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Skills training fund provides aid to keep small businesses running
SMALL businesses in Yorkshire are fighting the recession with help from a £50m fund.
Element Jewellery in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, has reported increased sales after providing specialist gemstone and photography training to staff, while Apollo Lighting in Leeds has achieved record profits after providing computer software training to more than half its workforce.
The training was made possible by the 50m Enhancement Fund which aims to improve the region's skills base. It is supported by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the European Social Fund (ESF) and Yorkshire Forward.
Since its launch a year ago, the fund has supported 6,000 Yorkshire and Humber businesses of different sizes and sectors.
Of these, nearly 60 businesses and 1,300 staff were at risk of redundancy. The success of the Enhancement Fund to date means that a further 20m is to be committed to extend the project into 2012.
David Hodges, regional director of skills for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "The Enhancement Fund has been well received for adapting to the changing skills needs and demands of employers during this recession, and will continue to support employer training with the aim of aiding economic recovery and supporting growth in the economy.
"We hope that employers can make learning new skills or building on existing skills a core element of all business development, rather than an optional extra, and that individuals also address their training needs as it will become increasingly difficult over the next few years to get a job without any basic qualifications."
Five staff at Element Jewellery received the specialist gemstone training, while the photography training was given to one of the directors, allowing the business to take its own publicity and marketing photographs.
Apollo Lighting was able to train 25 of its 40-strong workforce in a new, bespoke computer system.
The software brings together all the existing systems and allows staff to analyse how the business is performing, improving efficiency.
Further information about the Enhancement Fund is available from the Business Link customer information centre on 08456 048048, or contact the Enhancement Fund team on 01422 399339 or at www.enhancementfund.co.uk
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Weather for Yorkshire
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
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Temperature: -8 C to 2 C
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