HULL College has secured a £3.5m contract to deliver workplace training to businesses across the Humber region. The multi-million-pound deal is aimed at supporting employees aged 19 and over in a small and medium enterprises that have a workforce of up to 250 employees.
Hull College will work in partnership with Bishop Burton College, East Riding College, Grimsby Institute, North Lindsey College to deliver the programme
Alastair Brooks, head of business development at Hull College, said: "This is really the first bite of the cherry to set a skills agenda in the Humber LEP era. What we have the chance to do is to set a blueprint for the future.
"Being able to set and deliver this skills agenda is something we are really proud of. It is really important for us to support the business community as both an employer and a training provider."
The two-year project will run until July 2015 and be delivered through two strands – Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) and Local Response Fund (LRF). About £3m will be used to deliver SSW, which will focus on the training aspect while the remainder of the money will be used to support the LRF, designed to fund businesses in the region identified by the LEP to produce a report of the skill sets needed most.
A training programme will then be put together to target the needs outlined in the report. Hull College has put together a team charged with overseeing the delivery of the project, led by project manager, John Whewall.
Mr Whewall said: "The fund is very flexible to the individual businesses.
"The vast majority of the training is going to be work placed learning.
"About 2,500 people will benefit from the programme over its lifetime, so it is a fantastic thing to be part of.
"By working with other training providers in the region we will be able to provide the best learning possible within a range of industries."
The college is now out to tender for businesses in seven different sectors who want to benefit from the programme.
The seven sectors being targeted are renewables, ports and logistics, chemicals, health and social care, creative and digital including tourism, engineering, construction and manufacturing, and food and agriculture.
Lord Haskins, chairman of Humber LEP, said: "This Skills Support for the Workforce is aimed at SMEs, which play a vital role in the Humber economy and it is important that the Humber LEP supports them to grow.
"This is a real opportunity for their employees to gain new skills and qualifications."
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