Durham County Council

Durham County Council delivers adult and community learning under its DurhamLearn and Adult Learning and Skills services, providing education and skills provision for young people and adults across County Durham. As an ESFA-funded training provider, it offers apprenticeships alongside adult learning programmes, and was graded ‘Good’ overall for apprenticeships, adult learning programmes and education programmes for young people in its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. Ofsted notes that the service delivers adult learning, apprenticeships and provision for learners with high needs as part of the council’s education service, based at the Civic Centre in Crook, and identifies it as an adult and community learning provider for the North East region. Apprenticeships currently listed on the government’s Find Apprenticeship Training service include standards such as Adult Care Worker (Level 2), Lead Adult Care Worker (Level 3), Business Administrator (Level 3), Learning and Development Practitioner (Level 3), Library, Information and Archive Services Assistant (Level 3), Children, Young People and Families Practitioner (Level 4), School Business Professional (Level 4), Operations Manager (Level 5) and Teaching Assistant (Level 3). The service also delivers work-based programmes such as supported internships through DurhamLearn, in partnership with the council’s supported employment services, to help learners with disabilities and other barriers move into sustained employment. Overall, Durham County Council’s adult learning and apprenticeship provision is focused on improving skills, employability and progression outcomes for residents and the local workforce.