Coronation Street stars promote workplace training
Coronation Street's Roy and Hayley served breakfast to students at Thomas Danby
College
Coronation Street's Roy and Hayley Cropper crossed the Pennines recently to promote Train to Gain - the new LSC service to help businesses compete on the world stage - and learn how their Weatherfield business, "Roy's Rolls," could benefit!
The Government's new £1 billion national training programme, Train to Gain, will help 50,000 employers and 350,000 employees every year get the skills they need to boost productivity and competitiveness and improve life chances for low-skilled employees.
The free skills brokerage service offers independent, impartial and practical advice to match training needs with local training providers and ensure that bespoke, flexible and responsive training programmes are delivered to meet individual employers' needs.
Coronation Street's favourite employers, Roy and Hayley Cropper (actors David Neilson and Julie Hesmondhalgh), marked the launch of Train to Gain in Yorkshire and the Humber with a special visit to Leeds Thomas Danby on 29 September 2006, which was widely reported on radio and television.
In conjunction with seven other Yorkshire colleges, Leeds Thomas Danby has secured a Train to Gain contract from the LSC for the region, to provide a co-ordinated service to different industry sectors and offer a diverse range of programmes tailored to the specific needs of individuals and employers.
The Train to Gain brokers are all experts in their particular field and are recognised business advisors in their own right. They are able to cover a wide range of sectors, from agriculture and construction to social care and retail to catering and hospitality. (See list.)
The LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber has just announced the initial list of sector specialists that its brokers will cover. These include:
- Agriculture, Horticulture & Land-based Industries
- Construction and the Built Environment
- Childcare and Early Years
- Engineering, Manufacturing and Print
- Retail Services
- Digital, ICT, Creative and Media
- Health and Social Care
- Hospitality, Tourism, Sport and Leisure
- Ports, Logistics and Distribution
- Voluntary, Community and Faith and
- All other sectors are covered by a generic broker.
Margaret Coleman, Regional Director for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "Train to Gain gives employers a single point of contact and the opportunity of identifying training advisors who are really good, having been through a rigorous tender process.
"What's really pleasing is that employers who don't always think about skills development are recognising Train to Gain and its skills philosophy. There's been a range of businesses getting involved but it's particularly pleasing that there's been interest from smaller businesses.
"The LSC is putting employers in the driving seat by giving them access to a free Skills Broker service, offering independent, impartial and practical advice to match training needs with training providers at a time and place to suit the needs of the business, making it ideal for a variety of companies, including smaller businesses like Roy's Rolls."
Julie Hesmondhalgh (Hayley) said: "The Train to Gain service promises to be a great opportunity for businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber, particularly small companies, as making decisions on what's best for your workforce can often be bewildering and time-consuming. The service helps companies to make those decisions by sourcing the most suitable support for their individual needs."
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Anyone interested in finding out more about Train to Gain should call 0845 833 7000 or visit www.traintogain.gov.uk