{"id":2481,"date":"2011-03-12T09:37:43","date_gmt":"2011-03-12T09:37:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ihbconline.co.uk\/newsachive\/?p=2481"},"modified":"2011-03-12T09:37:43","modified_gmt":"2011-03-12T09:37:43","slug":"uk-100m-skills-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=2481","title":{"rendered":"UK: \u00a3100m Skills investment"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Growth and Innovation Fund will boost investment in training and help businesses grow.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Secretary of State for Business,\u00a0Vince Cable, and Minister for Skills,\u00a0John Hayes, launched a \u00a350 million a year fund to help businesses develop the skills they need to drive growth. ?The Growth\u00a0and Innovation Fund (GIF) will deliver targeted help for\u00a0employer groups\u00a0to overcome barriers to growth within their sectors and industries. The funding could deliver new training to boost innovation and productivity, enable industries to set new professional standards, or support new or extended National Skills Academies.<\/p>\n

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BIS will invest up to \u00a350m per year in partnership with businesses, whose investment alongside Government could deliver a total of up \u00a3100m a year.<\/p>\n

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The investment fund \u2013 which will be delivered in partnership by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) and the Skills\u00a0Funding Agency\u00a0(SFA) \u2013 invites proposals from employer organisations such as\u00a0Sector Skills Councils, professional bodies and trade associations. The prospectus outlines three types of project where GIF funding and employer investment can be brought together:<\/p>\n