European Social Fund in England

Workforce at risk

Learning for Life in Bedfordshire has been allocated with £136,000 of ESF funding for a two-year project that works with companies, employees and local training providers to encourage individuals to develop their skills and identify appropriate routes for training.

The Workforce at Risk project began in January 2002 and has independent advisors providing initial assessments, information, advice and guidance to individuals in companies to help them to understand the changing skills needs of the local economy. It also identifies opportunities for learning new skills for future employability. Local training providers and colleges are then involved in developing training programmes within the company to meet the needs identified. Learning for Life has worked with companies faced with closure or large-scale redundancies; as well as companies looking to develop the skills of their workforce to ensure future competitiveness.

Helen Bennison, from Learning for Life, said: "Over the last 20 months, Learning for Life has worked with 18 companies and over a thousand employees, with work planned in a further eight companies during the next three months. By the end of the project, we will have provided advice to over 1350 employees in Bedfordshire and Luton. We have welcomed the opportunity to provide Information, Advice and Guidance to companies and employees and to raise awareness of the need for Lifelong Learning to support future employability and competitiveness."