All gain, no pain
Around 22,000 employers have signed up for the Train to Gain (TtG) training advice service since its launch last August. According to the Learning and Skills Council, which manages TtG, almost 17,000 – or 80% – of the employers are small businesses that are new to training. It said many of the staff who are undertaking training because of the TtG initiative come from sectors where “low skills traditionally predominate”. These include process, plant and machine operatives.
Reverting to type
To mark last month’s Repetitive Strain Awareness (RSI) day, the TUC called on the government to introduce keyboard skills training into schools. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Most people are more likely these days to use a computer to write than use a pen, and children are not routinely being taught how to type. This means millions of children are missing out on life skills that could help protect the workforce of tomorrow from this painful, chronic illness.”
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Free training ignored
Nearly two-thirds of businesses in England ignore free or low-cost training, according to research from the Learning and Skills Council. The survey of more than 890 businesses found that 62% of those companies polled do not use the further education (FE) sector to train staff, even though many free or low-cost courses are offered. Also, 43% don’t even know that they can access subsidised employee training at FE colleges.
