Employers

Train to Gain is a national government initiative for employers that aims to ensure they can access the best skills advice (through brokerage) and then choose the most appropriate training for their organisation.

Solihull College is working with employers from Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Warwickshire and other areas around the UK to deliver top training to employees. The Employer services on offer at the College is one of the West Midland’s leading employee training providers.

The scheme is available to private, voluntary and public sector organisations of all sizes. There is some financial support available, covering:

• 100% funding for employees gaining their first full level 2 qualification
• a range of training for unqualified employees
• the possibility of a contribution to wage costs for small organisations, to cover the time spent training.

As a major provider of learning and skills programmes that meet the needs of businesses to retain and up-skill their employees, Solihull College offers a full range of Train to Gain courses.

How can Train to Gain help your business?

Ultimately, it's the skills of your employees that lead to business success. You can't afford to let training slip down your list of priorities. Once you stop investing in it, your organisation will lose effectiveness and competitive edge. That doesn't need to happen. Keep on top of your skills gaps and use Train to Gain to help plug them. The initiative was set up to ensure that as your business and markets change, your staff are equipped with the right skills to keep you ahead.

Our Employer Services staff at Solihull College have been working with local businesses to offer Train to Gain programmes and courses since the scheme was launched. We will find a programme to meet your need, or work with you to develop one. Our aim is to help you keep your staff and improve your productivity by developing your workforce. With the many services that we can provide, there's never been a better time to up-skill your employees!

Keith Lenton, UHB NHS Foundation Trust Catering Manager, said of 10 of his staff who undertook hospitality training at Solihull College through Train to Gain:

"I'm delighted for all the staff who have passed the course.... The training provided by Solihull College has been first-class and it has met the needs of our staff. The assessor comes into the workplace to work with the students and this means that disruption is kept to a minimum."

Who is eligible for a funded Train to Gain place?

To be eligible for funding, an employee:

• must be aged 19 or over
• must be in part-time or full-time employment
• must not already have 5 GCSEs at grade A-C or higher.

Employees will benefit by updating their skills, gaining their first level 2 qualifications and improving their job performance to become more effective members of staff.

What Train to Gain support and provision does Solihull College offer?

Courses include:

• Animal Care
• Business and Administration
• Catering and Hospitality
• Children's Care, Learning & Development
• Construction
• Contact Centre
• Customer Service
• Early Years Care and Education
• Engineering and Manufacturing
• Maths and English
• Hair and Beauty
• Health and Social Care
• Horticulture
• IT and Computing
• Management and Professional
• Retail Operations
• Road Passenger Vehicle Transport
• Skills for Life

The majority of our courses are supported in the workplace by occupationally competent assessors at times to suit your business, meaning that no college attendance is required. We provide training that is flexible, responsive and offered at a time and place to suit you. If it satisfies Train to Gain conditions it may well cost you nothing.