Education Secretary Damien Hinds has announced a new deal in a visit to Dudley College which could unlock up to £69 million.
Working with the West Midlands Combined Authority and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, the skills deal will boost digital and technical skills, job opportunities and productivity across the region – supporting more young people and adults into work as well as upskilling and retraining local people of all ages.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds said "The West Midlands is the engine of our thriving economy, but we want to make sure even more local people have the skills they need to get on in life, while also boosting the region’s productivity and technical expertise".
The new deal includes:
- Creating hundreds of new apprenticeships at small and medium sized businesses in priority areas, including in construction, automotive and digital sectors – helping increasing job opportunities for all.
- A multi-million investment in local colleges – ensuring they have access to the latest equipment and facilities to teach the skills the region and the country need, including digital, and construction.
- Up to £5million to work with employers to develop a National Retraining Scheme (NRS) pilot to drive adult learning and retraining.
- £1million to boost Edtech and the way it supports adult learners in the West Midlands.
- £1million to improve careers advice for young people, including a new careers hub in the West Midlands.
- Piloting an innovative online portal for businesses to share work experience opportunities with schools.
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said "Every time I speak to businesses in West Midlands, the number one issue that keeps getting fed back to me as the barrier for growth is skills. We know best the challenges facing West Midlands businesses and, among the colleges and educational institutions, we know how to tackle them".