Hertfordshire businesses to benefit from £4.4m skills training fund
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hertfordshire are urged to take advantage of a £4.4m skills training fund to upskill their workforce.
The training is delivered as part of the Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) programme launched in April, which leading business service provider Serco is managing across Hertfordshire.
Under the 28-month programme, eligible businesses can benefit from funded training, tailored to their specific needs. Previous SSW programme participants have benefited from increased employee confidence, motivation and productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention.
Serco will work in partnership with stakeholders such as Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide skills development across the LEP’s key priority sectors, including;
- Advanced manufacturing
- Engineering and IT
- Life sciences
- Defence and aerospace
- Software, ICT and telecoms
- Film and digital media
- Construction
- Financial and business
- High-end logistics
Business participants will each benefit from a bespoke Training Needs Analysis that identifies requirements for upskilling or addressing skills gaps in their workforce. Training for participating businesses could cover subjects such as; IT and digital skills, leadership and management or more vocationally relevant courses. Training is flexible and businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match individual units that are directly relevant to their work.
The SSW programme in Hertfordshire also offers support and training for individuals at risk of redundancy or those who have been made redundant within the last three months.
To deliver the programme, which is co-financed by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Serco has partnered with expert training organisations to offer local businesses recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses, aiming to enhance employees’ skills and increase the competitiveness of the businesses.
Rob Matts, Head of Skills Support for the Workforce at Serco, said:
“I am delighted that Serco has been selected by the Education and Skills Funding Agency to manage the SSW programme in Hertfordshire in partnership with local stakeholders such as the LEP. We have already supported more than 20,000 learners through our SSW delivery across England with more than 7,000 businesses benefitting from this important service
“I would urge businesses or, individuals that may be facing redundancy, to get in touch with our team and take advantage of the funded training on offer. We look forward to enabling many more businesses to take advantage of SSW training to upskill their staff and grow their businesses.”
Norman Jennings, Operations Director at Hertfordshire LEP, said:
“Skills development is a cornerstone of local economic growth and productivity, and in an increasingly competitive world, it is vital that Hertfordshire businesses have access to a skilled workforce to help drive future growth. We are delighted that our targeted funding will help meet local business needs and we encourage all SMEs to explore how they could benefit from the SSW programme.”
Businesses can contact Serco on skillssupport@serco.com or visit www.serco-ssw.com for more details and to find out if they are eligible for funded training through Skills Support for the Workforce.
