Birmingham gets £8m for training

Hundreds of hospitality workers in Birmingham and Solihull are set to benefit from a training initiative being launched tomorrow (13 September).

Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has been given £8m by the Government to help local businesses train workers with gaps in their basic skills.

Hospitality is one of six sectors targeted for the project, called Train2gain, because the sector employs an above-average proportion of low-skilled workers and is important to the success of the region's economy.

Over the next 12 months, the LSC will work with Birmingham and Solihull Business Link and local employers to help up to 5,000 volunteer employees follow a personal development action plan designed to address their basic skill needs.

The scheme offers employers up to 100% of accreditation and tuition costs and refunds of wage costs for employees of small and medium-sized businesses who take time off to train.