Schools and college across county benefit from skills grants

Schools and colleges across Warwickshire have received funding totalling £112,000 to develop the employability skills of young people and promote joint-working with business.

The latest round of funding comes from Warwickshire County Council’s Skills for Employment programme which, since February 2015, has awarded up to £3,000 to each of 34 schools and four colleges across the county to stimulate economic growth via schools, skills and employment.

In the last 18 months, grants worth £304,000 have been awarded to schools and colleges across the region, enabling them to undertake a diverse range of projects including: events to raise confidence and aspirations; installation of new software to help students research and plan for their futures, job search, CV and job-application techniques; help with interview skills; and high quality work experience.

The county council's commitment to equipping young people with the skills required to embark on a successful career dovetails with similar objectives held by partner organisations like the Federation of Small Businesses.

Paul Miles Rogers, chairman of FSB Warwickshire & Coventry said: “One of the key objectives of the FSB is to get young people interested in business and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

"We want to see more business leaders developing close links with their local schools and colleges. The benefits are clear, not only for students but also firms that engage with schools which can provide a valuable future recruitment channel. 

"Work-experience, inspiring careers guidance and regular contact with local businesses will help more pupils acquire the skills they need to be workforce ready. 

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council and board member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are delighted with the response from schools and colleges to this latest opportunity for additional funds. Ensuring that our young people are equipped to succeed in the workplace is one of our key priorities.

"The grants are part of the county council’s £2.4m Skills for Employment programme designed to stimulate innovation in the range of employability support in the county. So far, since February 2015, £304,000 of this type of grant has been awarded to schools and colleges for a range of exciting innovative projects designed to develop employability skills among young people and forge new links between education and businesses.”

Cllr Philip Johnson, chair of the council’s Communities Overview and Scrutiny, said: “This initiative is helping to provide our young people with the right skills for the world of work – crucial if we are to close the skills gaps reported by frustrated businesses.”

Committed until 2018, the Skills for Employment programme aims to bring together the business world, education and training to enable young people to enter the workplace with the requisite skills.

For more information about Warwickshire County Council’s Skills for Employment programme, call 01926 418027 or email: skillsforemployment@warwickshire.gov.uk