GCP Skills & Apprenticeship Service 2025

This project is an opportunity to deliver key skills activities in Greater Cambridge. These activities will fundamentally underpin the growth of the economy in one of fastest growing areas of the UK. This project has a number of core themes (listed below) including delivering apprenticeships and training opportunities, mentoring and careers guidance. In delivering these activities the successful bidder will be required to work across the breadth of the Greater Cambridge ecosystem.

The successful bidder will need work in collaboration with the Greater Cambridge community and specifically with businesses, schools, membership organisations and other educational establishments. The service will require a close working relationship with other local government bodies, such as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, to ensure joined up working and avoiding duplication of efforts.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has been funding specific skills activity across the last ten years. Current activity, as set out in our latest reports is broadly delivering well against its KPI’s. We want to see continued delivery in these key areas. The GCP is now looking to expand on the success of the existing provision and provide a service with a wider focus.

The focus of the Service will be in the following key areas:

1. Apprenticeships, training programmes and internships – promote and support young people to secure these opportunities. Work directly with young people, educators, parents and employers to do so. KPI’s to demonstrate numbers against 3 areas:

· Apprenticeships

· Work experience placements

· Internships

Activities to specifically focus on:

· Awareness of opportunities

· Encouraging and supporting the application process

· Signposting employers to a wide range of training providers

2. Careers Guidance Secondary Schools - offer careers and employability support to every child at a Greater Cambridge state secondary school.

3. Careers Advice Primary Schools – Engage with all primary schools in Greater Cambridge to support them to embed careers awareness activities into the curriculum. Including though an annual careers fair.

4. Mentoring – Provide targeted support to children who are at risk of being NEET through targeted mentoring arrangements.

5. Engagement with parents/carers – engage with parents/carers to inform, raise awareness and equip them to support their young people.

6. Supporting staff – through targeted activity, support and equip staff in educational environments with a detailed understanding of current and emerging work opportunities for their students.