The Greater Cambridge Partnership’s skills programme has been extended, which will continue to help enhance and develop the capability of the Greater Cambridge workforce. Councillor Elisa Meschini, chair of the GCP’s executive board explains why improving skills is so important to young people and why the decision to fund the programme was taken.

A crucial aspect the Greater Cambridge Partnership’s mission of enabling sustainable growth is the important role our skills programme plays in creating access to opportunity. At its heart, this programme is about connection – bringing together students, job seekers, educators and employers to ensure everyone in Greater Cambridge has access to the tools, guidance and opportunities they need to succeed.

Our skills programme has changed the lives of young people and adults who have been looking for a new career and given business leaders a new pool of talent.

Since its launch in April 2021, the skills programme has created opportunities for the young and old and I’m thrilled it has not only achieved its original goals but it is thriving and is set to continue beyond 2025.

Form the Future, one of our delivery partners, has been instrumental in this. Between April and June this year, 167 adults received personalised career support and dozens more students benefited from one-on-one guidance.

These numbers only scratch the surface. Over the last few years, the programme has developed partnerships with some of the region’s leading employers, including Abcam and Marshalls. These relationships have opened doors that change lives and build people’s confidence.

Our apprenticeship programme is another success story, with more than 400 apprenticeships started since 2021. Employers across sectors like engineering, construction and hospitality have created opportunities for young people, with some industries seeing record-breaking recruitment and retention this year.

The annual career fairs we fund, which are run by Form the Future and Cambridge Regional College, are hugely popular and are attended by hundreds of people every year.

We’re also finding new ways to reach and help people. Just last week, Cambridge Regional College published a series of career profile videos to showcase different jobs and industries which are available across our booming local economy. One of the videos features workers from Milestone, one of our contractors, and their hard work which has delivered real improvements along Milton Road to make people’s daily journeys better.

It takes vision, investment and commitment from everyone involved to have made this programme a success. That’s why I am proud of the decision that we recently took to extend the funding for this programme beyond March 2025, ensuring this life-changing work can continue.

Our skills programme is preparing young people for fulfilling careers, helping adults learn new skills and find their footing, and supporting employers to find and develop the talent they need as Greater Cambridge and our local economy continues to grow and thrive.

I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved with our partners, and I’m excited to see the opportunities we create together over the coming years.