New bill to equip the country in meeting the education and skills needs of the economy
5 February 2009
An Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill was published on Thursday 5th February. This is the first apprenticeships legislation for nearly 200 years, giving all suitably qualified young people the legal right to on-the-job training. It includes new measures to expand adult skills training and strengthen school standards.
£10 million competition for companies to make buildings greener
28 January 2009
Run by the Technology Strategy Board, the competition will encourage companies to bid for a share of £10m in government funding to develop innovative solutions to improve the environmental sustainability of existing buildings, dramatically increase performance and reduce costs.
New toolkit protects against counterfeiting and piracy
26 January 2009
As developments in technology and communications have led to increases in intellectual property crime (counterfeiting and piracy), a new toolkit gives practical advice on how businesses can protect themselves.
Further skills training support
26 January 2009
2007 spending on research and development by leading UK firms rose by 6%, reaching £21.6 billion, according to figures published in the annual DIUS-BERR R&D Scoreboard.
Support for the economy to be a key priority for universities
22 January 2009
John Denham has asked the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to help support the economy, while ensuring universities continue to provide world-class education and research.
UKCES Report predicts areas of growth
19 January 2009
John Denham welcomed the UK Commission for Employment and Skills report which predicts sector trends and shows the jobs market set to grow over the coming decade, despite the recent downturn.
Further skills training support
12 January 2009
The Government has committed £83 million to fund 75,000 additional training places for long-term unemployed, with the flexibility to enable them to work and train concurrently. The radical shake-up of further education (FE) will mean FE colleges will be paid to get people into work.
35,000 more apprentice places
7 January 2009
The Government has committed £140 million to fund 35,000 more apprenticeships in public and private sectors, in addition to existing commitment of just under £1billion for the next financial year. In total, well over a quarter of a million apprentices are expected to begin their training in 2009/10.
UKCES to champion Investors in People
18 December 2008
Responsibility for the Investors in People (IIP) standard will be passed from Government to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) placing it at the heart of business, Skills Secretary John Denham announced today.
Additional funding for employers taking on unemployed staff
17 December 2008
Details on how a £158 million fund will be used to help people who have lost or fear losing their jobs were announced by the Government today.
DIUS plan to reduce bureaucracy for businesses
10 December 2008
This plan outlines how DIUS and our partners are complying with the government’s target for all departments to reduce administrative burdens on business by 25% by 2016.
Read the report
(471 KB)
Additional training funding for Third Sector
9 December 2008
Train to Gain funding has been expanded and made more flexible for third sector organisations – like private sector SMEs with fewer than 250 staff. There is additional support for staff training at Levels 2 and 3 and for business-critical short courses for management and leadership.
Ministers answer questions on Right to Train
3 December 2008
Queen’s Speech announces a new Bill giving workers the right to request time at work to undertake training. The press release includes a Q&A section answering queries about the right to train and setting out how training can help businesses and individuals emerge stronger after the recession, and how training can be provided without being a burden on business.
Colleges to help firms boost business
1 December 2008
Five further education colleges and training providers are starting pilot FE Knowledge and Technology Transfer (FE KTT) Pathfinder projects to share specialist expertise with businesses to helping them innovate to boost profits and competitiveness.
Skills Pledge covers 5 million
24 November 2008
A DHL Express courier has become the five millionth employee in the country to benefit from the Skills Pledge campaign to support employers to make and deliver on their commitments to train their workforce.
Expanded Train to Gain offer
10 November 2008
A new Train to Gain advertising campaign has been launched to raise employers' awareness of the value of training and the support available, particularly for SMEs.
Bite-sized vocational qualifications
14 November 2008
DIUS and the QCA launch the Qualifications & Credit Framework, rationalising vocational qualifications (VQs) and enabling VQs to be taken unit by unit, providing more flexibility for learners and their employers
Additional skills funding
24 October 2008
Secretary of State's CBI speech highlights changes and additional funding to develop the right skills, in the right place and industries, at the right time. Read the Secretary of State's speech(91 KB)
Simplifying the skills system
23 October 2008
DIUS welcomes the UKCES proposals in "Simplification of Skills in England", published 23 October, and is working with stakeholders to look at how these proposals can be implemented.
Train to Gain funding for SMEs
21 October 2008
Secretary of State announced £350m for Train to Gain to provide greater and more flexible public funding small business training. Read the Secretary of State's press release
Targeting skills shortages
15 October 2008
DIUS and DWP provide £100m to help re-train people for industries with skills shortages.
