Adult Education Budget Service Contract 1

Tender description

From the 2019/20 academic year, the WMCA will take responsibility for the region's Adult Education Budget (AEB) and how it is delivered supporting eligible adult learners. The AEB is a key enabler of inclusive growth through the improvement of the qualification levels and skills of our adult residents. Our focus with the AEB is to address key issues including tackling unemployment amongst young people and creating more grass-roots provision to better engage hard to reach communities. We also want to ensure that AEB provision can be targeted to address the needs of key target groups such as care leavers and those over the age of 50. Finally, there are challenges for those residents in work and in low pay who struggle to re-train to access opportunities in our priority sectors including automotive/advanced manufacturing, business and professional services, construction and digital that we will use AEB to support. This service relates to the provision of adult education training services. Lot 1: Support for the Unemployed The provision of Adult Education Services - Lot 1 includes: • general AEB qualifications focussed on tackling unemployment especially but not exclusively amongst young people • Grass-roots delivery to better engage hard-to-reach communities and support priority groups (including care leavers and homeless) • Sector Based Work Academies including flexible funding models for work experience • Entitlement provision at all levels Funding awarded through the AEB commissioning process is classified as being clean in terms of being able to be matched with EU structural investment funds (e.g. ESF). Organisations commissioned to deliver AEB-funded provision must not endeavour to independently match AEB funding to any other funding stream without the express and complicit consent of the WMCA. Lot 2: Support for those already in employment The provision of Adult Education Services - Lot 2 includes: • AEB qualifications delivered flexibly so those working can access them outside of work • Re-training to improve the skills of low-paid and low-skilled workforce • Increased delivery in key sectors - Level 3 qualifications in digital, engineering and construction offered in flexible ways with funding subsidies • Pre-apprenticeship provision that supports the uptake of Apprenticeships Funding awarded through the AEB commissioning process is classified as being clean in terms of being able to be matched with EU structural investment funds (e.g. ESF). Organisations commissioned to deliver AEB-funded provision must not endeavour to independently match AEB funding to any other funding stream without the express and complicit consent of the WMCA. Lot 3: Innovative Delivery The provision of Adult Education Services - Lot 3 includes: Innovative project and pilot-based approaches to respond to needs within the seven constituent local authority areas of the WMCA. Lot 3 provides greater flexibility but providers must ensure that the bid meets the overall ambitions of our adult offer and Regional Skills Plan (RSP). Funding awarded through the AEB commissioning process is classified as being clean in terms of being able to be matched with EU structural investment funds (e.g. ESF). Organisations commissioned to deliver AEB-funded provision must not endeavour to independently match AEB funding to any other funding stream without the express and complicit consent of the WMCA.