- Local employer skills gaps to be addressed with new funding
boost
- Colleges and further education providers invited to apply for
funding to plug local skills gaps
- Part of Government plans to boost technical skills, get more
people into good jobs locally and grow the economy
Local communities across the country are set to benefit from a
share of £165 million to transform skills training in their area
and help get more people into jobs closer to home.
Further education providers are invited to apply for cash
from the Local Skills Improvement Fund [LSIF], which will be used
to renovate facilities with up-to-date equipment, help to upskill
teachers, and deliver new courses in key subjects such as green
construction, carbon capture and cyber security that meet the
needs of local employers. This means that wherever there are
skills black holes, they will now be filled.
Thousands of people will benefit from this boost to skills
training, helping them secure good jobs close to where they live.
It will also provide a boost to local economies, as employers
will have access to a workforce which is equipped with the
specific skills businesses need to grow.
Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
said:
“Building a world-class skills and apprenticeships nation means
listening to the specific needs of local people, businesses, and
institutions.
“This funding will revolutionise how we plug local skills gaps
and provide a boost to the economy. Supporting colleges to better
meet the needs of local employers not only boosts businesses, it
extends the ladder of opportunity to even more people from all
backgrounds who will be equipped with the skills they need to
secure a rewarding job close to home.”
Successful applicants will receive funding to invest in a broad
range of initiatives that respond to the specific priorities
identified in each area’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
The plans have been created by employer representative bodies in
every region of the country and set out the key priorities and
changes needed in each area to make post-16 technical training
more closely aligned to local labour market needs.
The initiative builds on the success of the Strategic Development
Fund, which has already made £157 million available to the FE
sector to invest in a range of projects that have had a huge
impact on plugging skills gaps in communities up and down the
country. This includes investment in the equipment and facilities
needed to upskill people in areas such as electric and hybrid
vehicle maintenance, automation and artificial intelligence.
New City College is part of the collaborative Green Academy
Partnership of 13 colleges across London which received a share
of £961k revenue and £1.5m capital SDF funding for Green Labs,
with investment in key technologies in the low carbon and
renewables sector.
Jamie Stevenson, Group Executive Director at New City
College said:
“Being the project lead for the Central London Forward SDF
project has enabled us, alongside local employers and
stakeholders, to pioneer a new way of working. From the project’s
inception, we have worked collaboratively to identify and meet
the local need for high quality technical training to develop
green skills. This has included upskilling teaching staff and
setting an industry-leading standard for low carbon energy
learning labs.
“The SDF has made an important contribution to local people and
employers in Central London by providing access to green skills
training which supports people to get a good job or further
develop their career in the low carbon energy sector, enabling us
to work towards meeting the 2050 net zero challenge.”
Weston College is one of four colleges in the West of England
which received a share of £1.2m revenue and £1.5m capital SDF
funding to invest in training and state-of-the-art equipment for
the Aerospace, Advanced Engineering and Health and Social Care
sectors to meet the urgent skills needs of the region and the
pace of technological development.
Sir Paul Phillips CBE, Principal and Chief Executive of
Weston College said:
“This funding has been a catalyst for change for our delivery of
skills in the West of England, bringing together educational
providers and employers around the table to ensure partnerships
are both proactive and effective.
“We have been able to use the funds to tailor provision to
employer needs but also to ensure it fits with the regions we
serve. It is absolutely important that this ground breaking work
continues to advance with the flexibilities to match each area’s
priorities and the specialist skills needed for the industries
that are so key to both our regional and national economic
growth.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
