As part of the £200m Community Renewal Fund, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has announced a new £1m fund to train people in retrofit and modern construction skills in Devon.

Saying it will help “people secure jobs and ensuring local businesses have the skills they need”, the goal is to “breathe new life into towns, villages and coastal communities across the UK”.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove said: “We are levelling up in every corner of the United Kingdom, backing locally-led projects that will make a real difference to communities and help to deliver our net zero commitments.

“There is incredible talent spread right across our great country and this investment will unlock the opportunities to match.”

Other projects funded by the Community Renewal Fund are:

  • £400,000 will create a ‘Seaweed Academy’ in Argyll and Bute, providing training and education in seaweed farming. This money will help supercharge regional growth in an industry which has a crucial role to play in the UK’s net zero ambitions.
  • £200,000 to support unemployed and disadvantaged people in Carmarthenshire to start their own business by investing in digital and entrepreneurial skills. The programme will also fund a bootcamp for female entrepreneurs, creating a networking group for women in business.
  • £73,000 to support people with conditions such as Tourette’s, OCD, ADHD and Dyslexia in Antrim and Newtownabbey into employment and prepare for the world of work.
  • £187,000 to support the development of electric vehicle charging across whole of the Scottish Borders to benefit residents, the public sector and businesses and ensure maximisation of commercial opportunities and reduction in carbon footprint.
  • £480,000 to support local businesses in Blackburn and Darwen to adopt low carbon production technologies, bring low carbon products to market, source low carbon components, reduce energy consumption and become low carbon technology installers. The funding will develop a low carbon skills academy to identify the skills necessary for low carbon sector and design low carbon training programmes.
  • £218,000 will fund an employment and wellbeing programme for people living in housing associations in the Scottish Borders. The programme will deliver digital skills, financial literacy, and promote good mental health.
  • £808,000 will help create 40 online training centres for people who don’t have access to the internet in the North East to improve digital skills and open up digital employment opportunities.
  • £120,000 to support young people not in education, employment, or training, adults struggling with their mental health and people who have left the Armed Forces in York to build confidence and transferable skills through archaeological excavations.
  • £426,000 will help small businesses in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon innovate and reduce their carbon footprint.