learndirect for business

The Scottish University for Industry (SUfI) has launched a new service, learndirect scotland for business, to encourage companies to make more use of training resources particularly in the field of online or e-learning courses.

The free service, backed by the Scottish Executive, will guide hard-pressed employers through the maze of training opportunities, help them get the best from their people and allow Scotland’s businesses to respond quickly to the modern economy’s ever-changing skill needs.

The £1 million a year service comes into being only three months after Futureskills Scotland revealed that over 40% of Scots employers find it difficult to ensure their staff have the right mix of skills. Of most concern are issues like customer care, team working and problem solving, along with communication and IT skills.

learndirect scotland for business will:

• provide access to expert advisers who will help assess skills needs and identify training solutions
• source training to meet business goals and pressures, with an emphasis on short, "bite-size" chunks
• offer on-line training that can be done in the workplace, reducing time staff are away from the job

The service brings together the widest-ever range of information on courses, offered by Scotland’s private training providers, colleges and universities, as well as hundreds of new on-line courses, plus the 390 learndirect scotland centres that make up the new National Learning Centre Network.

The 250-plus online courses on offer include IT training, e-mail / internet, e-commerce and "soft" skills like communication, customer care, HR, business development, people management, finance & budgeting, health & safety and legislation in the workplace.