Cabinet will be asked to accept £4.5m of funding to improve residents’ skills and increase their opportunities for employment at their next meeting on Wednesday 18 March.
The funding for acceptance includes £3m Adult Skills Funding (ASF) for the 2026/27 academic year, and £1.5m (£750,000 per year) Youth Guarantee funding for 2025/26 and 2026/27.
Both funding streams are provided by the East Midlands Combined Council Authority and are aimed at boosting job prospects through programmes that include skills development, careers advice, and job placements.
The Adult Skills Funding is designed to Get Britain Working by building essential skills in areas like literacy, numeracy and digital skills. The programme supports individuals aged 19 and over to gain essential skills, qualifications and training to improve their job prospects.
This funding previously came from the Department for Education but is now distributed by EMCCA.
£2m of the ASF funding would go towards tailored while £800,000 is aimed at funded qualification learning. The remaining £200,000 is for free courses for jobs with a focus on engaging learners from deprived areas.
By providing work placements, apprenticeships, and careers advice, the Youth Guarantee enhances the job prospects of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
For the Council, this money directly funds the innovative Journey 2 Work programme, with Supported Employment Officers working directly with employers to find placements.
Cllr Kathy Kozlowski, Cabinet Member for Governance and Finance, said:
By encouraging our residents to enhance their skills, we’re helping them get on in life by improving their employment prospects.
This funding provides a welcome boost to our crucial work in employment and skills development. The programmes it supports are invaluable to those seeking employment in our city, and an increase in employment will significantly contribute to Derby’s economic growth, helping us build a city to be proud of.