£1m investment to help young adults in Fleetwood into employment and training

Training provider The Learning Foundry has been handed to the £1,004,000 grant from the government's Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

The grant will see new traineeship programmes delivered for 19 to 24 year olds across Fleetwood with direct routes into apprenticeships and employment.

Scoring maximum points out of a possible 500, the ESFA’s awarding report commended Liverpool-based The Learning Foundry, which is part of The Regenda Group.

The ESFA said the firm had strong relationships with local businesses, “unrivalled” connections with key employers, and a commitment to helping young people develop confidence and motivation.

A spokesman for The Learning Foundry said: "Traineeships are designed to give learners the skills and experience they’ll need to progress to a positive destination, whether an apprenticeship or employment.

"Learners will develop employability skills such as CV writing and interview techniques, vocational skills in sector-specific areas, and functional skills in English and Maths, before beginning high quality on-the-job training."

The company is working with Fleetwood employers to identify work experience placements and has secured a partnership with O’Brien’s Pharmacy Group offering a number of positions to work alongside their team delivering the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Further partnerships have also been secured with health provider FCMS Fleetwood and Fleetwood High School.

Lisa Cottam area manager of O’Briens Pharmacy Group said: “As part of the local community support network within Fleetwood we partnered with The Learning Foundry to help support the towns youth into work.

"The support these trainees will give to the vaccination centre staff and patients will be a huge help in ensuring Fleetwood is protected against the effects of Covid-19 and ensuring everyone can receive their vaccine safely and quickly”.

Joanne Abraham, managing director of The Learning Foundry, said: "With our track record of successful delivery for 16 to 18 traineeships, we are excited that the ESFA has noted our ability to make talent shine and awarded us this contract.

"19 to 24 traineeships are a fantastic concept and offer direct routes into employment, which is critical for young people in our region right now, as one of the groups most economically damaged by the pandemic. Almost 75 per cent of our 16 to 18 year old trainees progress to a positive destination, and we’re excited to extend these opportunities into Fleetwood and make talent shine for 19 to 24 year olds."