Skills and employment

Cheshire West and Chester’s Skills and Employment team can provide all the support you need to enable you to move into employment. We provide employment mentoring, help with overcoming barriers to work and a wide range of adult skills development opportunities. These services are mostly delivered through our four Skills and Employment Hubs (previously called Work Zones) in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford. The main project is supported by the Adult Skills Fund Budget. The Hub teams also deliver projects and activities that are supported by other funding streams.

We provide a wide range of Adult Learning provision and Family Learning opportunities in Cheshire West and Chester through a range of partner providers. This provision is available to all adults aged 19 and over. Tuition fees may apply, but many of the courses, including basic maths and English, are free. We can also signpost you to further adult learning opportunities in your local area.

For information about the full range of services available for employers, please visit the Business section of our website or the Let's Talk Business website.

Accountability agreement

In January 2021, the Government published its Skills for Jobs White Paper. This document outlined their vision to transform further education.

One recommendation was that Further Education providers in receipt of £1 million or more from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (EFA), should produce an annual accountability agreement.  This agreement demonstrates how the provision delivered is in line with the skills demand of local employers. The production of an accountability agreement is essential in return for government funding. It is also an opportunity for training providers to set targets for the provision they will develop over the next 12 months.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have considered how we can use the courses on offer through our Adult Education provision to respond to the skills needs identified through the Local Skills and Improvement Plan.

Further details on Accountability Agreements can be found here on the Government's website.