It has also doubled the budget for Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) such as garages from £4 million per year to £30 million per year.
The news is part of an investment programme announced by Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills John Denham. It will see more than £11 billion a year invested in education, employment and training.
To enable every company to access appropriate training, the following changes to the Train to Gain Service has been announced:
- More 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.
- The funding cap will be lifted for the best providers, enabling them to do more business as their performance improves.
- The National Employer Service will be expanded while skills brokerage will also be extended to help provide more companies with specialist support.
By working closely 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.
Ken Stanger, manager of The Hardy Group, a printing business in London, said the Train to Gain scheme was great news for small businesses of every kind.
“One year on from the launch of Train to Gain, it’s great to see the service expanding to help even more businesses which might otherwise struggle to train their staff,” said Ken.
“The increased funding, extra support and tailored advice through skills brokers is exactly what employers need. We know our business will continue to flourish as a result of our commitment to and investment in training.”
To find out more about how Train to Gain could help your business, call 0800 015 55 45 or visit www.traintogain.gov.uk.