Rebecca Harris MP has welcomed the news that Essex, Southend and Thurrock are to receive £5,557,549 in new funding as part of the Government’s £200 million skills investment. More than £200 million has been announced today to support colleges and universities to offer more training opportunities in key industries, such as the growing green sector. Investment is being targeted to address the specific skills needs of each region, which local businesses and employers have identified as priority sectors in their local skills improvement plans, giving them access to the skilled workforce they need to grow.
Demand for green skills is set to rise as the Government works to create energy security and the UK heads towards net zero. The Government’s Net Zero Growth Plan predicts that the transition to a green and sustainable future will support hundreds of thousands of exciting green job opportunities in areas such as heat pump installation and solar panel maintenance, electric vehicle manufacturing and environmental consultancy.
The funding will also make sure more people can access Higher Technical Qualifications – that sit between A level, T levels and Degrees – to gain in demand skills including digital, health care and engineering as an alternative to a traditional three-year degree. HTQs are designed in close collaboration with employers, so they equip students with the skills they need to go onto further study or straight into a good job.
The investment in local areas announced today is just one way the government is boosting skills, alongside a huge range of other high-quality programmes including T levels, free courses for jobs and skills bootcamps.
More than 40,000 people started a skills bootcamp in the last financial year, exceeding the government’s ambitious target. skills bootcamps are free courses lasting up to 16 weeks, with an offer of a job interview on completion.
Rebecca Harris MP said:
“This new investment into skills for young people in our area will make a huge difference. By doing this, the Conservative Government is boosting local industries, delivering exactly what they asked for and ensuring our workforce has the right knowledge and skills for the industries of the future.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:
“This investment is about boosting local industries, building people’s skills and ultimately futureproofing our economy and the career prospects of the next generation. Our local skills projects will bring together regional organisations, businesses and education providers to respond to the specific needs of employers, building an increasingly skilled workforce and growing local economies. Whether it is green skills, construction, engineering or digital, thousands more people can now gain the skills they need to secure good jobs closer to home. These are long-term plans that will ensure every area can have a brighter future.”
