Several local projects are still available to support local people to gain new skills, helping them to progress within the workplace or to find new jobs. These end in March 2023 so benefit while you can!

Most of the employment and skills part of the EU funding programme has been designed and managed by the LEP. By working with partners we have co-commissioned projects that meet local need working, with the Education and Skills Funding Agency, and the National Lottery.

Here we focus on four ESF projects that have already supported thousands of local young people and adults to get back into work or find new skills.

First up is the Skills Support for the Unemployed (SSU) project. This project supports unemployed individuals in Greater Lincolnshire who are facing barriers to finding employment by offering opportunities to upskill in specific areas, improve their CVs, develop interview techniques, acquire effective job seeking skills and help individuals grow in confidence to find and follow a rewarding route back into work.

Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW), provides free training for people already working, helping employers to upskill their workforce. Training is available for people working in most occupations up to a full Level 2 qualification, and some at Level 3.  Delivered by HCUK Training and a number of local providers, SSW locally provides industry relevant skills training in all sectors including Manufacturing, Agri-food, Visitor economy, Low Carbon, Health & Care, Ports & Logistics. 

The programme also offers training for people at risk of redundancy and individuals who have been made redundant in the past three months. The programme is dedicated to supporting eligible businesses through a range of fully funded certificated one day courses to NVQ Levels 2, 3 and 4.  Further information and contact details are available here.  

Career Net offers a personalised development programme for unemployed young people, tailored around their existing skills, interests and hopes for the future, connecting with employers for advice and helping them decide which jobs and careers they are best suited to. This is delivered by Community Learning in Partnership (CLIP) and supported by a number of local providers.  See website here.

Finally, the LEP’s Employment and Skills ESF Grant Programme, managed by Bishop Grosseteste University, has provided grants of up to £20,000 to almost 50 local organisations.   

Led by the LEP, a grant panel of local officers representing different locations and organisations have been working together to ensure that projects, which are unique or in rural locations and would not have been funded through national employment and skills schemes, have received grant awards. These grants have enabled small and community-based organisations to assist local people who face multiple barriers in returning to work

All grants have now been allocated, and to date the programme has been one of the best performing in the country, due to good collaboration and also knowledge of the local area, the local barriers and the local labour market.