Home > News > November 2007 > 27 November 2007

Government announces expansion to Train to Gain service

The Government has outlined its plans for an expanded Train to Gain service.

The expansion is part of an investment programme announced this month by Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham, which, he said, will see more than £11 billion a year invested in education, employment and training.

According to the Government, Train to Gain has helped more than 52,000 employers and enabled over 240,000 employees to undertake training since the service launch in 2006. The scheme includes a skills brokerage service that aims to help employers identify their skills and other business needs, and source training to best meet those needs.

The Government announced the following expansion to the Train to Gain Service:

* Core funding will be offered for a broader range of skills. Part funding will now be available for those doing a second full Level 2 qualification and funding for Level 3 will be increased nationally. Skills for Life training will now be supported as a stand alone offer as well as part of a full Level 2 qualification.

* The funding cap is to be lifted for the best providers - a move designed to enable them to do more business as their performance improves

* The budget for SME management training is to be increased from £4 million per annum to £30 million per annum.

* The LSC’s National Employer Service will be expanded, with additional account managers to help more of the country’s largest national employers

* By working with Jobcentre Plus through their Local Employment Partnerships, Train to Gain will support people who have been unemployed to secure employment with training and progression on to higher level skills

* New compacts with each Sector Skills Council which will tailor Train to Gain to help it meet the skills needs of employers in each sector

Skills Minister David Lammy said: "Lord Leitch’s report spoke of a partnership between the state, the employer and the individual. Today, in partnership with the business community and training providers, we set out our plans for the expansion of Train to Gain as a vehicle for creating a truly demand-led further education sector. To this end we have cut bureaucracy to make sure that those colleges and training organisations that can best meet employers' needs are able to expand to meet demand.

"I am delighted to see that businesses are recognising the importance of skills and they are rising to the challenge by investing more in the skills of their workforce. We’ve listened to employers to ensure that this extended programme is even more effective in offering training when and where they need it. In particular, the increased investment in developing the leadership and management capacity in our SMEs will build a sense of mission at the heart of our communities, making their companies more profitable."

Chris Banks, chair of the Learning and Skills Council, added: "Train to Gain is a revolutionary development in the way that we deliver services to employers and these changes will ensure that even more employers and training providers are able to work with Government to raise the nation’s skill levels.

"The expanded Train to Gain Service will enable employers of all sizes, in all locations and across all sectors to take the future of their business into their hands through access to high quality training advice and support. In this way, it will play a key role in reaching out to the one in three businesses that still do not offer staff any training – and so will in-turn transform the nation’s skills base, productivity and competitiveness between now and 2020."

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