More than 16,000 learners will be able to take part in courses in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough as part of a “new era” for adult education.
Mayor James Palmer met the 17 education providers working with the combined authority ahead of the launch of the new programme on August 1.
Bosses say the focus will shift to delivering skills that will improve learners' employment prospects.
Around £11 million is being invested into the training providers by the combined authority and there will be a focus on up-skilling the workforce and delivering skills in demand in the local economy.
Areas of lower levels of skills such as Fenland and Peterborough are being targeted with increased spending to focus on those with the lowest level of qualifications, or no qualifications at all, which often leads to lower paid, less secure work.
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayor James Palmer said: "Our objective with the adult education budget is to provide vocational learning opportunities, giving lower-paid, lower-skilled people the qualifications, they need to thrive and secure better jobs in their local area.
"We want to see adult education spend focus more on outcomes for people and how their employability has increased and career opportunities expanded.
"No one should feel without access to education and our use of the adult education budget should create greater opportunities to help people get on in life. "Tailoring our adult education fund to link with our Local Industrial Strategy and Skills Strategy makes sense and will help co-ordinate our efforts in challenging the inequality in the economy that we see across the region.
"The good thing is, if we can show this new approach is successful, we stand a greater chance of securing more funding to help deliver skills to even more people. I'm looking forward to seeing the results."
More than double the amount of money will be spent on independent training providers which specialise in vocational courses under the new programme.
New courses in key industry sectors in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been identified, including in Health and Social Care, Construction and ICT/Digital businesses.
Qualifications in English and maths and general courses around employability skills will also be offered.
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