A partnership between further education institutions in Staffordshire has been awarded funding for investment in new facilities, industry-standard equipment and the development of new courses and curriculum.
The scheme aims to support people to gain the skills needed to launch careers in priority sectors and support the local economy to grow.
The colleges will receive a share of £3.2m from the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) to help transform skills training, so that local businesses can continue to tap into the skilled workforce they need to thrive, while helping more people to secure good jobs closer to home.
From next year, they will start to offer opportunities that have been specifically aligned to the priority sectors identified by local employers in the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).
Across the county, employers identified skills including advanced manufacturing, advanced logistics, construction, engineering and digital as their priority areas.
The organisations involved include Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG), Stoke on Trent College, South Staffordshire College, City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College, Burton and South Derbyshire College and Buxton and Leek College.
Craig Hodgson, Principal & Chief Executive of NSCG – a lead partner in the initiative – said: “We are delighted to be leading on the Local Skills Improvement Fund for Staffordshire and working collaboratively with Staffordshire colleges to deliver exciting and ambitious projects that will transform the regional skills landscape.
“The fund will provide the opportunity for colleges to invest in new industry-standard equipment, specialist staff training and develop innovative and forward-thinking curriculum to meet the needs of local employers.
“The jobs of the future will look very different to those in the recent past and it is our collective responsibility to respond proactively to the evolving skills needs of our economy.”
As part of the government’s work to support more people to gain the skills they need to secure rewarding careers, earlier this year, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce was charged with the task of bringing the LSIP to fruition.
Staffordshire Chambers Chief Executive Sara Williams, who is also Chair of the LSIP board, said: “This will help transform the technical skills training through innovative projects across Staffordshire, improving and supporting the economic growth, productivity and innovation of businesses and the local economy.
“This will support increasing collaboration between providers and employers leading to improved co-ordination and efficiencies.”
The funding will also make sure more people can access Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) – that sit between A Level, T Level, vocational courses and degrees – to gain in demand skills including digital, healthcare and engineering as alternative to a traditional three-year degree.
