Posted on Tuesday 13th November 2018
New figures revealed today show that the number of people without qualifications in Staffordshire has been reduced by 50 per cent over the last four years.
A major part of Staffordshire County Council’s Economic Growth Programme is to improve the skills of local people so they can get the higher-paid, higher-skilled jobs that are being created across the county.
Now it’s been revealed that close working between our Skills and Employability Team and local enterprise partnership (LEP) means that the rate of people gaining qualifications in Staffordshire is now growing faster than it is nationally.
It’s also been revealed that at the beginning of the academic year, Staffordshire was the sixth highest local authority area for reducing the number of 16 and 17-year-olds not in employment, education or training (NEETs).
A whole range of skills programmes, from the advanced manufacturing and engineering hub to targeted interventions for those most in need, have contributed to the dramatic rise in skills.
The county council leads on work for the LEP in boosting skills and employability with an investment of £37m over four years.
It’s already benefited over 15,000 people to date with a further 3,000 by December 2019. A third of those have progressed onto employment, apprenticeships, further education or training. The programme will have also supported 3,000 small and medium sized businesses.
We’re well on the way to closing the skills gap in Staffordshire to ensure that local people can have a better quality of life through better jobs, and more businesses aspire to invest and grow in our county.