Funding boost for business training in Lincolnshire

The Greater Lincolnshire LEP has secured funding from the European Social Fund for additional skills and training programmes set to commence next year. The funding for the programmes is for the first two years after the UK withdraws from the EU.

Four new programmes are being commissioned by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, (ESFA) and now the LEP is calling for training providers in Greater Lincolnshire to work together and bid to run the programmes.

Limited access to talent and skills in Lincolnshire has previously hindered businesses in reaching their full potential, but the LEP’s Employment and Skills Board, chaired by Herman Kok of Lindum Group, has a strong track record of working with education providers to ensure businesses in Greater Lincolnshire have access to a wide range of skills to enable growth.

Herman Kok said: “Employers across our area tell us that they have skills gaps within their businesses and we are responding to that by making more money available for training.

“This new round of funding will give local businesses a much-needed boost for accessing the right skills in the long term.”

The four new programmes, which will start on April 1, 2019 and finish in July 2021, are aimed at helping people in work across the area and those who are unemployed.

The ESFA is commissioning, on behalf of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, the following services:

Skills support for those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or at risk of becoming NEET – £1,620,000

Skills support for the unemployed – £3,150,000

Skills support for the workforce and redundancy support – £7,200,000

A supplier to develop and administer a programme of community grants that will provide funding for small organisations to support people back into work or to move closer to the labour market – £990,000

The closing date for applications is September 17, 2018.

Training providers who are eligible to bid can access the opportunity via the ESFA e-tendering portal Bravo https://education.bravosolution.co.uk.

Hundreds of businesses in Greater Lincolnshire have already benefitted from the current Skills Support to the Workforce Programme which is due to end on March 31, 2019.

If your business could benefit from training support, complete the form at the link below to find out more about the range of courses that are available. http://ssw.fundingunit.org.uk/areas/greater-lincolnshire/