Workforce development grants

Look ahead

Ideally, you should look at your company as a whole, maybe look over a period of the coming year or six months, and consider what work demands there will be in that time.

• New processes?
• More intensive demand for output (of all kinds) meaning that some of your existing staff will need to be able to undertake a broader range of skills to help with the peaks and troughs?
• Staff retirements due in the next year?
• New quality standards you want to achieve recognition against?
• Increased customer contact?
• Staff promotions?

These are just a few of the questions companies consider when putting together their Training Plan for the year ahead.

Having put together your plan, put costs against it. HIE Caithness and Sutherland support will normally work out at a contribution of 25% of your costs, as long as your total costs are more than £400.

You may well find that your investment in the skills of your staff, pays off in:

• improved business performance
• improved customer service
• improved employee attitude
• improved communication
• improved employee performance
• improved understanding of the business
• reduced labour turnover

Have you worked out the costs of NOT investing in the skills of your people?