Home > News > May 2005 > 17-May-2005

New BCC award recognises skills and workforce development

A new award category – the Learning Skills Council Award for Skills and Workforce Development – has been added to this year’s British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Awards.

The BCC say the new award will be given to a company demonstrating excellence in its approach to training and workforce development. Judges will consider the integration of training into business strategy, the impact of training on business performance, and the overall ways in which both individuals and the organisation have benefited from the training programme.

Jaine Clarke, Director of Skills Strategy and Planning at the LSC said: “Skills development is moving up the business agenda as companies realise the costs of not training. The LSC is working with businesses to ensure high-quality training is available where and when it is needed.

“There are numerous success stories out there as owner-managers are increasingly recognising the benefits of prioritising and investing in training and development.

“We’re delighted to be able to acknowledge and showcase best practice by sponsoring this award, and we would urge companies who value skills development and place it at the heart of their business strategy to enter the awards.”

David Frost, Director General of the BCC commented: “Continuous skills development of the workforce has been identified by Government and BCC as one of the most critical issues to address for continued competitiveness.

“We announced only very recently that 50% more employers were having difficulty finding staff with the right skills.

“This award exists to recognise the work of the most enlightened businesses. The company that wins this award will show that skills development is not a nice-to-have; it is essential if you want to compete.”

The award has been added to seven other categories currently open for entry in the Chamber Awards 2005. Now in their second year, the Chamber awards aim to recognise outstanding business achievement within the UK business community.

The Chamber Awards will be judged in two stages at both a regional and national level and will be celebrated at a Gala Dinner at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on the 24th November 2005. Each national level finalist has the chance to win the top prize of £25,000

External link

Entry forms and judging criteria can be obtained by visiting www.chamberawards.co.uk

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