CWEA and its partners are working hard to ensure opportunities for employment are available to all and to ensure that our residents have the skills necessary to take advantage of work opportunities.
CWEA has appointed Andrew Heydeman as Employment and Skills Manager to take forward this agenda in the sub region.
Cheshire and Warrington has an abundance of excellent, high quality schools, colleges and universities across the area offering a wide variety of courses and catering for all skills levels.
In conjunction with the Learning & Skills Council, CWEA has established the Cheshire & Warrington Employment & Skills Board to focus resources and effort in tackling worklessness.
Cheshire & Warrington Employment & Skills Board
Following the move to regional structures by both the Learning & Skills Council and Business Link, a new lead body for skills in Cheshire and Warrington is seen to be of paramount importance to ensure the continued success of the area.
The primary role of the board will be to develop and ensure the delivery of an integrated employment and skills strategy for Cheshire and Warrington. The new board will be employer-led, taking into account changing business skills priorities and proactively addressing these in evolving strategies and policies.
Co-ordination of effort by all the members of the Board will lead to optimum use of public sector resource, the avoidance of duplication of activity and a clearer route for business skills issues to be raised and addressed.
Proposed membership includes representatives from businesses, local authorities, public sector employment and skills agencies, voluntary sector, schools and Higher Education. The Board will conform to the requirements of the Commission for Employment & Skills (CES) and will reflect the philosophy and structural proposals of the Leitch Report.
The Employment and Skills Board will also provide Cheshire and Warrington with a strong voice to influence regional and national skills policy and will ensure conformity with the Regional Economic Strategy (RES), particularly the Regional Skills Priorities.
Train to Gain
Train to Gain is the single point of access for businesses to get the training advice and support they need to succeed.
The Learning and Skills Council’s Train to Gain service provides impartial, independent advice on training to businesses across England. It can help businesses improve their productivity and competitiveness by ensuring that employees have the right skills to do the best job.
Train to Gain gives you access to a skills broker who will carry out a needs analysis of training within your business and help you assess what skills your business has now and what you will need in the future.
For further information tel 0800 015 5545 or visit http://www.traintogain.gov.uk.
Skills Pledge
The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public commitment by the leadership of a company or organisation to support all its employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant, valuable qualifications to at least Level 2. e about the skills pledge and commitment to training.
For further information visit: http://www.traintogain.gov.uk/skillspledge/index.htm
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are a new form of training for your employees. Funded by the Learning & Skills Council they help you to develop your staff to meet the needs of your business. There are over 200 apprenticeship schemes available across more than 80 industry sectors including engineering, food manufacturing and chemical, pharmaceutical and petrochemical manufacturing.
For further information visit: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/wanttoemployanapprentice/
Links
The Northwest Regional Skills Partnership Statement of Skills Priorities 2007-2010 - http://www.nwda.co.uk/publications/skills-and-education/northwest-regional-skills-part.aspx
The Leitch Review of Skills - http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/leitch_review/review_leitch_index.cfm
Learning & Skills Council - http://www.lsc.gov.uk/
Sector Skills Councils - http://www.ssda.org.uk/
Connexions - http://www.connexions-direct.com/
Train to Gain - http://www.traintogain.gov.uk
Nurseries, Schools, Colleges and Universities in Cheshire - http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning
Nurseries, Schools, Colleges and Universities in Warrington - http://www.warrington.gov.uk/Educationandlearning
University of Chester - Chester and Warrington Campuses - http://www.chester.ac.uk
MMU Crewe - http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk
North West Universities Association - http://www.nwua.ac.uk/
Directory of UK Schools - http://schoolswebdirectory.co.uk