24094 GCP Skills & Apprenticeship Service 2025

This project is an opportunity to deliver key skills activities in Greater Cambridge. These

activities will fundamentally underpin the growth of the economy in one of fastest growing

areas of the UK. This project has a number of core themes (listed below) including delivering

apprenticeships and training opportunities, mentoring and careers guidance. In delivering

these activities the successful bidder will be required to work across the breadth of the

Greater Cambridge ecosystem.

The successful bidder will need work in collaboration with the Greater Cambridge

community and specifically with businesses, schools, membership organisations and other

educational establishments. The service will require a close working relationship with other

local government bodies, such as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined

Authority, to ensure joined up working and avoiding duplication of efforts.

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) has been funding specific skills activity across the

last ten years. Current activity, as set out in our latest reports is broadly delivering well

against its KPI’s. We want to see continued delivery in these key areas. The GCP is now

looking to expand on the success of the existing provision and provide a service with a wider

focus.

The focus of the Service will be in the following key areas:

1. Apprenticeships, training programmes and internships – promote and support young

people to secure these opportunities. Work directly with young people, educators, parents

and employers to do so. KPI’s to demonstrate numbers against 3 areas:

• Apprenticeships
• Work experience placements
• Internships

Activities to specifically focus on:

• Awareness of opportunities
• Encouraging and supporting the application process
• Signposting employers to a wide range of training providers

2. Careers Guidance Secondary Schools - offer careers and employability support to every

child at a Greater Cambridge state secondary school.

3. Careers Advice Primary Schools – Engage with all primary schools in Greater Cambridge to

support them to embed careers awareness activities into the curriculum. Including though

an annual careers fair.

4. Mentoring – Provide targeted support to children who are at risk of being NEET through

targeted mentoring arrangements.

5. Engagement with parents/carers – engage with parents/carers to inform, raise awareness

and equip them to support their young people.

6. Supporting staff – through targeted activity, support and equip staff in educational

environments with a detailed understanding of current and emerging work opportunities for

their students