The Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Employment and Skills Board was scheduled to discuss the implementation of the Adult Skills Fund, an updated Careers Action Plan, and the devolution of Post-16 Capacity Funding. The meeting's agenda also included a confidential item regarding the Local Skills Improvement Plan.

Implementation of the Adult Skills Fund

The meeting was scheduled to receive a report outlining an approach for the day-to-day management of the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), including the Free Courses for Jobs Fund. The aim of this approach is to ensure that decisions regarding the performance of the programme can be made swiftly, thereby maintaining continuous and effective training delivery. The report indicated that the total budget allocated to Greater Lincolnshire for the ASF for August 2026 to July 2027 is £18,281,164. The proposed approach includes allocating funds to grant-funded providers based on historic splits from the 2024/25 allocations, with a 5% uplift. This approach accounts for approximately 84% of the total available funding, leaving a portion for procurement from other training organisations. The report also recommended approving the un-ringfencing of allocated funding to grant-funded providers, allowing them greater flexibility to deliver higher levels of training where demand exists. This freedom would enable organisations to move funds between different budget lines, such as from tailored learning to the Adult Skills Fund, or from the Adult Skills Fund (up to Level 2) to the Free Courses for Jobs fund (Level 3), without requiring immediate approval from the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority (GLCCA). This is intended to remove barriers to engaging employers and learners. The report also noted that Lincolnshire County Council would be delivering the programme on behalf of the Authority.

Careers Action Plan

A report was scheduled to be presented regarding an updated Careers Action Plan for endorsement. This plan was initially prepared by officers from North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, and Lincolnshire County Council in anticipation of the GLCCA's formation. The updated plan addresses changes in local and national activity, including the UK Government's intention to merge the National Careers Service (NCS) with Jobcentre Plus (JCP) to create a single, integrated Jobs and Careers Service (JCS) under the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This reform is part of the Government's Get Britain Working programme, aiming to shift employment support towards long-term skills and career progression. The report highlighted that the NCS contracts in England are due to end on 30 September 2026, with services being brought in-house from October 2026. The GLCCA was recommended to use its convening powers to bring together local stakeholders to lead local careers services, ensuring consistent and accessible information about jobs and career pathways. Proposed actions included ensuring contractual requirements for recipients of GLCCA's devolved Adult Skills programmes to provide high-quality Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG), and potentially creating a Greater Lincolnshire Adult Careers Network. The plan also suggested developing a marketing campaign to promote the existing careers offer to both economically active and inactive adults, and working with the Greater Lincolnshire Careers Hub to identify areas of alignment with local needs. A significant proposed action is the development of a centralised Labour Market Information (LMI) resource, potentially a website and app, which would require substantial setup costs and ongoing annual licence fees.

Post-16 Capacity Funding

The meeting was scheduled to receive a briefing on the devolution of the Post-16 Capacity Capital Fund and the GLCCA's new role in managing it. This fund, previously managed by the Department for Education (DfE), aims to provide sufficient capacity to accommodate 16 to 19-year-olds for learning. The funding is intended to support additional capacity in statutory 16-19 providers where demographic increases in learners exceed existing suitable capacity. The provision delivered through this additional space is expected to meet local and national skills requirements and reflect learner demand. The report indicated that the fund would be devolved to the Authority once the Devolution Bill, then progressing through parliament, is passed, which was anticipated in May 2026. Funds would be allocated via a Section 31 grant, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the working relationship between the DfE and the Authority. The estimated allocation for the GLCCA over the funding period, which extends until 2029/30, is £9,970,417. This is a capital grant and cannot be used for non-capital costs, including the Authority's operational management of the fund. The report recommended delegating authority to the Chief Executive Officer, in consultation with the Mayor, to sign the MoU and for officers to engage with colleges to prepare a fair and transparent process for allocating capital funds.

Local Skills Improvement Plan

A confidential report was scheduled to be presented concerning the development of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). Attendees were invited to provide comments on the draft plan. This item was not circulated to the press and public due to its confidential nature, containing information supplied by a Government department under terms prohibiting disclosure.