£150 million has been put into the second round of the Employee Ownership Pilot (EOP), a scheme designed to get funding directly to employers so that they can deliver more flexible training packages. Total investment in the EOP has now reached £240 million.
This pilot has already seen £2.9 million committed to projects across the South East. Funded projects include providing pre-employment training, extending apprenticeships to supply chains and increasing the number of female apprenticeships.
Welcoming the announcement, Steve Brine said: "Investing is employee training is a smart move for any company that wants to grow and compete. Businesses in Winchester & Chandler's Ford have many talented staff – and I urge them to apply for this fund to help them offer their workforce the training they want."
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock commented: "For British businesses to succeed and compete in the global race, they need a highly-skilled workforce that can meet the challenges of the future.
"With applications for round two now open, I would urge businesses – particularly small companies – to consider how the fund can help them grow, from creating new apprenticeship programmes to setting up specialist training academies."