Praise for Peterborough College's skills initiative to help unemployed people into work
Concern voiced at city’s recruitment headache
An initiative in Peterborough that provides work skills training to help the unemployed into work has won high praise.
The Jobsmart venture run by Peterborough College was applauded by the Government’s transformation minister Andrew Western MP during a visit to the college.
Jobsmart seeks to deliver skills-led training and help unemployed individuals gain the qualifications and experience they need for sustainable jobs.
It focuses on fully funded courses in construction, security, logistics, and hospitality, as well as tailored employability support.
Mr Western said: “Jobsmart is a great example of making sure the next generation of local people have skills they need to succeed in life.
“For too long there has been a rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training, and the college is key to addressing this locally."
Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes said: “It was great to bring the Minister to JobSmart to show off the kind of partnerships that will be at the heart of the new Youth Guarantee.
"By equipping individuals with practical skills and tailored support, Jobsmart is not only transforming lives but also directly addressing the workforce needs of our local economy.
He added: “This collaboration between education, employers, and government initiatives like the Back to Work plan is essential for building stronger, more resilient communities here in Peterborough.”
The visit follows the Government’s announcement in its Get Britain Working white paper that Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority would be one of eight Youth Guarantee trailblazer areas and will share in £45 million of funding.
And just days ago business leaders heard were told that while vacancy numbers in Peterborough are falling, employers still struggled to fill the job because they could not find people with the right skills.
Charlotte Horobin, chief executive of Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce, had told the meeting of Opportunity Peterborough bondholders: “The number of vacancies available is down and yet eight out of 10 companies are still struggling to recruit the people with the right skills.
She said: “We need to do more to match the needs of employers with education across all ages.”