£11.5 million for adult education

£11.5 million for adult education

Government has committed £11.5 million of funding to support Adult Education in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The funding represents the first tranche of Adult Education Budget (AEB) funding that has been allocated to Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority for the 2019/20 financial year as a part of its Devolution Deal.

By devolving funds to the local area, the Combined Authority can better ensure the delivery of quality adult education across the local area that targets local skills gaps and joins up the skills system. This includes delivering on Government’s commitment to provide fully funded qualifications at Levels 2 and 3, English and Maths and the future Digital entitlements for learners.

Mayor James Palmer said: “Skills are absolutely critical to the success of our area. Through the devolution of these funds we have the ability to better tailor adult education to meet the needs of both local residents and businesses to ensure their combined success both now and in the future.

“We welcome this initial £11.5 million allocation and look forward to working with providers to deliver the high-quality adult education that our learners deserve. We are busy building effective working relationships with providers to deliver flexible training and education to meet these local needs.”

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority has been awarded £11,513,052 for the 2019/20 financial year by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). There will be further funding for continuing learners from the ESFA in the Autumn once our share of a £32 million national pot is distributed.

The AEB Team at the Combined Authority are in the process of allocating the funding to local colleges, local authorities and training providers and anticipate finalising these allocations in the Spring.

To find out more about the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority’s AEB Programme, click here.