A £13million funding package to help the long term-unemployed, young workers, those looking to progress in their career and to boost the economy is now available, via the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership.
The substantial funding is available through four programmes; which project organisers can bid into to tackle a range of issues relating to business growth by providing training and skills, helping the long term unemployed to find work, and aiding young people termed NEETs (not in education, employment or training).
Funding for the four schemes of EMPLOY local (£4m), the Youth Engagement for Derby Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire (D2N1) (£3.2m) and CAREERS Local (£1.7m) – and SKILLS Local (£4.7m), announced earlier this month (July) – comes from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s allocation of €250million in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). ESIF are to tackle a range of business growth, skills and employment issues in the LEP’s area over six years (up to 2020).
D2N2 is the private sector-led Partnership which promotes economic growth and jobs creation across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
- EMPLOY Local will focus on help those unemployed for a long period of time; by helping them access additional support and gain basic work skills, to assist them in competing for jobs.
- CAREERS Local looks at helping young people aged 15 to 25 – particularly those termed as NEETs, or who are at risk of becoming NEET – to participate in the jobs market and in further learning. This is done providing them with information, and giving advice and guidance to increase the number of young people in employment, education and training.
- Youth Engagement D2N1 is about increasing employed people’s skills levels to help them progression their careers, and increase the number of people with technical and job specific skills. It will also address the basic skills needs of employed people – particularly in small and medium sized (SME) enterprises and micro-businesses – to help people go on to higher and advanced level apprenticeships, to support business growth.
- SKILLS Local will look to support business growth across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire by providing training and skills which will benefit the existing workforce.
Organisations have to be on the national Skills Funding Agency’s ‘Register of Training Organisations’ to apply. They can view further details about these funding opportunities and complete a funding application online, on the SFA e-Tendering portal at https://skillsfundingagency.bravosolution.co.uk
The deadline for applications to SKILLS Local is August 1 (2016), CAREERS is August 4, EMPLOY is August 8 and for Youth Engagement it is August 9.
Free information sessions for organisations interested in bidding and delivering programmes’ projects, will be held next week. The sessions will set out the priorities of D2N2’s ESF programme. Each session will be held from 10am to 2pm (lunch will be included) on:
- Tuesday July 19 – At the Winding Wheel, 13 Holywell St, Chesterfield (S41 7SA)
- Wednesday July 20 – At the Worksop Turbine, Shireoaks Triangle Business Park, Coach Close, Worksop (S81 8AP)
- Thursday July 21 – At the University of Derby, Kedleston Rd, Derby (DE22 1GB)
- Friday July 22 – At the EMFEC offices, Robins Wood House, Robins Wood Rd, Nottingham (NG8 3NH)
The events are free to attend but places are limited and must be booked in advance. To book a place at one of the events, visit the D2N2 Events Page (www.d2n2lep.org/events), or contact Hannah Gamble, Business Administration Officer at the D2N2 LEP, on email hannah.gamble@d2n2lep.org, or phone 01159 578757.
David Ralph, Chief Executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The aspiration is to support D2N2’s employment and growth needs, and have in place an easily accessible system, from which employers and individuals can all benefit.”
For further information regarding the D2N2 ESIF programme see its website link at www.d2n2lep.org/EUFunding OR contact Richard Kirkland, ESIF Coordinator at the D2N2 LEP, on email: Richard.kirkland@d2n2lep.org
For more information about this release, contact Sam Burbage, Social Media and Marketing Officer at the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, on 01159 578254, or by email sam.burbage@d2n2lep.org.
