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At a series of Train to Gain Breakfast
Briefings, the dragon himself, Duncan
Bannatyne, shared not only his cornflakes
but some of his business secrets too!
Developing the skills of the region
Working with employers and businesses to help them develop the skills of their workforce in order to boost productivity and competitiveness has been a big priority for the LSC.
In Yorkshire and the Humber a pilot called T2G helped employers fund training and development activities, focusing on sectors important for the economic growth and wellbeing of the region. This unique approach, developed with Yorkshire Forward, appears to have stood the test of time, and was advocated by the recently published National Skills Strategy.
The T2G pilot was fore-runner to today's Train to Gain programme which in 2008/09 helped 43,000 employees start a Level 2 qualification. Both large and small businesses reaped the benefits of the programme, and in a recent survey, 80% said they were likely to recommend Train to Gain to other employers and use it again themselves. A significant number of employers said the programme has helped them provide vital training to their staff during the economic downturn.
Skills fund has enhanced thousands of regional businesses
The innovative Enhancement Fund is unique to the region, and its flexible and responsive approach has enabled more businesses of different sizes and sectors to receive support to invest in skills. The Fund is a product of partnership working and investment by the European Social Fund (ESF), Yorkshire Forward and the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber.
To date, the Fund has supported 6,000 businesses to train and develop their staff and has reacted to the economic climate by helping to secure training for nearly 60 businesses and over 1,300 individuals at risk of redundancy and unable to access other types of funding. The success of the Fund to date means that a further £20 million has been committed to extend the project into 2012.
Gü chocolate pudding boss James
Averdieck says the Skills Pledge is a
recipe for success in Yorkshire and the
Humber
Did you know?
The national Joint Investment Framework was pioneered in Yorkshire and the Humber when a chance discussion revealed that in the West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority over 90% of the NHS training budget was spent on clinical staff - 45% of the workforce. This led to the development of a £ for £ compact to train all non clinical staff to at least Level 2. Today, over 2,000 NHS staff in the region have been trained through this route and the local authorities are well on their way to emulating the scheme too.
Over 2,000 employers covering nearly half a million people in the region have signed up to the Skills Pledge - a public commitment made by an organisation to develop the skills of its employees.
Much of the work undertaken by the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber has encouraged more employers to invest in the skills of their workforce to improve their success and profitability.
| © LSC March 2010 |