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Training Employees: Improving Skills, Productivity and Retention

Employers know better than anyone what skills their workers need. That's why our flagship programme, Train to Gain, is putting funding for training directly into businesses' hands. Already more than 100,000 employers and over 570,000 employees have benefited from Train to Gain, and by 2010 the programme will be delivering over £1 billion of funding to support workplace training for employers.

The skills training system must be led by employers' needs. But in a time of uncertainty, strong, sector-based research and analysis of skills needs is required to ensure that training is provided now to meet your future needs. This is why we have given Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) a leading role in identifying businesses' needs for skills and developing tailored training, both vocational and higher education. Sector Compacts are giving SSCs greater flexibility to tailor the Train to Gain offer to business needs. National Skills Academies are also giving employers a stronger role in developing the specialist training you need.

In an increasingly challenging business environment, Investors in People research has shown that the biggest change expected by UK employees in the next twelve months is an increase in their workload. Yet, under economic pressure, many managers are not engaging their staff in planning, which is having a negative impact on employee motivation and productivity. Managing staff motivation and productivity is a critical ingredient in business success.

Skills Pledge & Investors in People

Making the Skills Pledge gives employers access to one-to-one, impartial consultancy from training experts, to help businesses identify the training that will develop the skills needed for commercial success. Nearly 7,000 employers, of all sizes and representing over 5 million employees, have already demonstrated their recognition of the value of training by signing the Skills Pledge.

Investors in People is a highly regarded talent-management framework that helps organisations to improve performance and employee productivity through the effective management and development of their people. Over 30,000 UK organisations, employing over 27% of the UK workforce, have already achieved the IiP standard.

Train to Gain skills brokers & the National Employer Service

Whether your staff need to develop their basic skills, high-level specialist expertise, or need management and leadership training, skills brokers can help you find the right courses from the right providers. They can advise you on appropriate courses from Apprenticeships to wider vocational training to Universities. They will let you know whether you're eligible for funding and can organise a training schedule to suit your business. Train to Gain brokers are also working with SSCs to advise on sector-specific training.

The core Train to Gain funding offer means that all employers have access to:

Full funding for:

  • Basic skills support (ie literacy, numeracy and English language)
  • NVQ Level 1
  • First full level 2 qualifications (equivalent to 5 GCSEs) and
  • First Level 3 (equivalent to 2 A-levels) for 19-25 year olds
  • Some first Level 4 for 19-25 year olds who do not already have a Level 3
  • Some funding for people who already have qualifications at Level 2 and 3 and would like to take another.

Government funding, to sit alongside employers' financial contribution, is available for:

  • English for Speakers of Other Languages qualifications at all levels
  • Apprenticeships
  • For businesses with between 10 and 250 employees, support towards the costs of leadership and management development

For national, multi-site employers with more than 5,000 employees, the National Employer Service (NES) provides funding and impartial specialist advice on all aspects of workforce development including Skills for Life, Train to Gain and Apprenticeships. NES can provide a direct funding contract with the LSC giving large employers a single source of funding for all their training.

To access a skills broker, if you have fewer than 5,000 employees, click here.

If you have more than 5,000 employees, please contact the National Employer Service.

Developing and awarding in-house qualifications

To ensure that your staff develop exactly the skills you need, there are various ways for businesses to offer employees tailored courses which are recognised nationally, improving your company's kudos and appeal. Employers can now even choose to award their own accredited qualifications.

Find out more about being recognised to accredit training and the current reforms of vocational qualifications visit DIUS' VQ Reform pages.

To find an awarding organisation to discuss developing bespoke training for your business visit the Federation of Awarding Bodies.

Working with Higher Education and Further Education institutions

Our universities develop world-class graduates, bringing tremendous talent and ideas to business. Our Further Education (FE) providers also develop the excellent vocationally-related skills that businesses really need for success. But it doesn't stop there. Our higher education institutions (HEIs) and FE providers have the flexibility to work with businesses in a wide range of ways to meet your training needs. For example, they can develop bespoke courses for businesses, including Foundation Degrees which combine academic study with work place learning. They can also work with employers to accredit their in-house training.

Contact your local providers to find out how they can help you. HERO is the official gateway to all HE information, including a ‘University Finder’ to help you find both universities and colleges.

fdf advises businesses on Foundation Degrees and works with employers and HEIs to improve the way HE meets business needs.

National Skills Academies

National Skills Academies are being developed as centres of excellence for vocational training. They allow employers to take control of the design and delivery of learning in their industry. They will give you confidence of the highest standards and help develop thousands of people as leaders in their field.

Targeting skills shortages

DIUS is committed to helping business by identifying and tackling current and expected future skills shortages. We have already announced skills-specific funding of almost £500 million and similar deals are expected to be announced in the future. In June the Secretary of State announced over £300m support for the hospitality, construction and, manufacturing sectors.

In October the Minister for Skills announced a further £93m for the housing, facilities management, fashion and textiles sectors.

A further £98 million for the chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, petroleum, engineering, construction and broadcast media industries was also announced in October by the Secretary of State.

Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)

SSCs have been tasked with working with employers to develop a detailed understanding of their sectors' skills needs. They then work with employers and awarding organisations, further education providers, National Skills Academies and universities to ensure there is the training available which meets those needs and that the funding is available for the right courses.

To contribute your expertise on your sectors skills needs, and help improve future provision further, contact your sector's SSC.

To find out more about the role of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills in leading standards and qualifications and overseeing SSCs, click here.