Skills for Employment brings rewards for county businesses and young people

Three years after launching the £2.4 million ‘Skills for Employment’ programme, £600,000 of additional funding has been found to extend the programme for the period 2018-2020.

Since June, applications have been received from 35 schools for the Capability & Capacity grant worth up to £3,000 each. 22 grants have been awarded to date and we anticipate grants worth more than £100,000 will be awarded by the end of this term.

The following statistics show the value of the programme and why it has received the extension to continue the work it has already been doing:

• 74% of schools have seen an improvement in the careers advice for their students

• 54% of schools have made strong developments with businesses due to the funding

• The amount of time spent by staff to deliver careers advice has increased by 30%

• There has been a 50% increase in schools providing careers talks and work experience

• The proportion of schools employing a careers leader increased by almost a fifth due to funding

One of the county council’s key priorities is to support new and existing businesses with high growth potential, vital to the continued economic vibrancy of the region. This goes hand in hand with building an appropriately skilled workforce, as well as creating job opportunities for young people.

It sounds straightforward but in recent years The Chamber of Commerce and businesses were telling WCC they were finding it increasingly difficult to fill their job vacancies with local people and there was a shortage of suitable skills in the regional job market.  They also said they didn’t have the contacts with schools and colleges that would allow them to work together to identify a mutually beneficial skills pipeline.

WCC recognised there was an urgent need to increase engagement between Warwickshire’s businesses and schools.  So in 2015, Skills for Employment was born with three main aims; to align skills provision more effectively between businesses and education providers, to improve advice and information about career and employment opportunities and to improve the journey for young people as they move from education to the world of work.

"More than 30,000 careers and employability activities have been delivered"

In three years more than 600 businesses have taken part and more than 30,000 careers and employability activities have been delivered.  A business skills advisor has been appointed to work alongside the skills and employment team in visiting the region’s businesses, identifying skill gaps and helping them source the appropriate training to address them. In the first 12 months the advisor helped more than 100 businesses. 

There have also been new networks established in the tourism sector, a key industry for Warwickshire, supporting nearly 21,000 jobs with a business turnover in excess of £1.15 billion.  Additionally boot camps have been taking place in the gaming industry, which has a £224 million turnover and accounts for 1.4% of the county’s active workforce. Both initiatives will ensure there is a steady stream of suitable workers into both of these important industries.

If you would like to know more contact glennrobinson@warwickshire.gov.uk or visit the website: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/sfegrants