Resolved – That

1.   The Director of Children Family and Education be authorised to accept grant funding for the 2023/24 academic year from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in the sum of £1,135,646 for the purposes set out at paragraph 3.4 of this report; and

2.  The Director of Law and Governance be authorised to enter into any necessary agreements or other legal documentation to implement the above recommendations.

The Lifelong Service enrolled over 1,640 adults on a range of over 3,100 education provisions during the 2021/22 full academic year. Of those adults that enrolled on courses and workshops 66.5 percent were residents from Wirral’s top 20 percent most deprived ward areas (identified using the indices of multiple deprivation index). The employment status of the leaners engaged through the service included 69.4% (1,160 learners) being unemployed (either seeking employment or unable to work at the time).

Of all adult enrolments 93.1% successfully completed their course or workshop. Over 79 percent of learners tracked after their course either progressed to further learning (at a higher level), undertook volunteering locally or entered employment.