16.10.19
More major cities to benefit from Government adult retraining scheme
The Government’s ‘Get Help to Retrain’ services are continuing their rollout, making the scheme now available to six major cities across England.
As of today (Oct 16) the pioneering service, aimed at helping adults start a new career, will be offered to individuals across the Leeds City Region, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and the Heart of the South West.
The scheme was successfully piloted in the West Midlands, North East and Liverpool City Region, and the additional new regions bring the total to six.
Measures aiming to ensure adults in the region have the opportunity to retrain and get on a new career path will be offered to those eligible, particularly those whose jobs might be affected by new technologies such as AI or automation.
The service, backed by £100m of government investment, will highlight their existing skills and discover suitable job opportunities or supporting training courses that could see them excel in their career.
Qualified careers advisers will be made available to guide and support people through the entire process, empowering them to take a potentially daunting leap on to a new path.
In order to be eligible, individuals must be 24 and over, qualified below degree level and working under a certain wage threshold.
Education Minister, Michelle Donelan, said:
“The world of work is changing fast, which is why we are developing the National Retraining Scheme to help prepare adults whose jobs may change as a result of new technologies to thrive in the roles of the future.
“The Get Help to Retrain digital service is just the first step. We are rolling the service out gradually, testing and learning as we go. The good news is that eligible adults in all six areas can now try out the new service and help us make sure we get it right for those who need it.”
The rollout is happening in stages, in order to gain effective user testing feedback and ensure that it is as workable as possible before being made available nationwide in 2020.