Lancashire has been given the power to decide how to use their portion of the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) to deliver on the area’s needs.
Residents, aged 19 and over, accessing this funding are provided with skills and learning opportunities they need to progress into and through work, whether it is an apprenticeship, a qualification or further learning.
Now, local leaders will be able to invest in what matters most in Lancashire, allowing more tailored training opportunities for businesses and residents.
Recognising that many young people are missing out on the on their first step on the career ladder, the fund also provides those aged 19 to 23 with a fully funded route to their first qualification, backed by guidance in essential skills like English, Maths and Digital Literacy.
Local leaders will be supported to gain more control over decisions that shape the lives of their local residents, including over 16-19 funding and employment support, as well as more power to back local businesses and industries.
Lancashire Combined County Authority joins a growing number of Strategic Authorities across England already administering their own ASF funding, each demonstrating that the most effective skills systems are built locally, not designed in Westminster.
The continued devolution of the Adult Skills Fund allocation powers forms part of a wider transfer of power from Westminster to postcodes across the country as well as ongoing work to build a skills system that is shaped by those who understand what learners and employers need.
This is another brilliant step in power and decision-making being transferred closer to home for people in West Lancashire.
With training and qualifications being tailored to what is needed in our area, and support for young people in essential skills such as English, Maths and Digital Literacy, I’m excited to see the difference this will make.
We have so much industry here in West Lancashire, so it’s great to see more evidence that this Labour government is supporting local businesses through this change.