Brown announces New Deal and training plans

The
Government will be focusing attention on expanding the New Deal and workforce
training, claimed the Chancellor during his Pre-Budget Report yesterday.

Gordon
Brown said, "We will not retreat from our commitment to full employment."

The
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will today announce measures to help
the newly redundant and expand the New Deal to help the long-term unemployed
back to work.

Brown
also announced that the Government would run a pilot scheme next year which
will help employers train staff. "Because a third of the existing
workforce lacks basic or Level 2 qualifications and because the old
voluntaristic approach has not worked, we have been investigating the joint CBI
and TUC proposals for a tax credit for in-work training," he said.

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"Following today’s report from the Performance and
Innovation Unit, we will, from September next year, pilot a new approach
combining direct financial support for business – especially small business –
with time off for training, under which employees, employers and government
each accept their responsibilities."

By Mike Broad