Mayor James Palmer welcomes 400 free courses for adult leaders

Mayor James Palmer welcomes 400 free courses for adult leaders

• James Palmer, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, has welcomed an announcement from the Department for Education confirming that tens of thousands of adults will be able to benefit from almost 400 free courses next year.

The fully-funded courses are the first major development in the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, which was first announced by Central Government in September.

Courses, ranging from engineering to healthcare to conservation, will be available to adults without a full qualification at Level 3 (A-level equivalent) from April 2021 to help them gain in-demand skills and open up further job opportunities.

Designed to help our country build back better after the pandemic, the qualifications in this offer have been carefully chosen to help adults improve their career prospects and meet the needs of the economy. They will be reviewed regularly so the courses offered can be updated as the economy changes.

James Palmer, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough said:

“I am delighted to hear that tens of thousands of adults will be able to benefit from almost 400 free courses next year.

“The Lifetime Skills Guarantee combined with our devolved Adult Education Budget has the potential to improve the life chances of hundreds of adult learners across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

“These free qualifications will not only allow people to learn new skills but also open doors to better employment opportunities and I would urge all those interested to check who is eligible and see what courses they can access.

“Not only is this good news for learners but also businesses who will need access to skilled local workers as they look to build back better following COVID-19.”

More details about the courses can be found on the Department for Education website.