£500,000 funding awarded for new apprenticeships and courses for school and college leavers in Peterborough

Funding of £500,000 for new apprenticeships and courses for school and college leavers that will help them into new jobs has been awarded to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Apprenticeships and courses for college leavers will be funded by the grant.Apprenticeships and courses for college leavers will be funded by the grant.
Apprenticeships and courses for college leavers will be funded by the grant.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CaPCA), has received new funding of £486,297 from the Department of Education to create high value courses for school and college leavers in 2020/21.

A significant part of the CaPCA’s role is to ensure there is a coordinated approach to the creation of new jobs and opportunities, including apprenticeships, placements and training that makes it easier for businesses to engage with young people.

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The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, made a statement to Parliament in July 2020, listing a number of training and spending measures to improve employment prospects of the many thousands of young people and adults aged 16-to-24, leaving school/college/university this summer who may find themselves not in education, employment or training (‘NEET’s).

The Treasury estimated the total cost at £3bn, with the CaPCA to receive funding for two new programmes as part of the Government Skills Recovery Package totalling £486,297 for the 2020/21 academic year.

John Hill, CEO Business Board told members in the online meeting of the Skills Committee (September 14): “We have received funding of £241,361 for the 2020/21 academic for the creation of sector-based academies to work with local employers in growth sectors with jobs creation.

“These academies will also work with local providers to deliver the training element of the sector-based academy.

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“Potential Sector Based Work Academies will be created in sectors such as construction and manufacturing.

“Early discussions with officers see a demand in new jobs being created in these sectors. A new sector that is emerging with potential jobs creation is the energy sector.

“We’ve also received additional funding of £244,936 for the 2020/21 academic year to offer an enhanced one-year, classroom-based course for those students who have left school or college with no job, apprenticeship, placement, university or courses to go to.”

The one-year offer includes: (i) Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications to support the needs of industrial strategy, linked to higher wage returns; (ii) Support funding in line with learning support; (iii) An uplift payable whilst the learner is in learning, following the earnings methodology set out in the Adult Education Budget funding rates and formula 2020 to 2021; and (iv) An increased job-outcome payment payable if learners leave early to enter employment.
The total value of additional Department of Education funding is £486,297 for the 2020/21 academic year.

This is broken down as £305,723 for the 2020/21 financial year and £180,574 for the 2021/22 financial year.

The next meeting of the CaPCA Skills Committee will be November 9, 2020.