News - 100,000th company signs up as train to gain celebrates two years of success
Released on 09/10/2008.
B&Q, home improvements retailer becomes Train to Gains 100,000th company to sign up as the flagship service marks its second year of helping to boost the nation's skills.
To date in excess of 570,000 employees in England have been helped to get training by Train to Gain, with some 291,000 learners achieving a qualification.
Ministers were joined by employer representatives in a call for on even more employers to take advantage of the training service, which helps firms get the best from their staff by identifying and helping meet skills needs.
Lord Young, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DIUS said that "Successful employers see up-skilling the workforce as one of the most powerful things they can do to drive their businesses forward. Employers who have invested in the skills of their people in the past will be better placed to respond to the economic challenges, and they will also be better placed to take advantage of the opportunities in the next period of growth.”
Martyn Philips, HR Director, B&Q comments that:"Good skills at all levels are essential to our business if we are to continue to thrive in an exceptionally competitive market and we currently invest a lot of time and effort in ensuring our staff receive the training they need in order to be the best at their job.”
It is anticipated that in the region of 35 per cent of non-management staff at B&Q with achieve an NVQ2 in retail skills in the next 12 months showing a real commitment by the employer to develop staff.
