Business leaders have hailed the Government's flagship Train to Gain programme, saying it has helped them provide vital training to their staff during the downturn.

Both large and small businesses have reaped the benefits of Government funded training support, which is backed up by figures released today by the Learning and Skills Council.

In a survey of employers who use the training initiative, 80 per cent said they were likely to recommend Train to Gain to other employers and use it again themselves. A significant number of employers (41 per cent) also said Train to Gain had helped them cope with the recession.

One East Midlands company who has benefited from the Train to Gain service is www.kempsbakery.co.uk and shop in Eckington, Derbyshire. When Rob Clarke and Nigel Holmes bought Kemps five years ago they had no formal bakery training. But, they soon discovered how the regional Business Link service could help when they were looking for training opportunities for their staff.

Rob said: "Business Link introduced us to Train to Gain, an impartial service that helps firms find the right training for their business by assessing their skill requirements and accessing a range of subsidised or free, publicly funded skills programmes, Kemps have secured free on-site NVQ training for five of its team.

And, all 900 fire fighters and support staff at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service could potentially be offered the chance to gain formal qualifications in everyday skills with help it's received to secure fully-funded training places.

LFR's organisational development manager Debbie Yeates said: "With support from Train to Gain, any Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue (LFR) employees who don't have qualifications equivalent to GCSEs in maths, English and ICT will be able to sign up for free college courses to gain Skills for Life qualifications."

In addition, Leicestershire based Socius, a multi-disciplinary marketing and HR agency is also benefiting from the Train to Gain service.

Managing Director Sharon Keevins said: "Through Train to Gain, we've already got more staff trained in advanced Excel and are currently looking at NVQs which could enhance the roles of various members of our team.

"We've been in constant touch with Business Link since we set up. You can't put a price on accessing on-going support and business advice, or the benefits of getting an objective and expert point of view about your business thinking."

Skills Minister Kevin Brennan said: "These reports show that businesses value the chance to offer staff high quality training, that they otherwise may not have been able to, through Train to Gain.

"Thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of employees have benefited from the improved skills delivered by our Train to Gain programme. This is crucial for the long term strength of the economy and the ability of individuals to fulfil their potential.

"The fact that so many learners and employers understand how vital skills and training can be shows how effective our support has been during difficult economic times. We remain committed to ensuring that as many people as possible get the skills they need to benefit from the opportunities of growth."

Geoff Russell, Chief Executive of the LSC, said: "This report shows that businesses have used Train to Gain to equip their employees with vital skills that have had a direct impact on their productivity. This is a critical business benefit in tough economic times.

"Workplace training has never been more responsive or flexible to the needs of employers and it is gratifying that more employers recognise the benefits of training their staff so they have a skilled workforce, ready for the upturn.  The direct benefit to their business productivity and their employees is clear."

The employer report also found:

·       Train to Gain continues to perform highly in encouraging employers to engage with training and development of staff.

·       Employers have been able to train more staff and give them access to higher quality qualifications than they would have done otherwise.

·       A high number of employers said Train to Gain helped them engage in training and development of their staff.

The learner report found:

·       Employees' satisfaction with Train to Gain remained high with more than 90 per cent pleased with their training.

·       Nearly 90 per cent of learners said they hoped to get a qualification at the end of their training, with 85 per cent looking for skills that would look good in the future and improved their ability to do their job.

·       The recession is having a positive impact on employee attitudes towards training making them keen to boost their chances in an unpredictable economic climate.

The Train to Gain evaluation report follows the recent "Going for Growth" and "Skills for Growth" strategies. These detail how the Government is continuing to invest in skills in order to help drive economic growth and productivity as the country emerges from recession.