Plymouth businesses and residents are set to benefit from a recent bid for skills funding to the European Social Fund worth £3.5 million.
The bid, led by Plymouth City Council, has developed a skills delivery partnership with a range of quality training and skills providers across Devon, including City College Plymouth.
Council Leader Tudor Evans has endorsed this significant investment to the city which will be delivered over the next three years
The SMART Skills funding bid will help our small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)businesses to identify skills gaps in their existing workforce and provide the skills training they need to become more resilient during this economic crisis.
Details of the funding bid were announced at yesterday’s (Tuesday 10 November) Cabinet meeting by Councillor Jon Taylor, Cabinet Member for Education, Transformation and Skills, he said: “The fact that we have been successful in securing this funding for Plymouth and the wider area is tremendous and really exciting. Not only are we able to help our residents and businesses to improve their skills but we are showing as a local authority we are here to help and support the city in any way we can.”
SMART Skills is due to launch in December 2020 and will include a range of services and offers to SMEs including; impartial information, advice and guidance, training needs analysis, a skills brokerage service and skills training.The range of skills support includes all levels from introductory all the way through to leadership and management. Digital skills are also a key feature of skills support and the bid aims to support business now for the future.
Councillor Taylor added: “Our intention is to help local people to build the skills that local employers need both today and in the future to fill the jobs. This funding will be a real asset to the work of the SkillsLaunchpadPlymouth and the developing offer of support for city employers.”
Skills Launchpad Plymouth is virtual FREE one-stop-shop skills service which aims to help local people stay informed to equip themselves with the skills and confidence that they will need to play a part in the city’s future.
It is continuously updated as the go to place for local skills support, providing orientation and up to date real-time labour market intelligence so that local people can stay informed about the real employment opportunities today and in the future.
The service also offers comprehensive impartial information, advice and guidance, in order to match opportunities to pathways into education, training, apprenticeships, employment, work experience, volunteering and self-employment.