People and Skills funding
People and Skills funding allocation: £1,582,599
Home to over 425,000 residents, West Northants is a place where every individual is invited to live their best life. This funding is a vital part of our strategy to enable all our residents to start, stay and succeed in local, sustainable employment.
The ambitions for this allocation include:
- supporting a diverse workforce to succeed in local employment
- addressing unemployment and economic inactivity to enable residents to progress on their career journeys
- upskilling the existing workforce to continue to succeed
- supporting the skills ecosystem in the area, maximising the benefits of the education providers in the area
As set out in the UK Shared Prosperity Fund prospectus, the People and Skills investment priority seeks to address these challenges by investing in projects with the following objectives:
- reducing levels of economic activity, supporting residents and boosting the skills with cohesive, locally tailored support
- supporting local areas to fund gaps in local skills provision, supporting people progress into work through both qualification and non-qualification based routes
People and Skills projects has been utilised to support activities that sit under one of 3 areas:
Skills for communities
The Skills for communities scheme provides grants for location-based initiatives aligned with Local Area Partnership priorities e.g. youth clubs, local voluntary and community groups, not-for profit organisations and social enterprises, with a focus on supporting the most deprived areas of West Northamptonshire.
The scheme enables grant recipients to expand, improve, or launch new projects that promote learning and development at the community level, with the goal of bringing people closer to the labour market.
The funding has been awarded to a mix of voluntary and community sector (VCSE) organisations and specialist organisations to deliver specific pieces of work, including:
Project and description
Employability and financial literacy skills project
Citizens Advice aims to support individuals who are most distanced from the labour market to move closer to or into employment. This support includes integrated literacy and employability training, covering CV writing, interview skills, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, well-being, and digital skills.
Project and description
Centre Director
The Doddridge Centre is looking to employ a Community Skills and Development Worker and Apprentice who will focus on mentoring and coaching vulnerable, isolated individuals who need guidance to build self-esteem to support their return to the workplace.
Project and description
Support into employment, training and advice service
A specialised tailored package to unemployed adults from South Asian communities to support them into employment. The project includes:
- 1:1 support
- CV writing
- support with job applications
- career planning
- job readiness
- interview skills
- workshops (ESOL, Basic IT, everyday maths)
- mentoring and guidance
Project and description
Level 2 Youth Work Practice
Free to Talk CIC is a community interest company focused on supporting young people and families through a range of services.
The Level 2 Youth Work Practice project offers the SEG Awards Level 2 Award in Youth Work Principles (England) as an entry-level qualification.
This course aligns with the National Occupational Standards for youth work and covers essential skills and knowledge needed to become a capable Assistant Youth Support Worker.
The qualification provides a strong foundation for those starting their journey in youth work.
Project and description
Improving employability skills for forgotten young adults at risk of NEET
An excellent program designed to improve employability skills for forgotten young adults at risk of NEET. Future Toolbox supports young people aged 16-plus in part time education at Colleges in West Northamptonshire who are at risk of becoming NEET. The project includes workshops to help learners develop the ‘soft skills’ they require to improve their chances of gaining employment.
Project and description
Innovations
The project contributes to Improved Life Chances for young adults with support needs (learning difficulties) to help them achieve their ambitions through social, enterprise and vocational opportunities. For more information, see:
Project and description
Learning for All
A learning project for all, which focuses on the provision of community services (housing, energy, food, health support etc) and delivering vocational licences and work readiness support / basic skills to those who are furthest from the labour market, helping them onto a pathway of employment, social inclusion, and a meaningful sense of purpose in life.
Project and description
Everyone can make a difference
To enhance the management and efficiency of work placement and volunteer programs at The Lewis Foundation Outlet.
Project and description
Hope in The Community - Community Outreach program
A program supporting employability skills and focusing on providing training for wellbeing and training for life.
Project and description
Born to Shine
The Born to Shine project at Peak Empower aims to provide support to young people with additional mental and health needs with the and aiding them in obtaining part-time, full-time jobs and volunteer roles.
Project and description
Cultivating Catering Careers
To cultivate catering careers, Progressive World Vision CIC wants to train 12 people in 3 cohorts of 4 the basics and fundamentals of cheffing and catering to provide them with a training programme that will enable them to be trained to a level of experience that can boost their employability within the food and drink industry.
