Chamber launches million-pound grant fund to support business training costs

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce will be delivering a new ‘Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub’ to help support SME businesses in Staffordshire with the cost of bespoke training.
The fund is available to businesses from any sector, who can receive up to 48 percent of the cost of a training course up to the value of £5000.
To access the fund businesses will need to complete a needs analysis form with a member of the Skills Hub team.
Businesses can apply for funding for any bespoke course that is not currently funded elsewhere. Training such as CRM courses, accountancy software training, specialised engineering courses and training on specific business machinery are all included.
The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub was an initiative by the Local Enterprise Partnership in conjunction with Staffordshire County Council. This project is funded by ESF and implemented by Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, to help bridge the skills shortage in the area.
Stoke-on-Trent based company, Midway Group, is receiving financial support from the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub to help pay for staff training on new machinery and an engineering resource planning system. They expect to receive a grant totalling £1728. Rob Colclough, Sales and Marketing Director for Midway said: “The support and advice we’ve received from the Chamber has been invaluable. As we look to grow the Midway Group, training is key to ensure we give our staff all the tools they need. This funding has really allowed us to push on to the next phase in our growth plan. We are very grateful for this ongoing partnership with the Chamber and are already looking forward to a strong 2020. ”

Suzanne Quinn, Project Manager of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub said: “Whether you are self employed or have 250 employees, you should contact the Skills Hub to see how we can support you. During our needs analysis we can identify how a business can be improved through specialised training and then we’ll help to find and fund that course.”
Sara Williams, CEO of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce said: “This is a great initiative open to all businesses in Staffordshire and we urge any business to get in touch to utilise this great opportunity”.
For more information businesses should call the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub on 0300 600 1066