Member Article

Employer bids in to steer vocational training programmes

The Government has received over 250 bids from employers who are looking to take part in a new pilot to design and develop their own vocational training programmes.

The Employer Ownership pilot invited the first round of bids earlier in the year for a share of the £250m fund, which will route public investment directly to employers.

Skills Minister John Hayes, said: “Skills are central to the UK economy and our long-term competitiveness and we’re making excellent progress with the biggest apprenticeship programme in modern history.

“That’s why the Government has put building workforce capabilities through training at the heart of our economic strategy.

“But there’s always more to do and because we know the skills system must be demand driven, we’re determined to put employers in the driving seat.

“With unprecedented focus and funding we’ll match and beat competitor nations who have always valued vocational education.

“This pilot fund will give employers the space and opportunity for greater ownership of the vocational skills agenda encouraging innovation and new thinking as we provide the platform for sustainable growth.”

The pilot aims to test the impact of greater employer ownership of the vocational training agenda, and has been championed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), a non-departmental public body that provides strategic leadership on skills and employment issues.

Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the John Lewis Partnership, said: “The pilots are all about encouraging innovation and partnership in an area that is critical to the growth and success of our economy.

“I look forward to seeing what changes we can start to make as a result of these investments.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .