About us

The aims and objectives of the Executive Board include:

• Working as a partnership of the public, private, voluntary and community sectors, and across institutional boundaries, to promote the sustainable and inclusive growth of the Tyne and Wear City Region, with a particular focus on economic development, employment, skills and transport; and to formulate strategies for those policy areas that will guide and influence regional and local policy;
• To add value for the City Region, focusing on outcomes that can best be delivered at that level;
• To take cognisance of the Regional Economic Strategy and work with the Regional Development Agency to influence and support the delivery of those strategies;
• To ensure that Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) within the City Region are aligned with the City Region’s strategic objectives and receive reports on the progress of MAAs;
• Working through an Employment and Skills Board, to take measures to improve the skills and employability of people within the City Region;
• Working through a Transport Board, to take measures to improve transport in the City Region including the coordination of public transport;
• To gather evidence relating to the economic performance of the City Region as a basis for development of strategies;

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The Board, with an interim chair of Councillor Iain Malcolm (Leader of South Tyneside), has authority to decide on all matters relating to Employment and Skills policy, strategy and delivery plans and reports to the Tyne and Wear City Region Executive Board. Responsibilities include:

• Agreeing and overseeing implementation of an Employability Strategy and associated Delivery Plan for the City Region, incorporating employers’ requirements and supply-side initiatives.
• Agreeing and aligning a funding and resourcing strategy and appropriate delegated authorities, to ensure that decisions are made at the appropriate level and time and focus help on the most disadvantaged areas.
• Considering synergy or duplication with other existing regional and sub-regional partnerships, to make optimum use of resources.
• Making representations to policy makers and Government to address local, regional and national barriers to people moving into work
• Ensuring that employment and skills issues are an integral part of overall City Region strategy.
• Reviewing progress towards achieving the Strategy.

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Working for the Programme Delivery Manager, this team is responsible for:

• Designing and implementing processes to ensure that the Employment and Skills Board operates effectively.
• Compiling, reviewing and reporting on progress of the Delivery Plan, in conjunction with partners.
• Monitoring and reporting on performance.
• Identifying and working with partners to develop initiatives and projects to address issues in the areas covered by the Board.
• Evaluating and making recommendations to the Delivery Manager and Employment and Skills Board on projects and proposals for funding.
• Ensuring effective communications between partners, stakeholders and customers.

The Team

Shona Duncan - Programme Delivery Manager

Shona has overall responsibility for the work of the Executive Team and for developing the Employment and Skills Board to cover the Tyne and Wear City Region, bringing partners together, developing the Board’s strategy, establishing targets, and ensuring the delivery of projects and programmes to achieve them.

Vacant - Programme Officer (Strategy)

The role is to assist with the development of the Employment and Skills Board supporting and, when necessary, representing the Programme Delivery Manager; developing plans & strategies for Employment and Skills; overseeing development and monitoring of the Delivery Plan and managing internal & external communications.

Mark Barrett - Programme Officer (Performance Management)

Mark’s role is to assist with the development of the Employment and Skills Board supporting and, when necessary, representing the Programme Delivery Manager, bringing partners together, developing the Employment and Skills strategy, and establishing, monitoring and reporting on targets, to ensure that the strategy is achieved.

Vacant - Recruitment Solutions

This role is to assist with the development of the Employment and Skills Board, and in particular carry out duties related to employer engagement, engaging with new and existing employers across the City Region, gaining commitment and supporting employers to adopt recruitment policies and processes that will encourage implementation of the Board’s objectives.

Jonah Morris - Data Management Officer

Jonah's role is to assist with the development of the Employment and Skills Board, and in particular carry out duties related to the collection, collation and reporting of data. In particular, this involves the rollout of a single client tracking and management information system across the Tyne and Wear City Region. 

Emma Wright - Project Support Officer

Emma’s role is to develop systems and provide administrative and performance management support to the Employment and Skills Executive Team, including day-to-day management of the office and collating and reporting on performance information from partners.

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