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'Bureaucratic botch' blamed for stalled training scheme
Page 14
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An LSC training programme launched last year has had little impact on
road transport — and SfL reckons it knows why. Chris Tindall reports.
THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of Skills for Logistics (SfL) has blamed the poor take-up of a ilbn government programme offering operators access to free staff training on a "bureaucratic botch".
Train To Gain (TTG) was launched in September 2006 by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), so that businesses in all industries could access training in areas such as literacy and numeracy.Specific qualifications can also be gained, such as the Driving Goods Vehicles Level 2 NVQ.
A TTG spokeswoman says overall take-up has been encouraging: 22,000 businesses have already signed up for its free Skills Brokerage service.
However, she adds: "Businesses in the transport and logistics sector have been slow to take advantage of this new service."
SfL, which promotes training opportunities, describes 'FIG as -fantastic free training". Chief executive Ian Hetherington blames the poor take-up on a lack of specialist regional training providers and "very poor management information" from the LSC.
"You have providers in some regions that in many cases haven't been contacting smaller, specialist providers," he reports. "And the supply side is dominated by smaller, specialist providers.
"We've focused on putting providers in place, but there's no point stimulating demand if at the end of the day people turnaround and say 'you promised the earth and we've got sod all'. We will see some specialist providers allocated to logistics very soon, but it takes time."
TTG skills director David Greer admits Hetherington's criticism "has some validity". He says: "The LSC and Regional Development Agencies will have set sector priorities that best fit with increasing the productivity and economic growth of the region. All companies are eligible, but there are particular focuses in particular regions."