£65m training boost for science and technology firms

Science and technology companies have been handed a £65m training boost by the government.

Grants of between £500 and £1,800 per employee will be made available to those employers covered by the Semta sector skills council.

Semta channels skills funding to science, engineering and manufacturing technology companies to help the government overcome chronic skills shortages in those areas.

The new funding will allow participating employers in England to access Train to Gain and apprenticeship funding.

Firms with fewer than 250 employees are set to benefit the most. Semta advisers will help them identify skills gaps, set improvement targets, and measure improvement. Unlike larger companies, they will also be eligible for grants to develop management and leadership.

Philip Whiteman, chief executive of Semta, said: "Our partnership with government will deliver real economic benefits to science, engineering and manufacturing.

"To overcome significant skills gaps and make businesses more competitive, employers need access to funding for innovative programmes like Business Improvement Techniques. These not only upskill workers in a sustainable way, they put employees on the qualifications ladder and provide measurable bottom-line profits from quality, cost and delivery."