£5m Funding for skills development in South Yorkshire

Published 24 August 2022 at 12:00am

Over £5 million funding has been secured from South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to provide skills training in South Yorkshire until 2025 through a skills development programme that aims to transform the region and grow the economy.

Since it first launched four years ago, Skills Bank has supported 780 businesses to grow and invest in upskilling their workforces. It has generated over £2.4 million of private investment in skills across South Yorkshire and every £100 of Skills Bank funding generates on average £80 of employer investment in skills.

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

During the next phase of the contract, the College and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) are pledging to work with a further 360 businesses and over 4,000 individuals. The aim is to provide South Yorkshire employers with access to high-quality training and financial support to aid business growth.

Ebrahim Dockrat, Director of Commercial Services and Partnerships at Calderdale College, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our relationship with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority at this crucial time of economic challenge.

“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. The programme helps to develop inclusive and sustainable approaches that build on South Yorkshire’s strengths in innovation and embrace the UK’s 4th Industrial Revolution, to contribute more to the country’s prosperity and enhance quality of life for all.”

Do you work for or own a business in South Yorkshire? Find out how Skills Bank can help your business grow by visiting https://skillsbankscr.co.uk/