Grants available to develop employability training courses in Great Yarmouth borough

Great Yarmouth Borough Council's new Inclusion Project will assist long-term unemployed and economically inactive residents who face complicated life challenges and who are most disconnected from community support, including from entry-level training, volunteering and work placement opportunities.

As a key part of the initiative, which is funded by the borough council and the European Social Fund, the council will be making available £120,000 over three years to not-for-profit SMEs in order to develop employability services that address gaps in the training currently available and meet residents' needs.

Eligible applicants can be based anywhere in the UK, but must deliver their proposed new services within Great Yarmouth's communities and be prepared to match-fund their requested grants, either from other funding sources or in kind.

As the other element of this project, the council will work individually with 242 people of working age, living in the borough's most challenged wards, who are identified as furthest from the jobs market, including the long-term unemployed. They will be connected to support that meets their specific needs, either the new courses or existing services.

Eligible enterprises interested in finding out more about the grant opportunity are invited to the project launch, which will take place at St George's Theatre, on Wednesday, September 19, from 11.30am to 1pm. They can also contact Tracey Read, Inclusion Project Coordinator, via tracey.read@great-yarmouth.gov.uk or 07468 764753.

Cllr Andy Grant, chairman of the housing and neighbourhoods committee, said: "We have secured this valuable funding from the European Social Fund, via the Department for Work and Pensions, to complement our wider nationally-acclaimed work with partners to strengthen communities, build connections and improve life chances for all.

"This is a great opportunity for not-for-profit SMEs to be part of this exciting work and to help drive towards inclusive economic growth in the borough by assisting those furthest from the workplace into training, education, volunteering and ultimately jobs. We would like to invite any eligible SMEs interested in finding out more about these exciting grant-funding opportunities to attend the launch or get in touch."