Government-backed agency appeals for Cumbrian firms

15:45 16th April 2009

A training agency backed by the government is seeking to recruit more Cumbria-based construction firms, reports the Westmoreland Gazette.

ConstructionSkills has already allocated nearly £60,000 worth of training grants and is looking to involve more Cumbrian businesses in its scheme, believing it can help them to withstand the recession.

Many companies are having to reduce their training investment or cancel it altogether, leaving them in a potentially precarious situation when the economy begins to recover.

Michelle Armstrong, of ConstructionSkills in Cumbria, told the paper: "By developing staff in line with the needs of business, companies can ensure they are better placed to keep one step ahead of the competition."

She added that the current economic turmoil makes investment in training programmes even more vital in order to create a workforce for tomorrow with the necessary skill sets.

In related news, around 4,000 additional people in Wales are due to benefit from the Skillbuild pre-employment training programme following a decision from the All-Wales Economic Summit.