Project and description
The Well
Provide an enhanced wellbeing service for adults to move from crisis to independence and empowerment. The project at Restore Northampton aims to build confidence and develop skills for adults (to develop their employability).
Project and description
Re-engage
Right Resolution CIC provides intensive mentoring and guidance for young people aged 16 to 25 leaving care, focusing on education, employment, and training, many of these individuals are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) and face significant challenges and need holistic, youth-centred support, using Youth Work interventions to help develop life skills and independence.
Project and description
Employment Plus
The Salvation Army supports individuals who are economically inactive or socially excluded, helping them improve their wellbeing, feel included, and become more employable.
Project and description
The West Northants Empowerment Project
The West Northants Empowerment Project is working towards reducing food poverty in West Northamptonshire by equipping individuals with essential financial literacy and employability skills, thereby fostering long-term self-sufficiency and economic stability.
Project and description
Steps to the Future
A multi award winning Community Hub with visions of steps to the future, this wonderful community centre and youth club supports people living in poverty and vulnerability to improve their personal and professional skills, to support them into volunteering experience, employment and devising earning ventures.
Project and description
Upskilling those who need support getting work
The Springs Family Centre tutors individuals on computer skills, English language teaching, outreach to black African/black British young adults. To upskill service users so they can get closer to the jobs market (IT & English), outreach work to help enable participants to seek work in familiar surroundings and providing service users with the skills to job search for themselves.
Project and description
SEND Life Skills Workshops
Sports4Fitness CIC are providing SEND life skills workshops for young people aged 18 to 25 with special needs and disabilities (SEND) to progress into employment.
Project and description
One to One Coaching
An Artisan bakery and community café aiming to provide real employment opportunities to vulnerable local women so that we can break the cycle of poverty, unemployment and offending, including one to one coaching.
Project and description
United African Association Skills Programme
Expansion of an IT service to offer intermediate and advanced IT classes for members of the African Community currently unemployed.
Project and description
Skills support Briar Hill
Voluntary Impact aims to build the skills of unemployed and economically inactive people living in Briar Hill who want to get closer to work. Engage with inactive people who are not currently in work or volunteering and reduce barriers to employment by providing practical support and information and building skills and confidence.
Project and description
Volunteer It Yourself
The project aims to help and advise young people aged 16-plus who are NEET/unemployed or economically inactive to learn and apply vocational construction trade skills whilst helping to refurbish and renovate local community facilities that provide valued services and amenities.
Project and description
Pathways to Success: Skills and Wellbeing Program
Supporting adults in the local community by providing skills-based and therapeutic sessions referred by local GP surgeries. Enhancing employability skills, provide training and therapeutic activities that support mental health and emotional wellbeing and teach participants coping strategies through creative and practical sessions.
Project and description
Fundraising and Communications Manager
YMCA Northamptonshire is looking for a Fundraising and Communications Manager who can provide support care for experienced young people and NEETs living at YMCA Northamptonshire and help place them into meaningful and sustainable employment or into education / volunteering opportunities, addressing the gaps in employment and skills for vulnerable communities.
Project and description
Dad Talk
To improve the mental health and wellbeing of fathers from the Black Minority Ethnic Groups, visit Unity in Diversity.
Skills for work
Skills for work is led by the Adult Learning team to deliver activities to prioritise helping individuals improve their skills, supporting access to work and removing barriers to employment.
Skills for growth
Skills for growth projects target employers and employees aiming to enhance skill levels and promote career development. These initiatives benefit individuals while supporting business growth.
Awarded projects will focus on developing skills essential for sustainable employment and productivity. Key areas include:
- digital workplace skills
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- workplace literacy
- and inclusive recruitment practices
The funding has been awarded to the following organisations:
Innovation through collaboration, Support Northamptonshire provides training for people in employment in need of support to increase their digital literacy through the delivery of relevant digital skills training.
The project targets people in work, who lack basic literacy skills to improve their skills and, in doing so, improve their employability. This includes people where English is not their first language as well as anyone else who, for whatever reason, with literacy skills below Level 1 (GCSE Grade D to G).
A learning project for all, this project helps businesses to implement inclusive approaches to recruitment with a focus on equality and diversity. The fund will be used to support SMEs needing help to improve access to the available labour market.
Funding aimed at promoting Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) in local schools and to support new entrants to the sector. For more information see:
Last updated 30 October 2024