Nottingham awarded £3 million to support jobs, growth and training

Nottingham City Council has received £2,879,496 from the Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund (UK CRF), which was the full amount of grant money applied for.

The £220 million fund is designed to help pilot programmes and new approaches in local communities.

It will now fund the council, in partnership with the East Midlands Chamber, Groundwork, University of Nottingham and Volunteer It Yourself, to deliver four UK CRF projects between now and June next year.

The East Midlands Chamber will get £1.1 million to support 280 businesses in key growth sectors to recover from the pandemic, and deliver a sector-based skills programme to convert Kickstart placements (a Government scheme where employers are given funding to employ under-25s on universal credit) and graduates placements into sustainable jobs.

Groundwork will get £1.2 million to fund a wage-subsidy for 100 people, creating jobs and helping employers recruit over-25s who are not eligible for the Kickstart programme.

University of Nottingham will spend £354,000 on an advance retrofit strategy and policy development through the delivery of energy and carbon assessments, cost and feasibility studies, compliance reviews, cost-effectiveness analysis and workforce carbon skills support.

Volunteer It Yourself gets £204,000 to support 150 unemployed and economically-inactive 16 to 24-year-olds, gain and apply vocational construction skills while renovating valued local buildings and spaces in the city.

Coun Rebecca Langton (Lab), portfolio holder for skills, growth and economic development, said: “This is a significant sum of money and will be invested in key projects across the city designed to support economic recovery from the Covid pandemic, as well as provide more job and apprenticeship opportunities.

“The project will directly contribute to key elements of the council plan, including helping 1,000 residents into employment, education and training, continuing the important work of the Nottingham Jobs service, and helping employers to connect vacant positions with local people.”