Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are urged to take advantage of a £16.74m D2N2 LEP-backed skills training fund to upskill their workforce.
The training fund is co-financed by D2N2 via the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
The training is delivered as part of a programme called Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW), which Serco’s Employment, Skills & Enterprise business is managing across the D2N2 region.
Under the 28-month programme which launched in April, D2N2 will work in partnership with Serco to provide skills development that focuses on upskilling employees in the 8 key priority sectors D2N2 identified in Vision 2030, the strategic economic plan of D2N2 LEP.
Skills Support for the Workforce
Through SSW, eligible businesses can benefit from funded training, tailored to their specific needs.
Business participants will each benefit from a bespoke Training Needs Analysis that identifies requirements for upskilling or skills gaps in their workforce.
Training for participant 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.
Previous SSW programme participants have benefited from increased employee confidence, motivation and productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention.
The SSW programme in D2N2 also offers support and training for individuals at risk of redundancy or those who have been made redundant within the last three months.
Helping Businesses Thrive
Rachel Quinn, Head of People & Skills for D2N2 LEP said: “I’m delighted to be partnering with Serco to help people working in our region enhance both their skills and their careers.”
“The fund is not only great for them but also for their employers who should experience benefits to productivity and innovation as a result of these new skills, a core aim of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan.”
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 Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire in partnership with the LEP.”
“We have already supported more than 20,000 learners through our SSW delivery across England with more than 7000 businesses benefitting from this important service.”
D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
The D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership is the private sector-led Partnership of business, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services which promotes economic growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Its work is partly funded by a European Union allocation of around €250million in European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). This is made up of European Social Fund (ESF), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) funding streams.
Media wanting more information about the D2N2 LEP can contact Luke Stott, D2N2 Digital Marketing Officer, on 0115 9578749 or email: Luke.Stott@d2n2lep.org
