Mayor 'condemned' for slashing funding to Sheffield-based charity as part of £42 million devolution deal

Mr Jarvis said the devolved funds would enable 30,000 people across the region to gain new skills and bolster their career prospects over the next 20 years by improving provision in further education colleges, council training providers, independent training firms and voluntary, third sector and community organisations.

But one of the big losers is the Workers Educational Association (WEA), which ran courses for 5,000 students in community settings across South Yorkshire before the pandemic hit but has had £1.7m of its funding cut, putting those courses and scores of jobs at risk.

Brian Holmshaw, a Green Party councillor for the Broomhill and Sharrow Vale ward who works for the WEA as a local history tutor, said the decision had been made without consultation and put up to 100 staff at the charity, which has its regional base at Attercliffe Common, at risk of redundancy.

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“As a local councillor in Sheffield, I condemn Mayor Dan Jarvis and South Yorkshire Combined Authority for cutting the funding of an adult education group that helps vulnerable adults into training and work,” he said.

He continued: “For over 100 years, the WEA has provided high quality adult education for people of all walks of life in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, supporting around 5,000 students each year. In recent times it has provided education into training and employment for marginalised people, including victims of domestic violence and refugees.”

Mr Holmshaw added that the West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracey Brabin, is funding her local WEA and asked why Mr Jarvis could not do the same.

The mayoral authority previously said that as part of its newly devolved powers over adult education funding it ran a competitive procurement process to identify the most suitable education providers and for this round of contracts the WEA had not been successful.

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As part of the long-delayed devolution deal, Mr Jarvis took responsibility for the devolved adult education budget from August 1 and will commission adult skills provision for the residents of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and Sheffield.

Hailing the deal, the mayor said the money would be used to support residents into jobs and increase training for those who are in employment, are self-employed or are at risk of redundancy.

One target will be to ensure nobody between the ages of 19 and 24 is without employment, education or training.

Mr Jarvis said: “This marks another step in South Yorkshire taking control of its future and shaping its destiny.

“Skills and adult education are critical to building a bigger and better economy for our region – giving people the opportunity they need to prosper and helping businesses grow.”

Simon Parkinson, CEO of the WEA, said: “We welcome the commitment to improve skills and employability for residents across South Yorkshire and are actively working with the mayoral authority to ensure that the widest range of adult learners possible benefit from this approach.

“Thousands of residents across the region face multiple barriers to their learning progression and the WEA remain committed to supporting these individuals on their own unique learning journeys.”