Don't get left behind

Jan 22 2008 By The Journal

New Year, New Skills by Chris Roberts, regional director, Learning and Skills Council North East

AS WE enter the New Year, now is the ideal time for businesses to make a resolution to take stock of their position and look ahead to how they can build for the future.

With national and international markets becoming increasingly competitive, investment is paramount. And one of the best ways that businesses can plan for success is by investing in their workforce. Training and development is vital to all businesses and organisations if they are to maintain and increase their capabilities, whatever markets they are involved in.

A well trained workforce equips all types of organisations with the ability to meet the challenges of today’s fast-moving world of work. Thankfully, more and more employers are realising the sound sense and commercial advantage of improving the skills of their staff. An easy and cost-effective method of demonstrating that commitment is by signing up to the Skills Pledge, which is open to businesses and organisations of all sizes in all sectors.

Employers who sign up to the Skills Pledge have access to a Skills Broker, part of the jointly funded LSC North-East and One NorthEast Train to Gain service. Developed as part of a wider effort by the Regional Skills Partnership in the North-East to increase the productivity and further regenerate the region, Train to Gain ensures that skills brokerage is available to all employers in the region.

The service offers impartial advice and matches training needs to local learning providers, to ensure that flexible, responsive training programmes are delivered to meet employers’ needs. A core element of Train to Gain is the access to appropriate funding of Skills for Life, first Level 2 NVQs, Level 3 NVQs and training in management and leadership.

The big message from this campaign is ‘don’t get left behind!’ We want it to be as easy as possible for people to access information and understand what help is available for them to get the skills needed to get on in life and business.

My New Year wish is to see all businesses and organisations in the North-East, big or small, join the skills revolution and invest in their workforce. That way we can make the region more competitive and look forward to a successful 2008