March 2007, work has been undertaken to develop WTC Belfast activities. This has included a WTC Belfast Export Excellence Seminar Series for local companies this year as well as managing inward investment activities. To determine the longer term plans for WTC Belfast services, a business plan has been developed.

 

      Employability support

 

      Members will be aware that, at the Development Committee meeting of 8 May 2008, the findings of two major elements of research on employability issues and skills were presented for information.  Since completion of the research, work has continued with key partners to consider how the issues identified might be addressed.

 

      Crescent Fair

 

      At the September meeting of the Development Committee, Members agreed to support a range of activities to promote the development of the independent retail sector in the City.  South Belfast Partnership is currently planning to hold a one-day festival which will offer an opportunity for local artists and art students to promote their designs by holding a fair at Crescent Open Space. 

 

Key Issues

 

      BelfastCity Centre Management

 

      BelfastCity Centre Management is undertaking a number of initiatives aimed at improving the environment and the retail offering within the City centre area.  Following a successful year, BCCM are now considering a range of new initiatives as well as further development of existing activity and have asked for an opportunity to present this to the Development Committee.

 

      World Trade Centre Belfast

 

      The strategies outlined by Programme for Government, DETI and Invest NI emphasise the need to support more companies to become exporters.  Invest NI currently supports approximately only 5% of local companies and one of their priorities is to attract more client companies.   The WTC business plan highlights the trade barriers and needs of local companies, the current assistance available and gaps in provision which WTC Belfast can fill.  The business plan also details the commercial opportunities for WTC Belfast to secure income in order to secure the sustainability and growth of the service activities.

 

      It proposes the following services:

 

-     WTC Belfast Membership – target of 200 member companies established

 

-     WTC Global Skills Workshops – introducing companies to the practicalities of trading internationally

 

-     WTC Belfast Trade Missions – linking in with current providers (NICCI, Invest NI), we will undertake a small number of trade missions to target markets

 

-     WTC Global Supply Chain Management Programmes – helping companies improve their global supply chain management by looking at how they buy, sell or make products internationally

 

-     WTC Belfast Local Networking Events – series of breakfast events on key topics of interest to local businesses

 

-     WTC Belfast Investor Gateway Service – promoting Belfast as a city in which to invest and do business, linking with the key public and private sector agencies that can support potential investors.

 

      WTC Belfast will adopt the following principles in terms of service delivery:

 

-     Commercial approach: Services will be charged and income generated

 

-     Regional approach:  Membership and services will be offered to companies both regionally and internationally in cases where income can be generated or potential investment can be brought to the City. A regional approach also serves to attract co-funding for projects delivered on behalf of other organisations such as Invest NI. Participation costs by companies located outside of Belfast will be higher than those for Belfast businesses.

 

-     Partnership approach: WTC Belfast will work in partnership with other local delivery organisations as well as the wider WTC network.

 

Further details on the proposed activities can be found on Modern.gov.

 

      Employability Support

 

      The employability research undertaken identified the need for a strategy on skills and employability at a Belfast level.  The strategy should address the central problem that, whilst the number of jobs in the City has (or had) been growing, the number of Belfast residents in work had not shared in this growth.  Equally, if Belfast is to climb the value chain in terms of employment, it needs to consider the skills implications and promote graduate retention levels in the City.

 

      Since the completion of this work, it is clear that the economic picture has changed.  Redundancy levels are increasing and the number and nature of people seeking employment is different from what existed in the past.

 

      While discussions with key stakeholders around the strategic issues affecting skills and employability in Belfast will progress in the coming months, it is proposed that some short-term interventions are undertaken with those who are already or who risk becoming unemployed.  These individuals may not qualify for statutory benefits.  Equally, they may be pre-disposed to working and therefore are likely to be keen to get back into employment as soon as possible.  Support required may be around skills transfer issues, consideration of ‘interim’ employment in a different sector, liaison with employers to identify upcoming opportunities and skills requirements as well as some forecasting work on future employment sectors and skills needs.  This work could use the brand that ‘Belfast is working’ and would demonstrate the fact Belfast City Council is taking a proactive approach to addressing the effect of the economic downturn on employment in the City. 

 

      Crescent Fair

 

      South Belfast Partnership has been successful in attracting funding under the Community Festivals Fund to organise a community festival which will feature, for the first time, a fair which will allow local artists and designers to showcase their products.  The Partnership is currently seeking additional support in order to encourage new traders to sell at the fair for the first time and to ensure that the appropriate display equipment and materials are used.  The funding will also be used to help students sell their designs at the event by carrying out preparation and development work with them in advance of the event.

 

Resource Implications

 

      BelfastCity Centre Management

 

      No resource implications.

 

      World Trade Centre Belfast

 

      The cost to deliver the identified services for the period January 2009 – March 2010 will be £160,000.  The budget for operations in the financial year 2008-2009 (£60,000) was approved as part of the Departmental Plan in May 2008; £100,000 will be required for the financial year 2009-2010.  An application was submitted to DETI for 50% funding for WTC Belfast activities for this period and this has been approved. Invest NI have also agreed to co-fund the first WTC Belfast trade mission to Doha, Qatar.  Further opportunities for private sector sponsorship will be explored.

 

      Employability Support

 

      No additional financial commitment required – budget approved under ‘Job readiness programme for local unemployed citizens’ as part of Departmental Plan approved by Development Committee in May 2008. 

 

      Crescent Market

 

      £4,000 additional support required to attract additional traders to the event.  This funding was approved as part of the independent retail support plan for 2008-2009 which was approved at the September meeting of the Development Committee.

 

Recommendations

 

      It is recommended that members:

 

-     Agree to receive a presentation from BCCM at an upcoming meeting of the Development Committee

 

-     Agree the proposed activities to be delivered as part of the World Trade Centre Belfast activity plan for the period 2009-2010 and approve a budget of £100,000 for activities to be undertaken in the financial year 2009?2010

 

-     Note the proposal to work with key partners on a Belfast Skills and Employment strategy and endorse a programme of targeted interventions to help people recently unemployed or at risk of becoming unemployed back into the labour market.

 

-     Approve the allocation of £4,000 towards the organisation of a fair at Crescent Open Space on 28 March 2009 (budget already approved by Development Committee in September 2008 as part of Council’s contribution to support for independent retail in the City)

 

Key to Abbreviations

 

      BCCM – BelfastCity Centre Management

      WTC – World Trade Centre”

 

            Following discussion, the Committee agreed to adopt the recommendations contained within the report.