Employers throughout the UK should put skills and training centre stage if they want to profit from the 2012 Games, Skills Minister David Lammy said today as he launched an action plan for business leaders.
Mr Lammy said that although the Games will take place in London, they mean good news for businesses and people across the country. London 2012 is expected to generate around £6bn in business contracts directly, with 75,000 supply chain opportunities creating thousands of new jobs. The Government wants to work with employers to help them gain the skills they need to win the work.
Springboard for Success, published today, illustrates the variety of opportunities for the UK's employers around London 2012. It explains how companies across all sectors can prepare their firms to reap the benefits by participating in Government-backed skills training programmes.
For example, support is available through Train to Gain, which provides expert advice to businesses on how to meet their outstanding skills needs. Further support is available through the Apprenticeships programme and through Skills for Life, which provides free literacy, ICT, English and numeracy training. Local Employment Partnerships also provide work-ready employees from the community.
Ministers believe that the Games give firms the opportunity to create a workforce skilled at every level, helping businesses of all sizes to diversify and grow, and enabling local economies to be competitive over the longer term.
Skills Minister David Lammy said:
"The Olympic Games present a fantastic opportunity for businesses to tap in to sources of revenue that will endure long after 2012. But whether you're based in Tottenham or Totnes, whether you employ 15 staff or fifteen hundred, availability of people with the right skills is essential.
"The Government has accessible schemes to help recruit new employees equipped with relevant skills, and to boost the know-how of the current workforce. Through Train to Gain, Apprenticeships and Local Employment Partnerships, we will make sure every company can make the most of the opportunities presented by the 2012 Games."
Almost half of the business opportunities already awarded as a result of the Games - valued at more than £2bn - have gone to companies outside London. Seventy per cent have been secured by small and medium-sized businesses. There will ultimately be some 75,000 business opportunities across London 2012 supply chains. Although many will be linked to construction and transportation, there are myriad opportunities in catering, merchandising, media, security, and telecommunications.
Furthermore, companies that gear up to win London 2012 contracts will also be well placed to compete for further public sector work. Government contacts are worth £150bn annually; Ministers want this money to help boost local skills, helping communities become more prosperous, and are currently reviewing how to ensure more of this money goes to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform said:
"The 2012 Games is a great opportunity for individuals and employers throughout the UK. New jobs will be created and there will be opportunities to access training and learn new skills. The government is working to ensure that these economic benefits will remain long after the games have come to an end."
Background:
1. Train to Gain is a service from the Learning and Skills Council, helping businesses get the training they need to succeed. An important element of the Train to Gain Service is skills brokerage that offers free impartial advice, and helps find the best training solution from high quality and responsive training providers to meet business needs. Train to Gain is important because skills shortages continue to have a negative impact on UK productivity and competitiveness in the face of fast-growing economies.
Train to Gain aims to encourage all businesses and individuals to value and realise the benefits that learning and skills can bring and to invest appropriately. It is expected that by the end of 2010, over 500,000 learners will have achieved a first full Level 2 qualification through Train to Gain. To find out more about how Train to Gain can help, employers should call 0800 015 55 45 or visit http://www.traintogain.gov.uk. Alternatively, individuals and employers can access the information they need on skills via a dedicated phone line and website. The phone number is 0800 011 30 30 or website: lsc.gov.uk/inourhands
2. Funding for apprenticeships will increase by almost a quarter between 2007/08 and 2010/11, to over £1 billion. Apprenticeship starts have increased from 65,000 in 1996/97 to 180,000 in 2006/07. They are projected to grow to almost 210,000 by 2010/11. For more information on Apprenticeships visit: www.apprenticeships.org.uk/
3. For more information about Jobcentre Plus visit: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
4. Overall funding for adult skills and apprenticeships will increase to £5.3 billion per year by 2010-11.
5. The White Paper Innovation Nation spells out how the Government creates demand and new markets through £150 billion in public spending on goods and services each year. The White Paper sets out a number of practical measures to ensure that businesses and people in the UK are best placed to benefit from the new opportunities and prosperity created by the demand for innovation. Innovation Nation can be viewed at: www.dius.gov.uk/publications/ScienceInnovation.pdf
