Lancashire
This LEP area incorporates Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, and Blackpool, and will receive £12,500,000 of funding from Building Better Opportunities.
Age of Opportunity
This project engages older people, aged 50 and above, who have low or no skills, to support them in moving towards and into employment. Age of Opportunity is focused on the barriers to training, work and employment, and takes an integrated approach to addressing these barriers.
Invest in Youth
Invest in Youth supports young people who are not in employment, education or training, to achieve long term engagement with work or further learning. This may include managing and overcoming barriers such motivational support and health issues.
The project will increase digital inclusion, developing basic ICT skills to help access and engage with employment and training, and improve financial capability. Participants will also have the opportunity to shadow Social Enterprise and business mentors, and have support to find volunteering activities.
Changing Futures
Changing Futures aims to support 1,000 people across Lancashire who are most at risk of exclusion from the labour market to identify, reduce and remove their barriers to employment. The project will focus on areas where there are high levels of poverty, and target groups most in need of improved support. Participants will build lasting networks of support and help to develop skills to enable them to move towards learning and work. The project also aims to improve participants’ confidence, self-esteem, motivation, health and wellbeing.
Reach IT
The project aims to increase digital inclusion by providing digital skills training and volunteering opportunities, with support linked to local business needs. Targeted, personalised digital skills training aims to improve employability, health and wellbeing, and provide the digital skills necessary to empower those in disadvantaged communities throughout Lancashire.