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Reading Skills for BusinessSkills for Business Artwork

Skills for Business is a new initiative aimed at encouraging greater numbers of learners entering apprenticeships, Train 2 Gain (T2G), foundation degrees, full Level 2 or 3 qualifications and skills for life – most of which are available free of charge to your business.

Reading UK CIC's Local Economy Group (LEG) is charged with overseeing the delivery of Reading’s economic Local Area Agreement targets and has identified skills as the key priority in maintaining the success of the local economy. Recent research identified very poor take-up of LSC funded training provision and thus a step change in the way skills activity is co-ordinated and delivered is needed. Consequently the company is leading on three skills initiatives linked to its LAA targets namely -

  • Retail Skills Centre in partnership with The Oracle

  • Greater Reading Employer Skills Survey (detailed feedback from 500 + local employers presented at the Skills for Business Summit on 28 January 2009)

  • Skills for Business initiative, which has seen the company successfully bid to the LSC for funds to improve levels of learning activity amongst adults.

To date the latter scheme has successfully signed up over 400 new adults aged 19-23, in an effort to encourage them to develop NVQ 2 and 3 skills, offer more employment opportunities and encourage staff retention. 

 

Reading Skills PledgeChef at Work in London St Brasserie

Reading Supports The Skills Pledge

The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public commitment by the leadership of a company or organisation to support all its employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications to at least Level 2 (equivalent to 5 good GCSEs). The purpose is to ensure that all staff are skilled, competent and able to make a full contribution to the success of the company/organisation.

Organisations from both the public and private sectors already signed up include:-  

Berkshire West Primary Care Trust
Designation 
Graft
Hilton Reading
Holiday Inn Reading
Novotel Reading Central
Peter Brett Associates
Reading Borough Council
Reading Voluntary Action
Social Enterprise Berkshire
Thames Valley Police
Thames Valley University
The Oracle Shopping Centre
Torftech Green Park
Wokingham Borough Council

Find out more about the Skills Pledge at -readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/skillspledge_foremployers.pdf