West Midlands and Warwickshire gets more than £10 million in funding to help close the skills gap in key areas

More than £10 million in funding will help the West Midlands and Warwickshire to close the skills gap in six key areas to make the region fit for the future when it comes to talent.

The Department for Education awarded £10,304,523 of Local Skills Improvement Funds (LSIF) to the region – the highest amount for any area of the UK.

The funding is in response to the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) which was developed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, working alongside Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Black Country Chamber of Commerce, alongside a host of skills providers and firms, and with strategic oversight from West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

Now the funding is in place, partners across the region look to deliver on the plan covering the following:

• engineering and manufacturing - with a focus on priorities such as electric vehicles and batteries.
• construction – with a focus on low carbon techniques and future housing.
• green skills and how people can be trained in a key area .
• high-level digital skills for non-IT businesses looking at new technologies such as AI and machine learning.
• essential digital skills to support people with basic IT provision to help find employment or move up the career ladder.
• improve the skills landscape for employers by making it much easier for them to understand where to go when they need to access help with training and skills.

Solihull College and University Centre was the lead applicant and will now work with businesses and providers to deliver the projects.

Dudley College of Technology, WCG, Fircroft College, Halesowen College and Birmingham Metropolitan College are all partners in delivering areas of focus set out by the LSIF.

Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The announcement of £10.3m Local Skills Improvement Funds for the West Midlands and Warwickshire is one of the biggest in the country and great news for local employers.

“It is also vindication of the brilliant work that has been taking place between businesses across the region and our excellent local providers.

"Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is proud to have helped deliver this project and it will provide much needed funds for the skills and recruitment issues our businesses need to grow and find new markets.

“Most importantly, this marks the start of a new way of delivering skills funding – putting businesses at the start of the process and using innovative ways of delivery, of focus and of engagement.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said: “A key part of my mayoral mission is to ensure local people have the skills they need to succeed.

"We’re fortunate to be home to a range of excellent providers offering a remarkable range of provision - which we continue to improve.

“Education providers and partners have been instrumental in the development of our West Midlands Local Skills Improvement Plans and recognise the importance of responding to the needs of learners and employers.

“We welcome this additional funding from the Department for Education which will help bring many of the recommendations from the LSIP to fruition - helping colleges and universities to fulfil their ambitions and take our provision to the next level in the months and years ahead.”

For more information go to: https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/business-support/lsip/