Funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) has been awarded to Forth Valley College to help run targeted courses and benefit communities within the Stirling Council area.
The fund is the UK Government’s replacement to EU Structural Funds and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It focuses on domestic priorities and targeting funding where it is needed most: building pride in place, supporting high quality skills training, supporting pay, employment and productivity growth and increasing life chances.
Over a two year period from 2023-25, FVC will receive £115,895 for a ‘Safe for Site’ Pre-Employability Programme (PEP) for the Construction industry, £26,628 for the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course, £22,188 for the Job Coach initiative and £90,932 for the NHS Forth Valley College Work Mentorship – a total of £255,643.
The photo shows FVC staff whose Departments will be benefiting from the funding and Pauline Jackson Development and Fundraising Manager (second right) who led the application process on behalf of the College. They are from (left to right) Lucy Hawkins Curriculum Manager in Supported Programmes and ESOL, Zak Stark Head of Commercial & Training, Pauline Jackson, and Anna Vogt Head of Inclusion and Student Services.
On the Safe for Site project funding, Zak Stark Head of Commercial & Training Delivery, said “There is a UK need for labourers and the opportunity these roles offer in terms of progression onto apprenticeships etc, often go unrecognised. Forth Valley College are delighted to be working with Stirling Council to deliver this innovative programme from our Stirling Campus.
“This provides an excellent location to deliver this pre-employability programme (PEP), allowing prospective labourers from across Stirling with the opportunity to access robust training in site and engineering techniques safely. This will ensure candidates are safe for site, gain practical experience and also recognised qualifications to progress into labouring positions and opens up opportunities for further career progression.”
On the NHS Work Mentor Project Co-ordinator funding Anna Vogt, FVC’s Head of Inclusion and Student Services, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for enhancing our partnership with NHS Forth Valley and expanding our Widening Participation activity. This project will develop NHS volunteer mentors to support students from a variety of backgrounds, including those with care experience and those from regeneration areas. This will provide these students an opportunity to explore the opportunities the NHS offers as an employer as well as developing those key employability skills around resilience, confidence and self-belief.”
Pauline Jackson, FVC’s Development and Fundraising Manager, said: “The funding from the UKSPF will provide focused skills and training for communities in the Stirling Council area and we are delighted to work with Stirling Council to deliver these over the next two years.”
Cllr Margaret Brisley, Convener of the Finance, Economy and Corporate Support Committee at Stirling Council, said: “The UK Shared Prosperity Fund offers the opportunity to work with our local partners, such as Forth Valley College, as we strive to achieve an economy that is thriving, sustainable and inclusive.
“A wide range of exciting projects are being supported through this funding and I look forward to the development of these particular courses at Forth Valley College over the coming months.”