Slough Skills Campaign
The Slough Skills Summit held through the launch of the Slough Skills Campaign in November 2007. It brought together local businesses, training providers and government agencies to discuss the key skills challenges in Slough:
- how to help local businesses be more competitive through the talent of their people; and
- how to help local people develop the skills needed most by local employers
Subtitled “Local Talent: Global Success” the one day summit featured a keynote speech by the Rt Hon John Denham MP, then Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
Mr Denham highlighted Slough as an area of great achievement and applauded the summit as an initiative from which others could learn.
The campaign, chaired by Fiona Mactaggart MP includes representatives from:
- the Learning and Skills Council
- East Berkshire College
- Thames Valley University
- SEGRO
- Slough Borough Council
The campaign has:
- produced a detailed research report showing the skills needed most by local employers and outlining seven key priorities for the campaign
- won £400,000 government funding to set up a careers and training advice service for adults
- secured another £400,000 of funding over three years to help new arrivals improve their English skills
- attracted resources to help 40 voluntary sector organisations to develop the skills of their staff and volunteers
- lobbied government to make the Train to Gain initiative more flexible to meet the needs of employers
- informed Select Committees about the need for regional resources to develop local skills and employment opportunities
- set up “Future Skills”, a TVU-backed training facility specialising in business skills
- developed case studies of local people who have achieved great things by developing their skills
- appointed 12 information and guidance professionals to support career development and training
- boosted the number of Slough-based organisations signed up to the Skills Pledge
- encouraged local businesses to give more apprentice opportunities, with Slough Borough Council alone recruiting 19 in September
-
commissioned and built the Slough Skills website to help local employers track down training providers who can meet their specific needs
- brought public, private and voluntary sectors together in a Priority Delivery Group (PDG) to take the campaign forward
The PDG is now focused on achieving the longer term objectives of the campaign with a three year plan to:
- increase the number of people with an NVQ at level 2 or higher
- further improve the English skills of new migrants
- reduce the number of 16 to 18 year olds not in education or employment
- reduce the number of people claiming out of work benefits
- increase the number of new businesses being established or relocating to Slough
Further information
