Liverpool City Region secures £4.5 million skills funding boost
November 20, 2023
In association with the City Region’s FE College’s and training providers, St Helens College and Knowsley Community College, is delighted to have been part of the region’s bid to secure £4.5million of the government’s Local Skills Improvement Fund.
The fund will support six projects that align to the priorities of the Region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
The projects will be delivered through a collaborative partnership involving six colleges – St Helens College and Knowsley Community College, The City of Liverpool College, Riverside College, Hugh Baird College, Wirral Met College and Southport College.
These projects include:
- Talent Bank and Career Pathways
- Green Technologies and Digitalisation
- New Skills for Net Zero
- New Pathways to Learning
- Freeport Skills Academy
- Building Employer Partnerships
This forms part of a government drive to level up the country by getting more people into quality jobs close to home, while plugging skills gaps across key sectors including advanced, manufacturing, logistics, and construction.
£3.5 million will be directed towards capital projects, including the acquisition of advanced equipment to ensure that college facilities are state-of-the-art and ready to meet the evolving needs of the industry.
A further £1 million has been allocated for revenue projects, specifically targeting innovation in vocational training across the digital and low carbon economies. It will also support recruitment ensuring local talent is accessible to prospective employers and able to benefit from emerging careers opportunities across the City Region’s diverse economy.
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “The funding package is a huge boost for upskilling the Liverpool City Region, while encouraging more people to take Higher Technical Qualifications.”
Rachael Hennigan, Chair of the Association of Liverpool City Region Colleges said: “The FE Colleges in Liverpool City Region both serve their local borough communities and work collaboratively: to design and deliver programmes for the wider City Region. Building on earlier success of the Skills Development Fund, this new Local Skills Investment Fund will continue to support the design of new curriculum and skills that will help to create a cleaner, greener economy, contributing to the City Region’s ambition to be net carbon zero by 2040.”