22/03/2023 - Partners show a year of positive steps for Luton’s Employment and Skills Strategy
A year since the launch of a strategy to help improve people’s job prospects and help grow local businesses, some real achievements are being recognised.
Programmes such as Passport to Employment, Building Better Opportunities and MULTIPLY numeracy courses have continued to provide education and training which give people a stronger chance to find better jobs. Additional funding has been secured to deliver more skills programmes to help people back into work as well as to help people improve their prospects in their current employment.
Other achievements include Barnfield College’s work with employers to develop skills training which helps to grow their businesses and The University of Bedfordshire’s introduction of 'ladder apprenticeships' focusing on STEM, Business Management and Higher Technical Qualifications in Construction and Construction Management. Also, five businesses in Luton have signed up to the Good Business Charter in the past year, which means their staff will earn the Real Living Wage with fair employment terms.
Councillor Aslam Khan, Portfolio Holder for Skills and Employability at Luton Council said, “The Employment and Skills Strategy represents a vital foundation in our ambitions to make Luton a town that thrives and one where no-one is left behind. We are really delighted that this review, a year on, shows how much work has been achieved together and how far we have come”.
“Within the first year of the Strategy, more than two thirds of the actions we set ourselves are underway or have been achieved and we can see many positive outcomes. Almost 2 thousand fewer residents are unemployed, there are fewer registered NEETs – that’s outstanding. We will keep going, working together to create a prosperous economy and I am delighted to formally launch our £5 million skills programme for Luton that will help people get the skills to succeed and ensure the town’s businesses have access to a workforce that will help them thrive”.
Cath Gunn Principal of Barnfield College said, “The Employment & Skills Strategy sets out a plan for supporting jobs and economic growth across Luton. As Chair of the Employment and Skills Partnership Board, I have seen first-hand how our partners have come together to help make Luton a jobs and skills friendly town that provides opportunities for local people.
“At Barnfield College, our students are benefiting from the £30m investment that delivered a state-of-the-art new campus. Students now have access to industry standard facilities to develop their skills, and we’re working with businesses to ensure that our students have all the skills required to enter the local jobs market. We’re excited for the next stage of investment at the college, with Phase Two developments starting soon, we’ll be able to continue delivering teaching to the highest standards across a wider range of in-demand sectors”.
Read all the details in the Annual Review.
Watch the video which demonstrates the past year’s successes and future ambitions.