September 10, 2020 News Up to £10,000 available per candidate for vocational and occupational training Training can help differentiate candidates where hundreds are applying for limited roles UK firms have cut around 730,0001 jobs during the pandemic Redundancy figures set to rise after Coronavirus job retention scheme ends in October Training expert, SMMT Industry Forum, advises advanced learning for transferable skills BIRMINGHAM, September 10th 2020 – UK employers should play a leading role in directing redundant staff to the most suitable government-funded training courses, says Industry Forum, a training provider for manufacturing and supply chain businesses. Free government training is available, according to certain criteria, for those made redundant from their jobs. This could be a vital boost to the estimated 730,0001 (and growing) workers who lost their jobs between March and July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including those from some of the UK’s largest companies. The number of unemployed is expected to rise after the government’s furlough ends in October. “Schemes such as the Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service have offered vocational training for redundant workers for over a decade, and now have huge potential to facilitate the retraining of laid-off workers for new types of work in growth sectors,” explains Paul Heard, Chief Executive Officer at SMMT Industry Forum. “We are working with employers to identify specific courses by individual, that will lead the redundant to finding work as quickly as possible, often in different industries. Not only are employers best placed to recognise which qualifications match on-the-job experience, they have the industry, functional and local knowledge to highlight transferrable skills and to steer individuals towards growing sectors and certain types of vacancy. “Most employers are keen to support their departing staff, but due to high employment rates over recent years, neither companies nor their workers have a particularly wide knowledge of the range of government-funded vocational and occupational training courses on offer. It’s time for industry to get involved by identifying skills gaps and advising on the best training,” continues Paul Heard. “Those recently made redundant should look to different industries that are recruiting and which share similar skill sets. An example is electric vehicles, a developing area that is heavily reliant on highly skilled employees. This could present opportunities for hundreds of available and talented aerospace engineers, who Industry Forum can help train in EV battery technology. Another example is quality management where we are already seeing courses such as APQP and PPAP for automotive and aerospace attracting delegates from defence and wind energy,” says Heard. Industry Forum has identified a number of its government-approved courses that are particularly well-suited to those wishing to enter the manufacturing environment for the first time, or who have experience in a manufacturing setting but are looking to apply for roles in a new sector. Most are available both remotely and face-to-face at Industry Forum’s purpose-built training facility in Birmingham. The courses cover general manufacturing essentials, leadership training for team leaders and manufacturing managers, automotive and aerospace quality management and industry standard certifications, and new technology courses e.g. in batteries and electric vehicles. For more information, follow: http://if.wearecoal.work/resources/redundancysupport/ The Jobcentre Plus Rapid Response Service training fund is among a list of support options accessed through local job centres. There are criteria to be met, such as whether the training is appropriate, has a clear job outcome focus and supports vacancies in the local market or potential vacancies in the occupational area. There is a different service if you’re in Scotland or Wales. Notes to editors 1 Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the number of paid employees has fallen by 730,000 between March and July 2020. Images https://www.dropbox.com/s/ewduzci8ll9wnv9/Paul%20Heard%20Pic.jpg?dl=0 “We are working with employers to identify specific courses by individual that will lead the redundant to finding work as quickly as possible, often in different industries,” says Paul Heard, Chief Executive Officer at SMMT Industry Forum. https://www.dropbox.com/s/54m4gfzg1rcc6ei/VIRTUAL-LEARNING-THROUGH-GLASS.jpg?dl=0 UK employers should play a leading role in directing redundant staff to the most suitable government-funded training courses, says Industry Forum, a training provider for manufacturing and supply chain businesses. https://www.dropbox.com/s/0uykuwguf1eo9ca/IF-LAPTOP-SCREEN-1.jpg?dl=0 Industry Forum has a number of its government-approved courses for those wishing to enter the manufacturing environment for the first time, or who have experience in a manufacturing setting but are looking to apply for roles in a new sector. Most are available both remotely and face-to-face at Industry Forum’s purpose-built training facility in Birmingham. https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqf5ttmkrfdig5w/IF-LAPTOP-SCREEN-2.jpg?dl=0 Media contacts Propel Technology. Laura Biss. laurabiss@sky.com Tel : 07813 736265 Claire Dumbreck. claire@propel-technology.com Tel: 01295 770868 / Mob: 07768 773857
