At a meeting next week, the county council's cabinet will be asked to approve receiving £2.6 million of funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for adult education.

The money will help pay for the delivery of community learning and adult skills programmes for the 2022/23 academic year.

The council is set to invest almost £500,000 from the adult education ESFA grant into specialist subcontracted provision, as part of its commitment to levelling up local communities.

The cabinet will also be asked to approve a procurement process for these providers, with successful providers to deliver a set curriculum over the next four years.

The £500,000 to subcontractors, along with the remaining £2.1m funding from the ESFA, will be used to deliver learning programmes to around 4,000 adults across Gloucestershire.

Adult education helps to develop the skills, confidence, motivation and resilience of adults from different ages and backgrounds across the county.

Funding is focused on meeting the needs of economically disadvantaged adults and allowing them to re-engage with education, before progressing into vocational training or employment. This helps to develop strong communities while also improving the health and well-being of individuals.

Cllr Philip Robinson, cabinet member for education and skills at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "Education is an investment in the future of our county. Funding from the ESFA will allow us to provide learning programmes for thousands of adults across Gloucestershire, allowing them to progress towards formal learning or employment.

"The council has made a commitment to levelling up communities across the county and adult learning plays an important role in this."