THOUSANDS of residents across the region are benefiting from valuable qualifications and skills, thanks to a West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) partnership with local colleges.
For two years, the WMCA has had devolved control of the region’s £130m adult education budget – funding further education providers and working with them to equip local people with the skills needed by employers.
Latest figures show the number of people with NVQ Level 3+ qualifications in the WMCA area increased by 120,000 to 1,444,000 in 2020, while the number of people with no qualifications reduced by 66,700 to 223,800 in the same period – a decrease of 23 per cent.
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “Sadly, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left many people out of work or uncertain about their future.
“We know there are jobs in sectors including construction, digital, and health and social care – but local people need the right skills to land these jobs. Devolved adult education funding means we’re able to equip residents with the skills needed to do exactly that.
“We’re also enabling employers to upskill their workforce for new ways of working, such as retrofitting houses to make them more environmentally friendly and help the region to achieve its zero-carbon target by 2041.”
Councillor George Duggins, leader of Coventry City Council and the WMCA portfolio holder for productivity and skills, said: “The region’s young population, its excellent connectivity and strengths in key sectors such as construction and digital all provide the right ingredients for growth.
“We’re proud to be working in partnership with our local colleges to help residents get qualifications, retrain and find new jobs as a result.”
Visit https://beta.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/productivity-and-skills for more information.
