CIWM (WAMITAB)

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a new competitive grant award process – Adult Education: Good Work for All.

It is open to all skills providers located in London and the ‘London Fringe’ to apply to deliver adult education and training services to Londoners. This new provision will support the London Recovery Programme in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding will be used to deliver training, education, and employability support that helps Londoners to gain relevant skills, retrain, and move into good work in sectors key to London’s recovery:

  • The minimum amount award will be £100,000 per academic year, and the maximum amount will be £1.25m
  • Bidders apply to deliver across two academic years – 2021/22 and 2022/23
  • The AEB supports four legal entitlements to full funding for eligible adult learners:
  • English and maths, up to and including level 2, for individuals aged 19 and above, who have not previously attained a GCSE grade A* – C or grade 4, or higher, and/or
  • A first full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23, and/or
  • A first full qualification at level 3 for individuals aged 19+, and/or
  • Information technology (‘digital’) skills, up to and including level 1, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have digital skills assessed at below level 1

The purpose of the Good Work for All Fund is to put in place additional AEB provision and activities to provide Londoners most affected by the pandemic with skills that will help them to access good work – as well as to meet other mission objectives, such as supporting the green recovery or tackling digital exclusion. Applicants need to demonstrate how their project will fund provision that:

  • aligns to London’s Recovery Programme and supports the priority groups particularly impacted by the pandemic;
  • adds value to existing AEB provision;
  • is supported by clear evidence of local, sub-regional and/or London-wide demand for sectoral skills and job creation potential;
  • is shaped or supported by sector employers, business and other representatives; and
  • includes partnerships with employers/business, civil society organisations and public bodies (e.g. Job Centre Plus, London boroughs)

The sectors outlined in the missions – Digital, Health and Social Care, Green Economy and Creative Industries – have current and long-term economic growth and job creation potential or, in the case of health and social care, play a critical role in supporting London’s recovery. Providers can make a case to deliver provision aligned with other sectors where they can demonstrate why that sector should be considered a priority in the context of London’s Recovery.

Whatever the activity, it should aim to:

  • address the skills needs of priority groups identified in the Recovery Evidence Base as being hardest hit by the pandemic;
  • develop relevant sector/cross-sector-specific provision in partnership with employers, business and representative bodies, civil society organisations and public bodies;
  • provide a range of learning and training opportunities to support the recruitment and retention of priority groups;
  • support learner progression; from entry level to level 3 and into work (demonstrate a strategic commitment to developing expertise and high-quality provision in the chosen sector(s) beyond the funding window);
  • be aligned with progression into good work – i.e. occupations paid at or above the London Living Wage; and no exploitative use of zero hours contracts; and
  • recognise that the impact of COVID-19 means that priority groups will include a diversity of Londoners, including those with higher levels of skills and work experience and the need for provision to accommodate/recognise these.

The deadline for applications in 17:00 on 19 March 2021, and you can view the full press release here.

You can also view the full Good Work for All prospectus here.