The best hires to your business higher – Strategic Development Fund

Government investment is helping colleges across the South West to partner with local businesses to help train their teams, maintain a skilled workforce and expand. With £39.7 million of investment through the Strategic Development Fund and the Local Skills Improvement Fund, the training means that businesses can ensure a steady stream of talented individuals with the relevant skills for their workforce.

South Devon College is one of many colleges across the region who have been working with local employers. For example, it has invited guest speakers into the college to talk about evolving technologies, and also sent its teaching staff out to learn new skills and equip them in delivering relevant training that meets its industry needs.

Funding from the Strategic Development Fund has been used to reshape the curriculum, using new knowledge and skills to develop new training courses to meet the demands of a changing sector.

One of the projects included supporting SMEs in training their staff to work with electric vehicles. The Automotive department is training students in EV technology, upskilling working technicians and helping usher in new talent into a sector that is exciting and rapidly expanding. The college offers two courses on EV technology – a Level 1 Award in EV/HEV Awareness, and a Level 3 Award in EV/HEV System Repair and Replacement.

By collaborating with further education providers to design and deliver specialised training, local businesses can ensure a steady stream of talented individuals with the relevant skills for their workforce as soon as they finish their studies.

Further information can be found on the South Devon College website.