Report to: |
Lead Member for Economy
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Date of meeting:
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22 January 2025 |
By: |
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
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Title: |
Department for Education Skills Bootcamps devolved funding
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Purpose: |
To seek approval to submit a final proposal to the Department for Education for devolved Skills Bootcamp funding
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RECOMMENDATIONS:The Lead Memberis recommended to:
1) Approve the County Council’s headline proposal for Skills Bootcamps funding to be submitted to the Department for Education; and
2) Delegate authority for the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to take any actions necessary in relation to the implementation of the Skills Bootcamps programme.
January 2025 |
Information re DfE funding allocation to ESCC for Bootcamp delivery received |
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Revised proposal submitted to DfE (Appendix 1) |
January 2025 – February 2025 |
DfE funding grant agreement issued and signed |
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ESCC Procurement process to identify local training providers |
March 2025 |
Contracts issued to suppliers |
April 2025 – December 2025 |
Training delivered |
January 2026 – March 2026 |
Outcomes period (qualifications and into work progressions) and end of year reporting |
1.6 Bootcamps are initially intended to be contracted for one-year, but it is understood that DfE officials contend that it will likely whilst not certain become a rolling annual programme, with potential for growth year on year. Decisions will be made each October about continuation funding.
1.7 Skills Bootcamps will contribute to the objectives laid out within the recently approved East Sussex Economic Prosperity Strategy 2024-2050 and support all 4 of the County Council’s core priority outcomes (i) driving sustainable economic growth; (ii) keeping vulnerable people safe; (iii) helping people help themselves; and (iv) making best use of resources now and for the future.
2. Supporting Information
2.9 The project will be led by the County Council and managed by the Employment and Skills Team. Staff are already in place to manage the programme and management, finance and legal costs have been factored into the Headline proposal project budget.
2.10 Finance Officers and the external funding team have reviewed the current headline proposal and costs and procurement and legal officers are ready to support commissioning and contracting.
Risk and liability for ESCC
2.11 At this stage no formal bid has been submitted to the DfE, but due diligence has been applied to creating an evidence-based ‘headline proposal’ and discussions undertaken with other authorities with experience of delivery has been taken on Board to ensure that the proposed model is realistic.
2.12 To mitigate risks, the DfE reviews provision and enables ongoing project amendments such as moving funds between providers, from less successful courses to those that are achieving their goals.
2.13 As the accountable body for the programme, the County Council would be responsible for ensuring that the grant funding is spent in accordance with the grant agreement (which has not yet been issued).
2.14 As the accountable body, the Council will also be required to allocate contracts to local providers, using an approach that the County Council determines meets its financial and legal obligations. This is likely to be best served through an open procurement call in February 2025 using the same model applied to Multiply procurement.
2.15 The County Council would be responsible for reporting on project activities, outputs and outcomes throughout the project at regular intervals via the same DfE online system and processes that are currently used by ESCC to manage the Multiply programme.
3 Conclusion and Reasons for Recommendations
3.1 The County Council has developed a Skills Bootcamps offer that will provide Level 2 and Level 3 training that supports local businesses and residents by upskilling the East Sussex workforce, moving people from unemployment into work and addressing vacancies.
3.2 The Lead Member Economy is therefore recommended to consider the proposed County Council’s headline proposal (Appendix 1) for Skills Bootcamps and to agree for an amended proposal to be submitted to the Department for Education for Skills Bootcamps provision in quarter 4, once funding allocations have been formally agreed.
3.3 The Lead Member Economy is also recommended to agree to delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to take any actions necessary in relation to the implementation of the Skills Bootcamps programme.
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
Contact Officer: Holly Aquilina
Email: Holly.Aquilina@eastsussex.gov.uk
LOCAL MEMBERS
All members
BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS
None