£3.06m Government funding allocated to help upskill residents in Stoke-on-Trent

Eight Stoke-on-Trent organisations will benefit from a total of £3.06 million in the latest announcement on how Government funding will be spent in the city.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been awarded £9,477,820 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to deliver projects which support local businesses, improve local spaces and assist residents with employment and skills.

As reported by Daily Focus earlier this week, £2.1 million of the sum will be split between 11 community-based organisations for projects such as an educational programme and various events and activities.

Another £484,470 has been awarded to two organisations – including £347,427 to Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce – to support local businesses.

The eight newly-revealed beneficiaries are from the private, voluntary and public sectors and fall under the People and Skills category – one of the three investment priorities identified for the funding.

The successful organisations are:

• Jobs Enterprise and Training Service (JET part of Stoke-on-Trent City Council) – £ 666,346 to create an Inclusive Employability Hub, a consortium of employability professionals who will come together to provide a joined-up and holistic package of support for economically inactive and unemployed residents of Stoke-on-Trent.
• Wavemaker Stoke – £552,417 to deliver DigitALL, a project with partners aimed to provide essential digital skills for life, employment, health and wellbeing to individuals.
• YMCA – £491,704 to create the YES (Youth Employment and Skills) Consortium, a project aimed at 16 – 24-year-olds which uses creative ways to break down barriers to learning and employment so that individuals are positively engaged and positively contributing to society.
• Acacia Training – £482,528 to deliver a scheme to support people whose vocation may be in care or the hospitality industries.
• Staffordshire University – £257,008 to create Stoke-on-Trent Higher Skills Accelerator, which will provide flexible bitesize work-based learning options for Stoke-on-Trent residents, to upskill or reskill residents in areas of leadership and management, digital, marketing or Net Zero.
• Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce – £251,600 to create a Skills and Apprenticeship Hub to promote apprenticeships to businesses in Stoke-on-Trent.
• Stoke-on-Trent College – £244,882 to deliver Skills Ready Work Ready (I Am), a project which will identify and engage young people aged 16-24 not in education or training and provide the tailored wraparound support needed to progress them towards work or further training.
• Disability Solutions West Midlands – £120,280 to create a project focussed on working-age adults who have disabilities or long-term ill-health in need of intensive and personalised support to move closer to employment.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is an opportunity for us to work together to support our local residents, communities and businesses.

“Through these eight projects, which are forecasted to commence in January 2024, we are investing in more tailored support for residents, boosting core skills and supporting young people and adults to progress into work.”