Improving skills in our local workforce is a necessity for improving economic opportunities in Great Yarmouth. It is also vital residents have the necessary skills needed to succeed in life. In fact - one area of 'Our Plan' for Bradwell is helping people to get on in life. So I am pleased to hear that 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, 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.
The initiative builds on the success of the Strategic Development Fund, which has already made £157 million available to the further education 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. Norfolk and Suffolk received £2,735,357 from this fund.
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.
