Skills Support for the Workforce

Skills Support for the Workforce in Swindon & Wiltshire

Funded training courses to help your business grow

The Skills Support for the Workforce programme (SSW) helps support small & medium businesses in Swindon & Wiltshire to upskill their employees with training courses & qualifications to help their business grow and boost the local economy.

We can work with you to develop a bespoke training programme relevant to your business needs, and as the SSW programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), a wide range of training can be accessed at no cost* to your business.  *subject to eligibility

We have a network of expert training providers who can deliver 100s of fully funded and accredited training courses covering a range of subjects such as: IT & Digital Skills, Leadership and Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Construction, Health and Social care, Customer Service, Business Administration, and many more.

Get in touch

If you would like to talk to us about the training on offer and how it might be able to support your business and employees you can contact our Partnership Coordinator for Swindon & Wiltshire, Lisa Hutchings.

Lisa will have a conversation with you about your business training needs and how the programme can help your business to grow.

Lisa also covers West of England

What’s on offer?

  • A training needs analysis for your business, identifying the skills your team need to support your business goals
  • On-the-job vocational training to meet individual and business needs including taught learning, workplace assessment, distance learning and online learning
  • Recognised accredited qualifications and training courses to support employees to upskill or even learn new skills
  • Progression pathways for your employees enabling them to take on more responsibilities and move up in your organisation, or progress onto higher level qualifications and apprenticeships

How could you benefit?

  • A more efficient business with improved profitability
  • A highly skilled and engaged workforce with up-to-date skills
  • Improved staff morale and motivation, therefore reducing staff turnover
  • Become an ‘Employer of Choice’ which will improve your business’ image and attract new talent
  • Competitive advantage in your marketplace and improved chances of winning new business

Further information

Serco delivers the SSW programme in partnership with Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). Swindon & Wiltshire LEP has identified the following priorities for the SSW programme to focus on:

  • Providing support for lower skilled people to progress into apprenticeships and lifelong learning
  • Improving the digital capability of the workforce
  • Providing leadership and management training

Please see below for eligibility criteria.

Eligibility

The following eligibility criteria apply for anyone accessing support through Skills Support for the Workforce in Swindon and Wiltshire:

The following eligibility criteria apply for anyone accessing support through Skills Support for the Workforce:

  • The learner has to be employed by the organisation (or self-employed).
  • The learner has to be eligible to work in the UK – evidence will be required
  • The learner must be aged 16+ (no upper age restriction)
  • The training has to be delivered within the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP region and by one of the contracted SSW Training Providers

Skills Support for Redundancy 

We also offer support to business owners facing the prospect of making hard decisions about redundancy, and to individuals who have recently been made redundant through the Skills Support for Redundancy programme.

Contact the team for more information.

Our Training Providers

HR Champions Limited

HR Champions Ltd have been delivering Management Development training since the business was established in 2000. We achieved ILM (Institute of Leadership & Management) accredited status in 2002. Since then, developing managers to become outstanding leaders has been our niche.
Management Development training is our specialism; focussing on the key skills that improve productivity through more effective management.
We have courses and workshops for all levels; from growing effective teams to enabling your rising stars to transition to a Supervisor or Team Leader role through to First Line Manager. Our Senior Team and Director level training takes a strategic approach to people management.
Training is largely classroom based and delivery encompasses a range of methods such as individual and syndicate work, games and exercises to match people’s individual learning styles.
Courses are of two, three and four days, usually spread over a period of several weeks to minimise the impacts of having staff out of the business but more importantly to enable delegates to gradually and effectively implement their new skills and knowledge in the workplace.

The Construction Skills People (CSP) Ltd

Construction skills People is the largest provider to the UK’s construction sector, established in 2008, we deliver a wide range of vocational qualifications and commercial training courses specifically for the construction sector. Our in-depth industry knowledge allows us to advise our clients through the complex minefield of Health & Safety legislation and regulation. We are the UK's leading provider of construction-related work-based qualifications and offer a broad range of NVQs that help our clients ensure they are CSCS and CPCS compliant.

We enjoy working with over 75% of the UK’s top 100 construction companies as listed by the industry’s Construction News magazine. We look to foster robust relationships with our clients, built on our concept of putting our clients’ needs first. As you would expect from an industry-leading training provider, we practice what we preach, and our staff's Continual Professional Development is an ongoing process that ensures our staff have the knowledge and expertise to offer industry the correct advice.

