Business Urged to Apply for Training Fund

Daniel Kawczynski MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, has welcomed further investment to help companies set up the training schemes they need to meet specific skill requirements.

£150 million has been put into the second round of the Employee Ownership Pilot (EOP), a scheme designed to get funding directly to employers so that they can deliver more flexible training packages. Total investment in the EOP has now reached £240 million.

This pilot has already seen £2.9 million committed to projects across the Midlands. Funded projects include providing pre-employment training, extending apprenticeships to supply chains and increasing the number of female apprenticeships.

Welcoming the announcement, Daniel Kawczynski said:

‘Investing is employee training is a smart move for any company that wants to grow and compete. Businesses in my constituency have many talented staff – and I urge them to apply for this fund to help them offer their workforce the training they want.’

Skills Minister Matthew Hancock commented:

‘For British businesses to succeed and compete in the global race, they need a highly-skilled workforce that can meet the challenges of the future.

‘With applications for round two now open, I would urge businesses – particularly small companies – to consider how the fund can help them grow, from creating new apprenticeship programmes to setting up specialist training academies.’