With £1 billion committed to Train to Gain until 2010 in this year’s Budget (subject to the 2007-8 spending review), the service is forecast to benefit 33,000 employers in 2006-2007, rising to 53,000 employers in 2007-2008 and in successive years to 2010.
More than 15,000 employers are now using Train to Gain, the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC’s) new service, offering expert advice and sourcing training for businesses. Demand for the service has soared, with an eight-fold increase in the number of employers that have started training since the service was rolled-out across England in August. These latest figures (December 06) underline the increasing popularity of the service and demonstrate that it is really working for business.
Train to Gain uptake is split across sectors as follows: Health and Care businesses have led the way in taking up the service with 22 per cent of leads. Manufacturing firms and wholesale and retail have the second highest take up with 14 per cent share of leads, followed by Business Services (11 per cent), Construction (8 per cent) and Hotels and Restaurants (7 per cent).
The key features the service offers are:
- A free Skills brokerage service for employers, to source any training provision they need at all levels
- Fully subsidised training, delivered at a time and place to suit the employer for low skilled up to a first relevant full level 2 qualification, and with support for progression to level 3
Free information, advice and guidance for employees, accessible through the workplace
- For employers with less than 50 employees wage compensation to compensate them for the time employees spend in training.
- Learners must have lived in the EU for 3 years and must have a contact of employment
As well as the core offer there will be flexible (optional) elements which will include:
- Leadership and management programme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) offering formal training and informal support (such as mentoring and coaching) up to £1000 for Managing Directors and other senior Directors aiming to help up to 17,000 SME managers by 2007-08
- For the individual - Foundation degrees, Skills coaches and Union Learning Representatives, Skills Passports.
Both the training and the skills advice offered through the service will be impartial, flexible, responsive and offered at a time and place to suit businesses.
Contacts
Train to Gain Direct
Hayley Street on 0845 600 5024 or for further information visit www.traintogain.gov.uk
Local Norfolk Consortium delivering Train to Gain:
City College Norwich Angela Carpenter 01603 773385 or acarpenter@ccn.ac.uk
Easton College Sarah Collis 01603 731287 or scollis@easton.ac.uk
College of West Anglia Neil Fowkes 01553 691001 or nfowkes@col-westanglia.ac.uk
Gt.Yarmouth College Val Thacker 01493 419242 or v.thacker@gyc.ac.uk
Paston College Jo Kirkby 01692 402334 Ext136 or jo.kirkby@paston.ac.uk
Poultec Training Angela Lane 01362 850983 or angela.lane@poultec.co.uk
EAGIT Paul Walker 01603 480636 or p.walker@eagit.org
CITB Paul Allford 07979 724015 or paul.allford@citb.co.uk
For further clarification on the information above contact Lindy Warmer Business Skills Officer for Breckland Council on 07748 116931 or lindy.warmer@breckland.gov.uk
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