Digital Labs

Digital Labs for the Construction, Health and Social Care and Science Sectors, Harlow College

Funding awarded to:

• enable the installation of a suite of digital technology labs through refurbishment of college buildings and purchase of equipment such as CAD machines and sensors
• enable delivery of digital training in the construction, health, care and science sectors
• support an additional 175 learners per year (including apprenticeships)

Skills Capital Fund

Some background to the South East LEP (SELEP) skills capital funding:

SELEP received a total allocation of £22m Skills Capital Funding from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) for the period April 2015-April 2017 to support building, refurbishment and equipment purchase. This has enabled 30 projects which were funded across four funding rounds, with roughly a 50% match funding contribution from local authorities, colleges and the private sector.

Projects were aligned to growth sectors across the LEP area to deliver a significant number of qualifications, apprenticeships and to provide industry relevant, leading edge facilities. Bids had to illustrate support for NEET (‘Not in Education, Employment, or Training’) and unemployed learners.

Ahead of SELEP Accountability Board approvals, all bids for funding went through a skills evaluation process with input from representatives from each of the federated Employment and Skills Boards to ensure a fit with growth sectors as well as SFA or independent evaluation.

Indicative figures illustrate that by 2021, across the projects, there will be delivery of:

• at least an additional 15,000 full time qualifications
• 7,300 additional apprenticeships
• approximately 21,527sqm of new and improved learning and training floor space and facilities (expected to be in place by April 2017)
• additional adult learners