People and Skills
UK Shared Prosperity Fund - People and Skills
Our Open Call which closed in March 2023 was open to eligible organisations that could design and deliver programmes within the period 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
Indicative funding for the call was set to approximately £562,000 for 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
There will be a separate opportunity later in the year for organisations to bid for another tranche of funding that will be available for the period April 2024 to March 2025.
Eligibility to apply under the People and Skills Investment Priority Area, for Year 2 (2023/24) of Shared Prosperity Fund, was restricted, to those organisations that met all three eligibility requirements:
- A Voluntary Community Social Enterprise’s (VCSE).
- Already delivering an ESF-funded employability support programme or were delivering an ESF-funded programme that came to an end following September 2022.
- There is an identified gap in provision, as a result of ESF-funded provision coming to an end, that the proposed project intends to fill.
Following the conclusion of our March 2023 Open Call and subsequent assessment process we are pleased to confirm the following applicants that were successful in obtaining UKSPF grant funding to deliver their projects.
YMCA Derbyshire – Thriving Futures
The project will focus on building employability skills and awareness of skill needs and jobs in the Derby area.
Provision will be based on four activity hubs which are in wards with high levels of deprivation in which there are high levels of economically inactive people. The four hubs are proposed as:
- Alvaston Ward - YMCA Derbyshire Campus, London Road with linked activity in our Green Hub at Wilmorton Community Gardens
- Derwent Ward - Derwent Stepping Stones Nursery and training centre, St Marks Road – focused on economically inactive women. Working in collaboration with Derwent Stepping Stones Charity.
- Arboretum Ward - One based with YMCA Osmaston Road (or new site to be confirmed) - focus on individuals who are; economically inactive, care leavers, refugees, migrants and homeless. Working in collaboration with Padley Group.
- Abbey Ward - One based at YMCA Key College Parcel Terrace site - focus on NEET 16–18-year-olds.
Each of the four employability hubs will have a core set of activities that will be provided during the year:
- Thriving individuals - 5 hours of 1-to-1 personal development and employability coaching for a case load of 30 identified individuals per employability coach / hub.
- Thriving together - delivery of 4 x 30-hour employability courses made up of 10 x 3-hour small group activity sessions.
- Thriving and aware - 6 visits per participant to enhance understanding of job opportunities available to them.
- Thriving relationships – each participant will have access to 4 Employer/provider spotlight events during the year either online through Derby Jobs or housed in relaxed environments within the hubs.
- Thriving and confident - engagement of participants in a supported work placement, volunteering opportunities or social action work.
- Thriving skills – engagement of participants in unitised vocational skills development. Each course will be 30 hours in total.
To learn more about the support on offer and how to access please contact the YMCA Project Manager by e-mail: jenni.hewkin@ymcaderbyshire.org.uk.
Artcore Limited – Empowerment for Employment
This partnership project, led by Artcore in partnership with Baby People and The Bosnian & Herzegovina Centre will deliver a range of creative and accessible activities targeted at funding priority communities living in the most disadvantaged areas of Derby to support individual skills development and employability to enable them to progress in life and work.
The three strands of the programme are:
1. Creative art and craft workshops, skills for life, wellbeing and employability in the creative industries - delivered by Artcore
Workshops with professional artists, makers and crafters will enable up to 15 community participants per session, including women, new communities and people experiencing mental health issues, to explore different creative mediums and learn the skills and techniques to create their own products, alongside increasing their maths, English skills ICT skills and using art to support their wellbeing and resilience.
Access to dedicated support will help to meet their specific needs with focused tutorial sessions, mentorship from industry professionals and opportunities that will help to market and sell their work.
To learn more about the support on offer and how to access please email Artcore; phoebe@artcoreuk.com.
2. Music, art and graffiti workshops, skills for life, wellbeing, and employability in the creative industries - delivered by Baby People
Workshops with professionals from the music industry will support up to 15 participants per session, including young people aged 16+ who are financially unstable and unemployed participants to gain vocational, music lyric writing and production skills to support a career in the music industry.
To learn more about the support on offer please email Baby People at jessica@babypeople.co.uk.
3. Basic skills for life and employability in the UK - delivered by the Bosnian and Herzegovina Centre
Employment focussed workshops and activities for up to 15 participants per session, along with one-to-one bespoke support will be targeted at refugees and those with settled ILR (not limited to), to gain basic skills and knowledge to enable them to integrate and successfully move into training and employment, including English language, maths and ICT skills.
Practical skills development learning including Community Interpreting Courses, Food Hygiene and Driving Theory will help people to be ready for employment in the UK alongside job search, CV writing, online applications and interview confidence-building activities to support them to access volunteering opportunities to gain experience and secure paid jobs.
To learn more about the support on offer please contact the BHC by e-mail alisha.dbhca@hotmail.com.
The Prince’s Trust – Derby Steps to Success
The Derby ‘Steps to Success’ project will offer a range of short and longer intervention options that are based on local opportunities and strengths as well as the needs of young people and their distance from the labour market.
Implementing a case-loading model will allow the provision of personalised support for economically inactive young people, with a particular focus on the priority groups identified in the call specification. Participants will join a personalised progression pathway at the point most suitable to them, providing them with the opportunity to access multiple elements of Prince’s Trust provision and ensuring a no ‘wrong door’ approach.
The delivery model includes the following components:
- Team - a 12-week personal development programme designed to develop confidence and motivation, delivered locally by Warwickshire College Group.
- Explore - a personal development programme utilising a blended delivery model, specifically designed, and adapted to the needs of young people with multiple barriers and complex needs who are furthest from the labour market.
- Achieve - a flexible and modular education programme that supports young people at risk of underachieving (includes accredited qualifications).
- Get Started - Courses that engage young people through sport, arts, creativity, and STEM.
- Get Into - Employability support combining Work-Based skills development, hands-on work experience, interviews, and employment opportunities with partners.
- Enterprise - Funding for this part of the project will build upon and sustain the momentum of a current EU funded project, ‘Better off in Business,’ which aims to have helped create 165 new businesses across the D2N2 area by June 2023.
Delivery
A blended approach to delivery, that combines both face-to-face and online sessions, to ensure provision is accessible for all participants.
To enhance personal development and employability skills we will:
- provide intensive, wrap-around 1-2-1 support, including clear progression and action planning, motivational strength-based goal setting and career planning
- offer engaging, challenging activities and structured group work designed to improve confidence, aspiration, and resilience.
- provide sector-specific training and hands-on work experience opportunities as well as links to employers and awareness raising of employment opportunities
- enable access to Prince’s Trust Corporate Partners, such as Derby County Football Club, Boots, Marks & Spencer, TK Maxx and Google.
Development awards
Small cash grants will be available from The Prince’s Trust ‘Development Awards Scheme’ and will be used to help participants overcome any financial barriers to accessing education, training, and employment opportunities. These grants are available to all eligible young people and not only those enrolled onto a Prince’s Trust programme.
To learn more about the support on offer and how to access please contact The Prince’s Trust directly by e-mail, Ashleigh.Urquhart@princes-trust.org.uk.