OYC Meeting Minutes – 31/05/2023

GOOD EMPLOYMENT WEEK (CHRIS)

We started the meeting off discussing the Good Employment Week, which is on the week commencing 19^th June 2023, and lead by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Good employment week aims to raise awareness of what good employment means across Greater Manchester, with a focus on employee engagement and voice. Within Greater Manchester, at some roads, Manchester City Council advertisement boards, and tram + bus stops.

The Greater Manchester Good Employment charter is essentially a voluntary membership by employers (businesses), and agrees to pay them a certain amount as a minimum above minimum wage.

The youth councillors worked in groups to come up with what stuff they believe would be included in a good employment charter, with some suggestions including paying above the living wage, flexible working hours, or even more paternity leave.

The 7 mentioned on the good employment charter include a good job security, flexible working (where possible), good engagement and employees have a voice, fair hiring practice (recruitment), fair people management (HR), good health and wellbeing support to employees and a fair pay.

GMCAThe Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is made up of representatives from the ten Greater Manchester councils (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan) and a Mayor, who work with other local services, businesses, communities and other partners to improve the Greater Manchester region.   More want us to do an event, which must run on Wednesday the 21^st of June morning. In the plans the youth council came up with, it should be hosted at a college, and there should be job fairs, with local employers, and asking YENO to attend the event. Other suggestions include information on income tax (as there is a lack of information to young people currently), and generic information on what good employment is.

10 FORWARDS (CHAIRThe Youth Councillor who runs the meeting, heads up the organisation and has the casting vote. Or something to sit on but probably the first one on our site :-) More)

We began with the youth councillors completing a previous “10 forward” survey.

Later on, the youth councillors discussed the smoking and vaping campaign, with it being highlighted that at least 5 young people in the borough of Oldham have been hospitalised due to vaping, perhaps due to adding drugs to the vapes, or something else. It was also highlighted that the proportion of people under the age of 18 smoking has been on a decline in recent years, but been on a large increase in the recent years.

At last week’s priorities, it was agreed that there needs to be information provision on what is actually in vapes.

The youth workers have talked to trading standards, and it is agreed that more data is needed to know why people vape. For the remainder of the session, youth councillors came up with questions to include on the survey.

EVENTS AND TRIPS (CHRIS)

During the 6 weeks of the summer holidays, the youth service plan on running a series of workshops, with a trip available to young people who attend the workshops. Chris wanted an insight on what trips people would be into.

Other events include:

• YouthForiaAn organisation in which youth councillors from the North West meet up and work on campaigns and training. More, Saturday 24^th June in Preston – people who signed up in the last meeting will be given information in the coming weeks via email.
• Monday the 5^th of June, Bee Heard regional forum, a forum which looks at Mental Health across Greater Manchester
• Tuesday the 6^th of June, 3pm till 5pm at Werneth Cricket Club, Oldham Pledge Event 3pm till 5pm
• Wednesday the 14^th June, 10am till 1:30pm at Mahdlo, Oldham Integrated Partnership conference.