People across Bath and North East Somerset are set to benefit from more support to gain new skills and progress in work thanks to a funding package worth over £15 million.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris and Ian Penney, Welding Lecturer | Photo © Freia Turland
The investment from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is the largest-ever in skills training and is part of regional Mayor Dan Norris’s plans to help ensure the region has one of the most highly skilled and well-trained workforces in the country.
More than £5 million of the funding will go towards training more than 6,000 locals to plug skills gaps in the region, including courses to train up an army of retrofitters, electric car mechanics and other workers needed as the region transitions to a net-zero future.
Meanwhile, 200,000 of the region’s youngsters will get the support they need to plan their routes into the jobs they want later on through a £1.5 million investment to support all 97 of the region’s secondary schools to improve the quality of their careers education.
Measures to get 10,000 long-term sick and unemployed locals to start, stay and succeed in work are on the way, thanks to a £1.7 million investment, a major move to tackle the major long-term sickness challenge facing the West, and the country.
Mr Norris said: “Skills and training are a really important part of my role as Metro Mayor, and ensuring as many people in our West of England region have the training they need and deserve to access good-quality, well-paid secure jobs matters greatly to me.
“Because I know the incredible impact good jobs and skills training can have on a person’s life.
“It helped take me on a incredible journey when it came to my own career – from a child protection officer, to Parliament and now Metro Mayor of the best region in the whole country.
“Since I was elected three years ago, my West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has trebled the value of our jobs and training services for locals from £20m to £60m.
“We’re already helping over 35,000 residents in our region every single year through our brilliant range of programmes for locals – from youngsters in school, to people out of work looking to get back into the workplace.
“This latest funding boost for locals is our biggest investment yet and will help to give tens of thousands more locals access to the support and training they need to develop new skills and develop their careers in the West of England.”
The investment will provide 50,000 people with careers advice and support, and help over 35,000 people access new training, according to the regional Mayor.
