Skills Support for Workforce

Overview

The Skills Support for the Workforce Programme is a free to use service, created to help small to medium-sized employers turn their business growth plans into reality by upskilling their existing workforce, providing recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses to enhance an employees’ skills, increase the competitiveness of your business and boost the local economy.

It also encompasses support for employers undergoing restructuring or business closure with employees at risk of redundancy (or where formal consultation has commenced) with business premises in the Northamptonshire, or Bedfordshire region by helping individuals to brush up on existing skills or re-skill in a new area to progress or gain employment.

What’s in it for me?

Funded, tailored training that supports both individuals and businesses by reducing or removing the cost of training staff.

It is a tailored service designed to meet your business needs and offers a wide range of skills training, qualifications and networking opportunities to support workplace success, including;

• A training needs analysis for your business, identifying the skills you need to support your business ambitions
• Flexible training – pick full qualifications or mix and match individual units to suit your business
• On-the-job vocational training to meet individual and business needs including taught learning, workplace assessment, distance learning and online learning
• Access to Vocational Qualifications, Digital and Employability Skills, Functional Skills, Upskilling for Workplace Success and Career Progression Training
• Learning pathways for your employees enabling them to either re-train if under threat of redundancy or progress within your organisation onto higher level qualifications or apprenticeships
• Access to a range of recognised accredited qualifications and training courses to enhance employees’ skills

What’s my commitment?

The following eligibility criteria apply for anyone accessing support through Skills Support for the Workforce:

• The workplace must be a safe learning environment
• The learner has to be employed by the organisation (or self-employed)
• The learner has to be eligible to work in the UK – evidence will be required
• The learner must be aged 16+ (no upper age restriction)
• The training has to be delivered within the LEP region and by one of the contracted SSW Training Providers

How does it work?

We work with employers to identify skills gaps and recommend bespoke training plans which will give your workforce the skills they need. And the best bit – the training up to Level 2 is free.

Choose your area; Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes and fill in the form below
If you’re eligible, one of our advisors will contact you to carry out a training needs analysis
We’ll then work with an approved local training provider to design and help you deliver your training plan

Get started

We specialise in providing access to Government programs to help you grow your business and the region bounce back.

Digital Future First is a part funded EU project; it’s partners (Supplaynt, DBFB and The Learning & Skills Academy) have access to many projects across the SEMLEP region and are here to support you and your business.

Click here to check your eligibility now.

Find out more about Government Support

Although, we have access to a range of Government programs and incentives, you may want to look at the Government website.

See guidance and resources on good work experience including:

• work experience placements that work guide from CIPD
• employer case studies from Skills Training UK
• why they work videos from the Learning and Work Institute
• work experience quality standard accreditation from Fair Train

Get support to deliver work experience for people with learning difficulties or disabilities from:

• Access to Work