The government is doubling its funding for Train to Gain in a bid to boost skills in line with the recommendations of the Leitch report.
The extra money will mean part-funding for those doing a second full level 2 qualification, while funds for level 3 are to be increased nationally.
There will also be a huge budget increase for SME management training, from £4m to £30m a year, a move that aims to develop 60,000 managers in 42,000 firms over three years.
Other plans include removing the funding cap on the best providers, involving Sector Skills Councils, to ensure the scheme meets industry needs, and closer working with Jobcentre Plus to help the unemployed get the skills they need to get back into work.
The government also said it would extend the Learning and Skills Council’s (LSC) National Employer Service to help more of the country’s largest national employers. Skills brokerage will also be extended.
Skills Minister David Lammy said: “We’ve listened to employers to ensure that this extended programme is even more effective in offering training when and where they need it. In particular, the increased investment in developing the leadership and management capacity in our SMEs will build a sense of mission at the heart of our communities, making their companies more profitable.”
Since its launch in 2006, Train to Gain has helped more than 52,000 employers and enabled over 240,000 employees to undertake training.
Chris Banks, chair of the LSC, called the scheme “revolutionary”, with the potential to boost skills and the UK’s competitiveness.
“The expanded Train to Gain Service will enable employers of all sizes, in all locations and across all sectors to take the future of their business into their hands through access to high quality training advice and support,” Banks said. “In this way, it will play a key role in reaching out to the one in three businesses that still do not offer staff any training – and so will in turn transform the nation’s skills base, productivity and competitiveness between now and 2020.”
