TNA Advisers

Opportunity to provide engagement and advice services for Cumbria Business Growth Hub

This opportunity is issued by Cumbria Chamber of Commerce in relation to engaging businesses in developing their workforce and to undertaking training needs analyses.

Note: If you are on our existing adviser frameworks you need not reapply to work on this activity - your work on this activity is covered by the procurement already undertaken. This procure is for additional advisers to work on this project only.

Background The ESF Employees Support in Skills initiative is aimed at encouraging businesses throughout Cumbria to consider workforce development as part of their plans, and in particular growth plans, providing free training and encouraging businesses to offer apprenticeships. It is delivered by a partnership led by Carlisle College.

As part of this Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, through the Growth Hub, is tasked with engaging with businesses, undertaking training needs analyses and promoting take-up of training and apprenticeships, as well as providing an impartial brokerage service between businesses and providers.

Specific requirements We therefore have a requirement for subcontracted advisers to:

• engage businesses • carry out training needs analyses • promote the project offer and encourage take up of training and apprenticeships • make clients aware of the wider support on offer and refer them into this • ensure that project paperwork is fully and correctly completed, including required signatures, and provided to the Growth Hub in a timely manner

Advisers may make their own client appointments and/or undertake appointments made for them by the Growth Hub.

Timescales

The project is now operating and is expected to run until approximately March 2018. Note that there will be no commitment to a particular number of hours under the contract, either in total or in any given period.

Project Funding

The project is receiving up to £8.5m of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England. The Department for Work and Pensions (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for the England European Social Fund programme. Established by the European Union, the European Social Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support skills development, employment and job creation, social inclusion and local community regenerations.