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.