Foreword
Issue date
- July 2021
Senior policy owner
- Iris Both
Document owner
- Iris Both
Introduction
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The West Midlands is experiencing continued growth in the construction industry benefiting from multi-billion-pound investments in a range of construction and infrastructure projects. Through the devolved powers that the WMCA now holds through having the responsibility of the Adult Education Budget (AEB), it will seek to support the construction workforce with the right talent, skills and qualifications to thrive in the construction sector.
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Our intent is to establish an adult offer that will provide the training required for residents to both enter the construction sector and develop further skills to support in-work progression to better-paid job roles. We will achieve this through integrating a successful Construction Gateway into AEB to provide sustainability for this programme. Previously, this programme was established through short term funding sourced through the Department for Education.
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The core focus of the Construction Gateway is to provide residents with the skills and knowledge required through the industry-standard outcomes e.g. CSCS, and work with employers who will both shape the training content and provide the job vacancies for residents to be matched into.
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Through integrating the Construction Gateway into the AEB, the WMCA is seeking bids to secure delivery providers who have capability, capacity and employer links to establish this offer across the WMCA region and deliver long-term sustainable employment to those who participate. This procurement call is valued at £11.1m over a 3-year period, contract's will be let on an annual 12-month basis with an extension subject to performance up to a maximum of 2- years.