John Denham has announced a number of measures to help SMEs cope with the financial downturn. He stated that £350 million will be directed towards small businesses through further enhancements of the Train to Gain service. John Denham said: "Small businesses are an important engine of our economy and we must make sure that we support them during tough economic times. We are overhauling the training system to make sure that they can get help with training their staff with the very minimum of bureaucracy. We know that firms which invest in skills do better than those that don't, which is why we will be urging small businesses to take up this offer from Government."

More detailed practical advice will be provided soon, detailing the changes and what they mean for those delivering Train to Gain. The Train to Gain bulletin will also include further information.

This survey report evaluates the impact of provision funded by Train to Gain on the skills and qualifications held by adult employees in England. The survey assessed the extent to which skills were improved, the quality of provision funded by Train to Gain, and the leadership and management of that provision.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills has published plans outlining a significant expansion of the Train to Gain scheme. The plans aim to offer bespoke skills brokerage and high quality responsive training to enable all employers and individuals to identify and meet their skills needs. The plans include:

• More funding for a broader range of skills. Part funding will now be available for those doing a second full Level 2 qualification and funding for Level 3 will be increased nationally.



• A huge boost for SME management training – the budget has increased from £4 million per annum to £30 million per annum over the next 3 years



• The LSC's National Employer Service will be expanded, while skills brokerage will also be extended to help provide more companies with specialist support



• Train to Gain will support people who have been unemployed to secure employment with training and progression on to higher level skills

Train to Gain is a new LSC service that can help businesses make the right decisions for them. It offers free and impartial advice and can help organisations find the right training for them. Funding may be available for training employees in Skills for Life, ESOL, Level 2 and 3 qualifications. Wage compensation may also be available for the time your employees spend training.

This is LSC's Train to Gain Brochure.