Training & Skills


Training is important for your business. It is essential to find out what financial support is available before choosing courses in order to be eligible for funding. For this reason Business Eye and Learn Direct should be your first ports of call.

Business Eye
Business Eye can help you find assistance with training in your business. The website also lists over 500 Events & Courses taking place in Wales. Visit the website or telephone: 08457 96 97 98

Small Firms Training Loans
Businesses employing less than 50 people can apply for a government Small Firms Training Loan (SFTL) to pay for that essential training programme or consultancy advice about training. It is worth seeking further advice from Business Eye.

Learn Direct
If your company has a training need, call Learn Direct free on 0800 100 900. Information & advice on training courses & funding.

Wales Learn Direct Database
This site provides access to the learndirect Wales database of learning opportunities in Wales. It is compiled and maintained by the four learndirect centres - North Wales, Mid Wales, West Wales and South East Wales. This database will allow you to search for a course or learning opportunity by choosing from various options such as subject, geographical area or provider.

Cymru Ar-lein Learning Centres database
A database of learning centres in Wales.

E-College Wales
E-College Wales is for anyone who is ready to make the most of their time and work towards gaining a worthwhile qualification with one of the most progressive and exciting educational developments in Wales. And if you live or work in an Objective One area of Wales, it won’t cost you a penny in the first year.

Trainers Database
This database now has over 300 trainers. Trainers can register for free. Companies looking to source a training provider can add a tender and search the site.

Wales Tourist Board
A wide range of practical training courses and business development workshops are now available to assist small and medium tourism operations.

ELWa
Now responsible for all post-16 education and training in Wales.

RSC Wales Information Gateway
A useful set of links to post-16 education and training organisations in Wales.

Education and Training Initiatives in the UK
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has published this guide, which contains details of hundreds of education and training schemes that are available to small businesses. The guide, priced at just under 10 pounds, can be obtained from:
Federation of Small Businesses, 2 Catherine Place, Westminster, London, SW1E 6HF.

Training Zone
An online network of 40,000 members and the "UK's most popular site for Training and HR professionals."

WorkTrain
Worktrain is an Internet service developed by the Department for Education and Employment and the Employment Service to help you find jobs, training courses and information on a range of occupations to help you make informed career choices. You can search for jobs either nationally or within a locality, search for training using various qualification levels, different training mediums or locations and search a database of different occupation profiles. Worktrain has access to over 400,000 jobs, 500,000 training courses and over 500 occupation profiles.

Investors in People
Investors in People is the national Standard which sets a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals. This web site will tell you what is involved. Chancellor's budget speech on 17 April 2002 announced £30million towards helping at least 10,000 small firms take up the Investors in People Standard.