Skills and Training

Skills and training for Chesterfield businesses

There are a number of programmes to support businesses with skills and training in Chesterfield.

Skills brokerage service: Fully funded support to help upskill your workforce

An adaptable workforce equipped with the right skills is critical to future and sustainable growth. Chesterfield Borough Council’s skills brokerage service provides specialist support to help businesses with their skills and workforce development needs.

They have a dedicated Skills Brokerage Business Adviser who will support businesses across Chesterfield to upskill their workforce and add value to their teams.

Businesses can access free, impartial, bespoke advice from our Skills Brokerage Adviser who will support them to access funding and connect them to training and development opportunities, including:

Access a range of fully funded courses to upskill the workforce, ranging from basic skills and business fundamentals to leadership and management, green and digital skills.
Accessing funding
Apprenticeships and support around the apprenticeship levy and funding
Recruitment & retention
Succession planning
Advice and continued support

For more information about this service or to arrange a meeting contact Chris McKechnie, Skills Brokerage Business Advisor at Chesterfield Borough Council, Tel: 07583416749.

Email: Chris.McKechnie@chesterfield.gov.uk

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are a tried and tested way to recruit new staff, re-train or upskill existing staff. Apprentices must be aged 16 or over and combine working with studying for a work-based qualification – from GCSE’s or equivalent degree level. For more information on how to employ an apprentice visit Employ an Apprentice

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher and degree apprenticeships are available at levels 4 to 7 and combine work with study and may include a work-based, academic or combined qualification or a professional qualification relevant to the industry. If you would like to find out more, please visit Higher and Degree Level Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship Levy

In April 2017 the way the government funds apprenticeships in England changed. Employers with an annual pay bill in excess of £3m are required to contribute to an apprenticeship levy, and there will also be changes to the funding for apprenticeship training for smaller employers. For more information visit Apprenticeship Funding – How it will work.

Apprenticeship Funding Opportunities

Employers who are looking to take on an apprentice can benefit from funding towards apprenticeship training. For more information visit Apprenticeship Funding Opportunities.

Apprenticeship Support

If you are a business in the north east Derbyshire district and would like free 1-1 support in recruiting an apprentice, including funding, please contact Emily Williams in the Economic Development team on 01246 959717

Find out more about Apprenticeships in Chesterfield

Sector Based Work Academies

Chesterfield College and the Jobcentre work in partnership to provide assistance to businesses in filling their vacancies through sector specific work academies tailored to a business’s individual requirements. For more information contact Paul Munday, Employment Adviser at Jobcentre Plus, on 07384248011.

Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW)

Serco will work in partnership with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide skills development that focuses on upskilling employees in key priority sectors as identified in the LEP’s strategic economic plan;

Transport Equipment Manufacturing
Life Sciences
Food & Drink Manufacturing
Visitor Economy
Low Carbon
Transport & Logistics
Creative & Digital Industries
Construction

Through SSW, eligible businesses can benefit from funded training, tailored to their specific needs. Training is flexible and businesses can select full qualifications or mix and match individual units that are directly relevant to their work. Previous SSW programme participants have benefited from increased employee confidence, motivation and productivity and improved employee loyalty and retention.

Business participants will each benefit from a bespoke Training Needs Analysis that identifies requirements for upskilling or skills gaps in their workforce. Training for participant businesses could cover subjects such as IT and digital skills, leadership and management or more vocationally relevant courses.

The SSW programme in D2N2 also offers support and training for individuals at risk of redundancy or those who have been made redundant within the last three months.

Businesses can contact Serco on skillssupport@serco.com or visit their website here for more details and to find out if they are eligible for funded training through Skills Support for the Workforce.

Find out more here:

SSW – Manufacturing in Derbyshire Nottinghamshire

Other courses currently being offered by the SSW Programme include: