The West of England Combined Authority (CA) is launching a range of funding this summer to meet the diverse skills and employability needs of our residents. We invite you to get involved either as an applicant or sharing this news with your wider networks.
All funding aims to meet Metro Mayor Dan Norris’s key priorities and address priority needs set out in the regions Employability and Skills Plan.
Mayoral Priority Skills Fund:
One of those funding rounds is making around £2 million available to meet priority gaps in skills provision across the region. We will be looking to fund initiatives in the following areas:
· Modular Training: Funding for in-work skills initiatives to support workers in a wide variety of industries to gain qualifications and training through modular courses addressing local skills needs. This can be for industry-specific skills gaps or cross-cutting themes in our economy such as; green skills, digital skills, or sector-specific leadership and management
· Apprenticeship Support: Initiatives which increase apprenticeship starts and completions and which increase engagement from a variety of target groups, parents and employers. This can include supporting employers to successfully manage an apprentice through the apprenticeship and through the end point assessment to ensure successful completions.
· Community based support: New programmes which engage disadvantaged groups or economically inactive in our communities facing multiple barriers to accessing mainstream training and employability services. Programmes will provide high levels of individualised support and wrap around support through community partnerships to support residents to progress into positive skills/training, employability and volunteering outcomes.
· NEET and Pre-NEET support: Programmes which provide intensive individualised support for individuals to grow in confidence, access wrap around services such as health and wellbeing and progress into positive skills/training, employability and volunteering outcomes.
We will be launching the funding with a market engagement event on 27th July. You can sign up to this event and subsequent networking events around the funding themes on the website here: www.westofengland-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/employment-skills/mayoral-priority-skills-fund/
Funding will be awarded in the Autumn 2023 and activity will deliver until March 2025.
Other funding available this summer from the West of England Combined Authority – People and Skills Team:
Adult Education Budget – Open Application Process:
The Adult Education Budget (AEB) funds programmes that direct support towards the residents (aged 19+) who need it most, to develop the skills and qualifications needed for life, work, apprenticeships and further learning. AEB are opening a new application process this Summer, 2023. If you would like to be notified when the application process opens, please email adulteducation@westofengland.ca.gov.uk and request to be added to their communications. Further information can be found on the website: Adult education – West of England Combined Authority (westofengland-ca.gov.uk)
Skills Bootcamps:
The CA is making further funding available to employers and providers as part of the wave 4 Skills Bootcamp initiative to deliver specialist training covering 7 key sector areas.
This fund launched on the 10th July with a market engagement event. Details of the fund and to sign up to the market engagement can be found here: Skills Bootcamps (Wave 4) – West of England Combined Authority (westofengland-ca.gov.uk)
