Chesterfield employers encouraged to take advantage of Skills Bank
Local businesses are being urged to take advantage of funding and training opportunities during Skills Bank Week.
The week, which takes place from Monday 27 March, is being held to highlight the opportunities available from the £17 million Skills Bank Fund.
The fund, available to businesses in the Sheffield City Region area (Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales, Doncaster, North East Derbyshire, Rotherham and Sheffield), has already offered training to 1,029 learners across the region.
The Skills Bank helps Chesterfield employees and employers identify courses which best meet the skills of the individual and the needs of the business.
Skills Bank will also calculate how much funding is available and how much each employer will contribute towards the cost of the training.
So far deals have approved for 15 Chesterfield businesses, benefitting 165 learners to a total value of £145,055, of which Skills Bank has contributed £95,845.
Deals in the pipeline for a further 42 businesses which would allow a further 714 employees to benefit from training.
Chesterfield-based letting agents Pinewood Property is one of the companies to have benefitted from funding for training in digital marketing, human resources and management skills.
Stacey Davies-Bowler, Director at Pinewood Lettings, said:-
“Management training for staff would benefit both me and my fellow director hugely. If we had a self-managed team, that would free up more time so we could spend it on business development and trying to bring more business in through the door.
“The better we understand each other, the better we work together, the faster the business will grow.”
Other Chesterfield businesses to have benefitted from Sheffield City Region Skills Bank include Mitchells Chartered Accountants and Palamatic.
Councillor Tricia Gilby, Chesterfield Borough Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said:-
“Helping local businesses to access the funding available for training is essential to allow them to retain and develop staff as well as to allow them to meet the needs of their customers.
“By putting these skills in place, it offers real opportunities for local people by creating more and better jobs.”
During Skills Bank Week, the Skills Bank are launching a marketing campaign to promote the service across the region to businesses and communicate employers’ success stories.
The Thunderclap campaign will allow a single message to be shared on mass, to rise above the noise of social media and boost the visibility of the Skills Bank to employers across the region. To join the Thunderclap, follow this link to share the tweet on Wednesday 29th March 2017 at 12pm.
For information on Skills Bank and the training opportunities available click here.
