Jobs: Employers bid for cash to design their own training programmes
The government says it has received 269 bids from employers from around the English regions and economic sectors for a share of the Β£250 million Employer Ownership pilot project.
Skills Minister John Hayes said: βSkills are central to the UK economy and our long-term competitiveness and weβre making excellent progress with the biggest apprenticeship programme in modern history.
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βThatβs why the government has put building workforce capabilities through training at the heart of our economic strategy.
βBut thereβs always more to do and because we know the skills system must be demand driven, weβre determined to put employers in the driving seat. With unprecedented focus and funding weβll match and beat competitor nations who have always valued vocational education.
βThis pilot fund will give employers the space and opportunity for greater ownership of the vocational skills agenda encouraging innovation and new thinking as we provide the platform for sustainable growth.β
The vision of greater employer ownership has been championed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) β a non-departmental public body that provides strategic leadership on skills and employment issues.
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Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the John Lewis Partnership, said: βThe pilots are all about encouraging innovation and partnership in an area that is critical to the growth and success of our economy. I look forward to seeing what changes we can start to make as a result of these investments.β
The winners of the bids will be announced later in the year.
A decision will be made in the coming months regarding the timing of a second round of bidding following an evaluation of the success of the first round.