HEREFORDSHIRE and Worcestershire Learning and Skills Council will be at the forefront of Government plans to give people more skills in the UK.

This move follows the launch of the national strategy last week, which outlines the Government's commitment to addressing serious skills issues in Britain's workforce.

Many of the proposals put forward in the White Paper have been predicted by the two counties' learning and skills council with the development of a major new initiative launched last month.

The Skills Station, a joint venture between the learning and skills council, further and higher education providers, Business Link and JobCentre Plus, and supported by Advantage West Midlands offers businesses an impartial one-stop-shop for skills, training and recruitment issues.

One of the aims highlighted in the Skills Strategy is the reduction of bureaucracy and rationalising of skills services for employers and the Skills Station is seen as a model for delivering this objective.

The local learning and skills council also boasts several other flagship initiatives for local employers, including a Industrial Estates Learning Zones project aimed at bringing learning and training to employers at a time and place convenient to them.

"Naturally we are delighted that so much of the good practices we have been developing here with our partners has been recognised by national Government and included in this key strategy document," said Alan Curless, the director of the Learning and Skills Council Herefordshire and Worcestershire.