Decision details

The purpose of this report is to seek a decision from Cllr Mayes to approve awarding of the section 31 grant funding apportioned to Wiltshire Council to the recipients below for delivery of Multiply Programme Interventions.

These interventions have been selected and proposed from a menu provided by the Department for Education as part of its Multiply Prospectus, published in April 2022.

The report seeks approval to award the following amounts:

a.    Skills ladder £ 59,980

b.    Rebel Business school (parent company Enjoy Training Ltd) £66,000

The total grants amount to £125,980

Following consultation with officers I give notice that I intend to make the decision set out in the attached report. If you wouldlike tomake anyrepresentations tome onthis issueplease doso by27 March 2024.

A range of stakeholders have been engaged, the interventions vary from out-reach to classroom-based courses, and acknowledge the links between digital literacy, numeracy and literacy. There is robust monitoring and outcomes focussed oversight from the Department of Education for the duration of the programme.

The options considered provide a broad and balanced approach to delivering outreach and accredited interventions from the menu on offer. They include a range of delivery mechanisms and seek to engage as many residents as possible to progress their numeracy confidence and engage in further learning, progress in their job roles, support family members, improve budgeting skills to adjust to costs of living, and improve numeracy skills in general.

In May 2022, Employment and Skills officers engaged with stakeholders and invited expressions of interest to deliver Multiply interventions. Subsequent engagement took place via the Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Swindon Training Provider Partnership, and the Education, Employment and Skills Action Group. Other communications were also share such as through press release and internal communications. The Department for Education were closely consulted on the development of the intervention plan for year 3 and it has received their approval. The voluntary and community sector were also consulted via the Wiltshire Money steering group.