Case studies

Greater Manchester Combined Authority aims to create an integrated education, skills and work system, supporting partners to deliver services and programmes that help people progress in life and in work, enabling businesses and the city to thrive.

Hampshire County Council’s skills strategy and action plan works across two Local Education Partnerships and three unitary areas. This requires them to develop strong partnerships with providers and employers, with good skills programme networks to meet their region’s diverse needs.

Lincolnshire County Council are faced with the challenge of working across a large and dispersed county. By creating strategic alliances, they have developed provision that enables them to meet their skills and employment challenges. This case study examines the current system, and what is needed to improve outcomes for the local community.

Northumberland’s ambition is to deliver the ‘Inclusive Economy’ agenda, by joining up investment streams and ensuring employment support is delivered in a more collaborative way across local authority areas. This case study explores the strengths, challenges and impact of the current skills and employment system, and what is required to increase positive outcomes for local residents.

Tees Valley Combined Authority aims to grow the local economy by focusing on transforming education, employment and skills across the area. Their Routes to Work pilot has supported almost 4,000 people and helped nearly 800 back into employment across the Tees Valley.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk work with Suffolk County Council to support the efforts happening in their region to meet the skills agenda. When required they build on this work to develop, or fund initiatives, such as The Mix, which helps young people to develop life skills. Or, through their Careeriosity event, which offer careers advice and guidance to adults, helping them to gain employment.

In March 2021, Milton Keynes Council launched three schemes to support women back into work.

Nottinghamshire County Council quickly responded to the economic, health and well-being impact of the pandemic in three main ways: convening partners to provide coherent recovery responses, bidding for funding, driving digital delivery and working with partners to protect apprenticeships and vulnerable young people.

The COVID-19 economic taskforce has focused on bringing partnerships together to deliver SC’s pandemic response.

With the onset of the pandemic, the employment and skills service had to pivot to online and alternative delivery approaches in a very short timescale to continue to support learners, young people and those that were being made redundant or who had lost their business.