Businesses to benefit from £1.35m skills training fund

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the South East Midlands are urged to take advantage of a £1.35 million skills training fund to upskill their workforce.

The training is delivered as part of the Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme, which Serco’s Employment, Skills & Enterprise business is managing across the region. Launched in April, Serco will provide skills development that focuses on upskilling employees in key priority sectors as identified in the LEP’s strategic economic plan;

• Health and Social Care sector
• Construction
• Logistics

Eligible businesses can benefit from funded training, tailored to their specific needs. Training is flexible and businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match individual units relevant to their work. Benefits include increased employee confidence, motivation, productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention.

Business participants will receive a bespoke Training Needs Analysis that identifies requirements for upskilling or skills gaps in their workforce. Training covers subjects such as IT and digital skills, leadership and management or more vocationally relevant courses.

The programme also offers support and training for individuals at risk of redundancy or those who have been made redundant within the last three months.

The programme, co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, offers local businesses recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses, aimed at enhance employees’ skills and increasing the competitiveness of the businesses.

For more details contact Serco on skillssupport@serco.com or visit www.serco-ssw.com