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Government funds print industry upskilling
Printing industry employers who sign up to Proskills' sustainable workforce pledge are eligible for a share of a £62million training fund made available by the Government.
Secretary for State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham, said: "The Government values the contribution the printing industry makes to our national life and is committed to working closely with the sector to help it attract, train and retain quality staff."
In tandem with the funding, Proskills' sustainable workforce pledge supports a more flexible response to training. In many cases printing is a second or third career choice so people entering the industry were not eligible for apprenticeship funding and new employees often had a level two qualification in an unrelated industry, making them out of scope for existing support.
Proskills also recognised that many companies already train their staff, but this training activity went largely unrecognised because it was not linked to formal qualifications. Now printing companies have the ability to be publicly recognised for their commitment to training by signing the sustainable workforce pledge.
In return, those companies that sign the pledge will have access to a share of a £62M investment in the industry, and a more flexible training offer with the possibility of second level two and three qualifications being part or fully funded.
Printing industry champion at Proskills, Richard Bloxam, said: "With the recognition for work based training that has already been undertaken and part-funding for training beyond NVQ level two, there is a more flexible and needs-responsive funding offering which means that the door is now open for many more thousands of employees who work within print."
