Want to find out how you can maximise your company's potential through training for free? Read on!
The Training Action Plan (TAP) is a new initiative which offers Lanarkshire businesses the opportunity to undergo in depth workforce analysis on training needs. Its aim is to identify where your workforce needs training in new and updated skills - training which could have a positive effect on how your company performs.
Run by South and North Lanarkshire Councils, TAP is funded by the European Social Fund through the UK's first Objective 4 Programme.
So, what's in it for you?
Your employees will receive an individual training plan which has been tailored to meet their personal and business objectives. The plan will also identify the route to obtaining SVQ qualifications that will not only benefit their work performance, but will also enhance their own long-term career prospects.
Lesley Maycock, South Lanarkshire Economic Development's Strategy & Policy Officer, said: "The two main objectives of this new initiative are simple: to demonstrate the business benefit of introducing new or updated skills to the workforce and to promote access to further education in the workplace in support of Lifelong Learning.
"What's good about the Training Action Plan is that it's completely free of charge. Our assessors will go out to a company, analyse their training needs and take them through all the steps they need to take to obtain relevant training." Assessment and training will be carried out by South Lanarkshire Council's own Vocational Training Network whose officers can also advise if your business is eligible for financial assistance from existing schemes such as MTTG. This fund can provide up to 70% support for training towards recognised SVQ level qualifications. Firms who want to use their own training consultant will not be precluded from the initiative.
So, who's eligible? Most industry sectors are eligible for the Training Action Plan initiative, but must be able to demonstrate the need to upgrade skills to meet the challenges of an ever changing economic environment. Companies must also already have an identified business growth strategy or plan for the assessors to analyse. If you do not have a strategy or plan, funding is available through schemes from South Lanarkshire Council, Lanarkshire Development Agency and the local enterprise agencies.
For more information on the Training Action Plan, contact Lesley Maycock on 01698 455101.