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What is the Adult Education Budget?

This budget is used to help adults over the age of 19 to develop the skills and qualifications needed for life, work, apprenticeships and further learning.

What is the Combined Authority’s role?

The West of England Combined Authority is responsible for adult education funding in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire. That means we fund education providers to deliver tailored courses that meet the needs of our region.

As part of our education strategy, we focus on five categories of adult education:

  1. Engagement: Supporting disadvantaged residents to re-engage with education
  2. Employability: Supporting unemployed residents to progress into work
  3. Foundation Skills for Work: Improving employed residents’ skills to boost their career prospects (skills up to and including Level 2)
  4. Intermediate Skills for Work: Improving employed residents’ skills to boost their career prospects (skills up to and including Level 3)
  5. Learning for Personal Development: Helping residents progress into higher education

Our education strategy aligns with our Local Industrial Strategy and our Employment and Skills Plan. These all aim to improve opportunities for residents and businesses in our region.

How do we allocate adult education funding?

We target funding at the residents who need it most, whilst also supporting those in work to gain better-paid, more secure employment. We prioritise the following residents when choosing which provision to fund:

  • People who have been unemployed for six months or more
  • Unemployed people with prior education attainment falling below Level 2
  • People who are employed in low-paid jobs, or at risk of redundancy, with prior education attainment falling below Level 2

Education providers can apply to us for funding to deliver adult education on our behalf.  To find out how to apply please visit our funding policies and guidance page.

To view all 2022-23 Adult Education Funding documentation please visit funding policies and guidance.

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Adult education providers

View list of adult education providers in the West of England.

Adult education news

Latest information on Adult Education.

Information for partners

Funding policies and guidance for partners and providers.