Stockport Council will offer training for all of its 7,000 employees through a pledge to the GO North West Local Government Skills for Life award.
The aim of the award is to provide council employees with a chance to improve everyday skills, including report writing, working with statistics, and using new technology.
The award sets out eight standards on which the council will be assessed by external judges in March 2008.
It must meet the following standards in order to gain the award:
- Whole council approach
- Work towards developing a strategy for the council
- Develop staff within the council to support Skills for Life
- Work in partnership with trade unions
- Identify staff with Skills for Life needs
- Deliver the skills flexibly in the workplace
- Skills for Life must form part of wider staff development
- Implement the strategy locally.
The leader of Stockport Council, Dave Goddard, said: “The Skills for Life award is about providing all our staff with new or refreshed skills, and communicating better with customers and service users who may have the same needs.
“The most important thing is that training will be available, and all staff know how to access it.”
