01 January 2007
: Parafix Improves the Performance of its Business with Train To Gain!
Sussex-based business benefits from a free skills boost provided by new service. Businesses in Sussex are benefiting from a brand new service that ensures their staff have the right skills to do the best job, and Parafix is an early adopter of the scheme. Train to Gain, an exciting new service led by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), has been helping businesses in Sussex to get the training they need to succeed .
This innovative service, which offers to improve the performance of your business, aims to address the significant skills shortages that continue in the south east and affect an organisation's competitive edge. LSC research shows that here in Sussex, 25 per cent of adults in the workforce lack a basic level 2 qualification, equivalent to five good GCSEs and the benchmark of a minimum standard of education needed to 'get on in working life'. Train to Gain helps businesses across Sussex identify and undertake the training they and their employees need. The skills and training advice is FREE and impartial. The training, tailored to your business's needs is responsive and offered at a time and place to suit you. The advice is provided through a broker service delivered by Skills South East, a partnership of the region's six Business Links and the South East Development Agency (SEEDA). The skills broker works closely with the employer, training provider and learner to make sure everything goes smoothly. Specially selected training providers are sourced just for you - and you may even be eligible for subsidised training courses. Parafix Tapes & Conversions Ltd, the UK's leading converter and distributor of self-adhesive materials, has already been benefiting from the Train to Gain service. The Sussex-based company started 35 years ago, and now employs 80 staff in the UK and a further 20 in their factory in Budapest. Through the skills broker assigned by the LSC, Parafix Tapes & Conversions was matched with Northbrook College in Worthing to deliver a training programme that would suit their needs. Mike Punter, managing director of Lancing-based Parafix, said: "We have been delighted by the service Train to Gain has provided. Our skills broker has helped us recognise our skills gap and produce a training needs analysis. From this they helped us find the very best value-for-money training providers. "As a result we have enjoyed real process improvements in both manufacturing and customer service." Parafix Tapes & Conversions currently has ten members of staff undergoing training through Northbrook College - one of the largest providers of part time, full time and higher education courses - on the south coast. Francis Hodges, a project manager for Parafix, undertook on-site training at the company's premises. Francis celebrated success when he passed his NVQ Level 3 in Lean Manufacturing. He had no recognised qualifications before he started, but now his success has led to a job promotion.
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