A good education is vital to ensuring the best long-term life chances for the people of North Cornwall. Learning does not stop at 18, though - we must also consider the needs of adults who may wish to learn more or learn new skills.
That’s why I am pleased that the government is creating a new National Skills Fund with an investment of £3bn into adult retraining and Further Education reform.
Starting from April 2021 any adult looking to achieve their first full Level 3 (which is equivalent to a technical certificate or diploma, or two full A levels) will be able to access a fully funded course to give them new skills and opportunities.
The courses on offer will deliver a wide range of skills that will hopefully open the door’ to many jobs and sectors, including qualifications to support the following areas:
- Building and Construction
- Manufacturing Technologies
- Transportation Operations and Maintenance
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Horticulture and Forestry
- Health and Social Care
- ICT (Various)
- Agriculture
- …. and much more besides.
There will also be an expansion of Skills Bootcamps - flexible courses that complement the new level 3 adult offer, last 12-16 weeks, and give participants the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and a fast-track to an interview with a local employer.
These bootcamps will eventually expand to cover not only digital skills like software development, digital marketing, and data analytics but also technical skills training such as welding and engineering construction.
More information (including on courses available) can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-skills-fund
