BUSINESSES in Wyre Forest could be eligible for up to £1,000 of free training.

The offer - by the Chamber of Commerce and Business Link Herefordshire and Worcestershire - is available to companies with between 20 and 249 employees.

The Managing Director's Development Initiative is intended for firms with scope for growth and the training would be customised to individual businesses' skill requirements.

Lisa Tubb, head of workforce development at Business Link, said: "This is positive news for businesses as managing directors will be given the opportunity to access money for training of their choice, free of charge.

"An approved assessor will carry out a full individual assessment which, in itself, is worth £400, which will identify what personal skills are needed to help a company grow and develop.

"All they have to do is simply register for the training required. With the funding immediately available, we are encouraging companies who haven't benefited from outside funding before to take advantage of the money available."

She added: "With a recognised skills shortage across Worcestershire, the funding enables companies that may not be able to afford training in-house to get up to speed with new packages and practices specific to their industry while benefiting on a personal level too."

More information on the Managing Director's Development Initiative are available on 0800 10 40 10.