People and businesses across Liverpool city region will be benefit from a new £2.8m funding package that will be invested in skills. Tony McDonough reports
Five projects in Liverpool city region have will benefit from a total of £2.8m to offers new skills training for people and businesses.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA) has secured the cash from the Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund. It will “invest in skills, communities, businesses, and by supporting people into employment”.
Three of the five bids are for projects based in St Helens. This was the only area of the Liverpool city region identified as one of the Government’s 100 “priority places” when the fund was launched. The five projects are:
- Bounce Back – Skills for Jobs – £306,000
- Clean, Green and Advanced Manufacturing Skills for the Future – £629,747
- Licence to Work Pathways – £622,482
- St Helens Pathways into Employment- £744,695
- The Innovation in Communities Project – £506,960
In selecting the bids forwarded to the Government for consideration, the CA prioritised those with the greatest potential to deliver against the following key local growth priorities: investment in skills; investment in local business; investment in communities and place; supporting people into employment.
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Mayor Joanne Anderson, CA portfolio holder for employment and skills, and Mayor of Liverpool, said: “This funding is welcome and will support really innovative projects that will enable people to develop skills in high-growth areas, including advanced manufacturing and fast-growing green sectors including housing retrofit.
The Government introduced the fund as it prepared for the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022, which will replace EU Structural and Investment Funds. Cllr David Baines, leader of St Helens Council, added: “I very much welcome this funding which will make a real difference to the prospects of people in St Helens.
“One of the best ways that we can tackle economic inequality is by ensuring equality of opportunity. Enabling people to develop the right skills for the modern workplace and making sure that they are ready for work is hugely important and gives people a fighting chance to fulfil their potential.”