LFR makes use of Train to Gain funding

Mon, 24 Jan 2011

LFR makes use of Train to Gain funding

Train to Gain has helped improve the skills of employees at the Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service (LFR).

The body has used funding from the government programme to provide training to workers who do not have a GCSE or equivalent in English, maths or information technology.

It is offering the opportunity to all 900 of the firefighters and support staff that work for the service and Debbie Yeates, organisational development manager for LFR, explained that a recent audit highlighted the fact that more needed to be done to improve the "wider training needs" of employees.

"Dave Ramscar, our assistant chief fire officer who's responsible for staff development, found out about what Train to Gain could offer when he attended a local Skills Pledge event organised by the regional Business Link service," she remarked.

So far, she said, 19 employees have signed up to take NVQs in business and finance, team leading or customer service, with e-learning and workplace assessments being used to help workers secure the qualifications.

And Ms Yeates added that without the funding, the training scheme would have been put back "a good few years", stating that it will help the LFR attract and retain high-quality employees in the future.

Train to Gain has also been utilised by outsourcing and management company Mitie, which has used the funding to help give skills support to its workforce.

A recent survey by the Learning and Skills Council, which oversees the initiative, found that 90 per cent of employees that took classes were happy with the service they received.

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