Employment skills training gets a £5m boost

Over £5m worth of funding has been secured to provide skills training in South Yorkshire until 2025.

The training will be delivered through a skills development programme, which aims to transform the region and grow the economy.

Calderdale College has been the Managing Agent of Skills Bank, funded by the South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, since 2018 and has now been successful in securing an additional three-year contract.

Since it first launched four years ago, Skills Bank has supported 780 businesses to grow and invest in upskilling their current workforces.

It has generated over £2.4m worth of private investment in skills across South Yorkshire. Every £100 of Skills Bank funding generates £80 of employer investment in skills.

The college has been appointed again on behalf of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to manage the programme by providing employers with access to high-quality training and financial support to aid business growth.

During the next phase of the contract, the college and SYMCA are pledging to work with a further 400 businesses and 4,000 individuals.

Ebrahim Dockrat, director of commercial services and partnerships at Calderdale College, said: “Since 2018 the college has been instrumental in the development of Skills Bank, working in collaboration with SYMCA, regional stakeholders, skills providers and employers to ensure the programme is accessible to all types of business and provide high quality skills solutions.

“Skills Bank has demonstrated its valuable position in supporting rapid and urgent skills demands throughout the pandemic and will continue to provide support at the core of business development and growth.

“Our success in securing this contract for a further three years ensures consistency for employers and supports SYMCA in its vision to grow an economy that works for everyone.”

Muz Mumtaz, assistant director for business support at the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, added: “We are really excited to continue working with Calderdale College as the Managing Agent for Skills Bank 3.

“Skills Bank is unique, it provides businesses with direct access to the support and funding they need and the scheme has been hugely successful.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with the college to deliver Skills Bank 3 helping South Yorkshire businesses and their workforce to access training and skills development to drive their business growth.”