Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has announced that it is boosting adult skills training with its largest-ever investment in upskilling.
Thanks to almost £60 million of investment, more than 30,000 residents will receive support to upskill as the combined authority looks to tackle shortages and ensure that the region’s workforce can meet the needs of local employers. More than £54 million of the funding will be given to further education colleges, local authorities, and independent skills providers over the course of the next academic year, whilst £3.7 million will go towards the funding of free level 3 training for people that earn less than £30,000 a year.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:
“Lifelong learning is an issue that is incredibly close to my heart, not least because I know the life-changing impact it can have on a person’s life. It helped to take my career on a journey that I would never have thought possible, from bricklayer, to parliament and now Mayor of the region I love – and I want to give as many people as possible that same chance.
“Since I became Mayor, we have invested hundreds of millions of pounds into adult education. This latest announcement is our biggest investment yet and will help to give tens of thousands more residents access to the support and training they need to build a successful career for themselves. It’s proper levelling up in action.”
Control of adult skills funding has been the responsibility of the combined authority since 2019, with this budget giving around two-thirds of funding to grant-funded skills providers such as colleges and local authorities. Through this budget, the council also sets aside investment so that it can experiment and innovate for new projects as part of the Test and Learn programme.
Over the course of 2022/23, 35,480 learners were supported by the Adult Skills Fund, including 75% that were living in more disadvantaged areas.
Image credit: iStock
