Content

9.1

The Head of
Lifelong Learning and Skills introduced the report which sought
approval from the Committee to approve the Council becoming the
accountable body for the Adult Skills Fund grant of £2.27m
from SYMCA and for the FACES team within LLS to manage and
administer the grant funding.

 

 

9.2

RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That Economic Development, Skills and Culture
Policy Committee:-
 
a)   
The Economic Development Skills and Culture Policy Committee
approve and accept the Adult Skills Fund allocation from SYMCA and
allow the Council to become the accountable body for the
grant.
b)   
The Economic Development Skills and Culture Policy Committee note
the Commissioning and Procurement of 19+ Adult Learning and Skills
Activities in Community Setting across Sheffield, from external
providers for a period of one year from 1st August 2025 to 31st
July 2026 with an estimated value of £650,000.00 under the
4-year procurement framework agreement made by this Committee in
January 2023.

 

 

 

 

9.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

9.3.1

The recommended outcome is for the Economic
Development, Skills and Culture Policy Committee to make a formal
decision to allow the Council to become the accountable body for
the Adult Skills Fund grant allocation of £2.27m for the
2025/26 academic year.

 

 

9.3.2

The decision will also enable
FACES to move to procurement of £650k of subcontracted
provision so that the service can deliver the necessary niche or
high demand Adult Learning, Employment, Learning and Skills
activities from partners and training providers to meet the
regional skills priorities. We ask that the Committee note the
service’s intention to do so, under the 4
year adult skills procurement framework agreed by Committee
members in January 2023.

 

 

9.3.3

The recommended outcome will also
enable the service to continue to reach to some of the most
disadvantaged communities and those furthest from the labour market
and offer those communities learning opportunities to begin a
pathway towards employment and active
citizenship.

 

 

9.4

Alternatives
Considered and Rejected

 

 

9.4.1

Do Nothing – This is not an
option as the Council has proposed a delivery plan with SYMCA which
requires the Adult Skills Fund grant to be agreed to enable
delivery. This plan includes sub-contracting a proportion of the
ASF towards its overall targets and needs to proceed with delivery
to ensure the contract for 2025/26 is met.

 

 

9.4.2

Self-Deliver – This is not
an option; the service does not have the capacity to deliver the
necessary skills activities where demand is high and does not have
the staffing expertise to deliver diversity to meet the skills
priorities for the region.

 

 

9.4.3

Working with appropriately
qualified and capable partners / training providers will enable
FACES to:
 

o  
Help widen participation amongst niche groups that would otherwise
be hard to reach, but only where this enriches the strategic
curriculum intent learning offer.

o  
Address high demand in a specific curriculum that the service does
not have the capacity to meet learner need through our direct
delivery.

o  
Add diversity in the types of curricula we can offer to meet
employment and skills priorities for the
region.

o  
Secure expertise and skills that address key policy issues such as
climate change and sustainability and increases skills within
learning cultures to solve local issues.