Corrugated pack firms eligible for share of multimillion pound training fund

The cash for the paper industry will be tied to a “sustainable workforce pledge” run by the Proskills sector skills council, and firms must take the pledge to get the cash.

Innovation secretary John Denham, who approved the funding, said: “Government is committed to working with the paper sector to help it attract, train and retain staff.”

Proskills chief executive Terry Watts said: “The paper industry celebrated joining Proskills last summer, and we will also help employers in corrugated packaging.”

The funding is for three years and the government hopes it will coax 1,500 companies to sign up to the sustainable workforce pledge.

By signing, they promise to improve the competence of new and existing employees and provide safety training for all contractors.

They must ensure by 2010 they have drawn up plans to help staff learn basic literacy and number skills and notch up a first NVQ level 2 qualification.

Watts said a firm with an annual training bill of £10,000 could expect the government to pay around £3,000. But some, like apprentices under age 25, may get total funding.

The concept of the voluntary skills pledge was first mentioned in the Leitch Review of Skills of 2006 and aimed to help all staff train up to at least NVQ level 2.

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