The Funding Development Team works with a variety of partners to co-ordinate project work and development activity to support businesses, communities and individuals across a wide geographical area.
This can range from project managing specific training delivery, to working strategically with wider organisations to develop new initiatives. We also work within the college to develop new ideas and programmes which provide opportunities for our students and the local community.
If you are interested in working in partnership with the college, or would like support in writing funding applications, please contact Lindsey Johnson, Services to Business and Community Manager.
The Funding Development Team has managed numerous projects across North and West Yorkshire, including recent Adult Responsive Fund Holder projects Skills for Jobs and the Adult Engagement Fund supported by the European Social Fund and the Skills Funding Agency. These worked across North Yorkshire, Bradford and Calderdale and sought to progress unemployed individuals towards the labour market. The team’s project work is diverse and we have managed to attract funding from a number of sources:
We have recently we have also worked on projects such as Full Circle (supported by LEADER, Craven District Council and Business Link), which supported start-up businesses in North Yorkshire with access to training, financial and peer support; and Skills in the Hills (supported by LEADER) which encouraged young people to take part in traditional skills of the Dales such as Dry Stone Walling, Woodland Skills, Stained Glass, Vegetable Growing, Tree Planting and Stone Carving.
We are currently managing an Adult and Community Learning Fund project, administered by NIACE, funded by Skills Funding Agency. The Adult and Community Learning Fund aims to help make the Big Society a reality and will contribute to the Government's aspirations for Informal Adult and Community Learning (IACL). We are creating a network of local providers who offer support to Learners with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities to enhance the offering to learners and increase capacity to face the challenges of future funding cuts. A volunteer training programme is being designed and delivered to meet organisational needs.
We are continuing our work on Enterprise as part of the Net315 Enterprise Innovation Project funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The key element of this project is to promote Enterprise in FE by supporting students through the process of setting up a new business and subsequently working for themselves. It also promotes the development of generic entrepreneurial skills via the curriculum and encourages students and staff to be more enterprising.
The team coordinates European Work Placement activity via Leonardo da Vinci funding from the Lifelong Learning Programme. Through this we work with a number of partners across the EU to offer our students relevant experience in working abroad and adapting to new cultures.
The college also chairs the Keighley Learning Consortium, a collection of Voluntary and Community Organisations which aim to provide a range of learning and upskilling opportunities in the Keighley area. To find out more about working with the Keighley Learning Consortium or the range of learning opportunities available, please contact Andrea Astin, Partnerships and Community Delivery Manager.
