Skills Support for the Workforce
The training is delivered as part of the Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme, which Serco’s Employment, Skills & Enterprise business is managing across Greater Cambridge & Greater Peterborough. Under the 28-month programme which launched in April, Serco will work in partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Business Board (previously GCGP Local Enterprise Partnership) to provide skills development that focuses on upskilling employees in key priority sectors as identified in the Combined Authority’s various strategic programmes on the local economy and skills;
Through SSW, eligible businesses can benefit from funded training, tailored to their specific needs. Training is flexible and businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match individual units that are directly relevant to their work. Previous SSW programme participants have benefited from increased employee confidence, motivation and productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention.
Business participants will each benefit from a bespoke Training Needs Analysis that identifies requirements for upskilling or skills gaps in their workforce. Training for participant businesses could cover subjects such as IT and digital skills, leadership and management or more vocationally relevant courses.
The SSW programme covering Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough also offers support and training for individuals at risk of redundancy or those who have been made redundant within the last three months.
To deliver the programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Serco has partnered with expert training organisations to offer local businesses recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses, aiming to enhance employees’ skills and increase the competitiveness of the businesses.
Rob Matts, Head of Skills Support for the Workforce at Serco, said:
“I am delighted that Serco has been selected by the Education and Skills Funding Agency to manage the SSW programme in the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough area in partnership with the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority. We have already supported more than 29,000 learners through our SSW delivery across England with more than 7,000 businesses benefitting from this important service.
"I would urge businesses or individuals that may be facing redundancy, to get in touch with our team and take advantage of the funded training on offer. We look forward to enabling many more businesses to take advantage of SSW training to upskill their staff and grow their businesses.”
Cllr John Holdich, chairman of the Combined Authority’s Skills Committee said:
“To make the most of this new funding, it is essential that it is targeted at key business sectors in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough economy and broader LEP area, which have an identified need for more skills.
“The benefits are clearly two-fold. For employees, upskilling can increase pay, improve job security, open up more career options and lead to greater job satisfaction and fulfilment. For employers, tackling the skills gap increases productivity, competitiveness, delivers a more motivated workforce, and ultimately improves the bottom line.
“With our broad agenda to increase the levels of skills in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough through a variety of programmes, the Combined Authority and Business Board is well placed to support the successful delivery of this funding across the whole LEP area. We look forward to seeing the results over the next 28 months.”
Businesses can contact Serco on skillssupport@serco.com or visit www.serco-ssw.com for more details and to find out if they are eligible for funded training through Skills Support for the Workforce.
Serco also delivers this programme in Black Country, Coventry & Warwickshire, Derby & Derbyshire, Dorset, Greater Birmingham & Solihull, Heart of the South West, Hertfordshire, Leicester & Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, South East Midlands, Stoke on Trent & Staffordshire, Swindon & Wiltshire, West of England and Worcestershire.
