News: Cash for skills boost for Nottingham College

The Skills Accelerator programme aims to build stronger partnerships between employers, their representatives and local colleges to respond to economic change, address skills shortages and create opportunities for local people to fill an increasing number of job vacancies.

Dramatic advances in technology, commitments around environmental sustainability and the impact of the pandemic are changing the skills local businesses need to grow. To thrive as an economy colleges must work more together and with employers to develop and deliver training which meets these needs. This in turn will equip local people with the technical skills and competencies to secure good jobs. 

The bid’s success means that funding will be available for the colleges to buy the right equipment, employ trainers with the right skills and experience and develop the right technical courses/​qualifications to be fully responsive to the changing demands of our labour markets. 

Funds will be earmarked for research and engagement with employers and for a series of trials of new provision. 

Nottingham, Derby and Burton Colleges submitted a joint bid to reflect the needs of our region and address the diverse needs of our city economies. 

The National Skills Accelerator programme underpins the Government’s FE White Paper which proposes a number of new proposals or reforms to improve the sector’s responsiveness to economic need.