Vocational delivery rangeAll qualifications in construction including Civil Engineer, Construction Plant, House Building, Off-Site Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Utilities, Environmental and major projects. All of CSP’s qualifications are delivered on site to reduces disruption and employee downtime.

Accreditations - Matrix accredited, Disability Confident, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001

Wiltshire College

Wiltshire College & University Centre is the largest provider of education and training in Wiltshire with campuses in Salisbury, Trowbridge, Lackham and Chippenham.

In 2018/19 we won the coveted Association of Colleges national Beacon Award for excellence in the practical delivery of technical and professional learning. We combine a commitment to academic quality and success with a determination to develop a leading, world-class college environment where students learn and progress.

The College takes pride in being at the forefront of technical vocational education and skills. Ofsted rates us as ‘Good’ with 92% of delivery observations rated Good or Outstanding. We have 3,300 full time students, 6,000 part time students and around 450 teaching/assessing staff.

We offer over 70 different apprenticeship programmes in various disciplines, ranging from customer service to land-based, engineering to HR and construction to Project Management. We currently have around 1,300 apprentices on programme. Our overall success rates are above national average; our business and management success rates are currently 92%. Delivery takes place both in the workplace and at College with flexible options of attendance. All apprentices receive a structured and individualised training programme, tailored to employer needs.

WISE Ability

Here at WISE Ability our vision is to enrich the communities we serve and empower people through employment.

We provide a wide range of services covering skills and training, employment, offender rehabilitation and mental health across the UK and if you would like to find out more call our dedicated team on:

Call :0300 303 3777  |  Email: info@wiseability.co.uk

Since our launch in 2009 at the heart of everything we do here at the charity are our customers and we’re proud to have been able to support thousands of people over the last decade. We always put our customers first to ensure that every individual enjoys a positive and beneficial #WeAreWise experience.

We believe it’s essential that during your time with us you feel welcome, respected, safe and supported. We will listen and provide you with the quality information, advice and guidance to enable you to make the right choices.

We will also ensure that we make our services easy for you to use, while also providing you with a positive and inspiring place to learn and develop.

We want you to be successful in whatever you choice to do and we will empower you to achieve your individual goals and celebrate your success together.

WISE Ability has been working very closely with companies such as Serco over the years to deliver programmes and services. As well as working with some key organisations within the sector, we have a variety of important partnerships with government agencies, local enterprise partnerships, local authorities, community services, and support groups etc. without which we would not be able to achieve our mission.

Skills Ladder

Our specialism is in IT training and creating E-Learning resources. We have previously worked on the SSW2 programme in partnership with Serco.

We typically deliver on-site at the employers, but external training can be arranged. We bring a suite of laptops so any candidates without one can still participate.

Skills Ladder ltd deliver training from level 1 to level 3 in all things IT. This covers a wide variety of topics such as Spreadsheets, Word Processing, PowerPoint, Outlook, Windows 10, Internet Security, Social Media.

Logistica Training

Logistica Training Limited was set up to specialise in delivering Health and Social qualifications to SMEs. The directors, managers, and all staff have considerable expertise in this field and saw an opportunity to deliver high quality training in a niche market where, at the time, there were considerable gaps in the market place.​

Logistica deliver high quality training in a manner that adds value to the employer, enthuses and motivates the learner and our staff feel valued and respected. ​

We believe that with our continued repeat business from employers, high achievement rates, excellent employer and learner feedback and low staff turnover, we have gone a long way towards achieving our goals. 

CMN

CMN have joined the SSW project and are able to deliver fully funded training to employers in the Marine, Manufacturing, Nuclear and Construction sectors across a number of different disciplines required by business including; vocational skills, management and HR, customer service, ICT and marketing.

We provide recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses to enhance your employees’ skills, increase the competitiveness of your business and boost the local economy.

We can work with you to develop a bespoke training programme relevant to your needs, and because this programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) a wide range of training can be accessed at no cost to your business.

Skills Support for the Workforce is all about progress. We can help you progress your career, education and business.

Digital Peninsula Network

Digital Peninsula Network (DPN) was set up in 2001 to support and grow the ICT and digital skills in the South West and support the South West’s wider business community with their use of ICT and digital skills.

DPN offers a range of services including funded training provision, networking events and digital marketing apprenticeships for soletraders, small businesses and individuals.

DPN provides a free Information Advice and Guidance (IAG) service for businesses and individuals interested in skills development. We can work with you to carry out a detailed Training Needs Analysis either for yourself or your whole company, matching you with funded training providers.

Focusing on growing your business through digital means, DPN has a variety of training courses to support the learning and success of your business.