Education secretary Gavin Williamson has written to college principals encouraging them to bid for investment from the government’s Towns Fund.
Skills are a “particular focus for the government” and colleges have a big role to play in utilising sums up to £25 million available for each town, he wrote.
Mr Williamson wrote: “Colleges and other skills providers already play a significant role in local communities and work with local businesses on skills and economic development.
“I want us to build on this and the Towns Fund offers opportunity for investment in further education to support regeneration of towns.”
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In September 2019, the government launched a £3.6 billion Towns Fund, which invited communities, business and local leaders in 100 places across the country to collaborate and bid for investment. The proposals have to show how they would transform the town’s economic growth prospects with a focus on urban regeneration, skills and connectivity. Towns Deal Boards can award up to £25 million to each place.
Mr Williamson wrote that the Department of Education is looking for bids that:
- identify skills challenges that local people face and coordinate strategies for how people can be supported locally to meet labour market needs;
- support collaboration between businesses large and small and local colleges to ensure that local businesses can access the skills they need to thrive;
- support participation in FE from across the local community;
- and incentivise employers to invest in the area, by providing the facilities they need to upskill their workforce.
He wrote: “We expect every Towns Deal Board to consider skills and the contribution that the further education sector can make to economic growth, as they develop their proposals, and we know that many boards already have FE representatives on them.
“We hope that many proposals will include skills components while recognising that the detail of those skills proposals will of course vary depending on local needs and priorities.”
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “There is a real opportunity through the Towns Fund to focus on technical and vocational education, boost productivity and ensure the country has the skilled workforce necessary to maintain economic success. To make sure that every person, in every community has the skills and opportunities they need to get on I encourage all colleges to engage with their local authority and put forward initiatives.”
