SMALL businesses in the county are being urged to take advantage of a multi-million pot of cash, which can be used to train the county workforce.

Small to medium businesses operating in key sectors identified by Worcestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) such as advanced manufacturing, cyber security and defence, and visitor and destination economy, can access a slice of a £3.4m skills training pot

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 Worcestershire. Since the programme launched in September 2016, 2,294 learners from 232 businesses across Worcestershire have taken advantage of the funded training available.

To deliver the programme, which is co-funded by the European Social Fund and the Education and Skills Funding Agency, Serco has partnered with expert training organisations to offer local businesses recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses aiming to enhance employees’ skills and increase the competitiveness of the businesses.

Businesses can select from a range of qualifications or mix and match individual units to support their work. The courses, which can take place at the employees’ workplace, range from a few hours’ training, to units of NVQ or other qualifications.

Gary Woodman, chief executive of Worcestershire LEP, said: “The Skills Support for the Workforce programme has already benefitted many businesses across Worcestershire with training and support, helping companies to raise the skills of their workforce and to become more productive as a result.

"Serco have done a fantastic job in delivering this programme and I am delighted that they will be able to continue this initiative.”

Businesses interested in applying can contact Serco on skillssupport@serco.com or visit serco-ssw.com for more details.