South West businesses are being encouraged to take advantage of free support on offer from the region's chamber of commerce, Business West.
The chamber is calling on firms with fewer than 250 employee to take part in its Workforce for the Future programme, which offers assistance to businesses with workforce development planning.
Business advisors from the chamber will help companies identify skills gaps and find "suitable solutions", which could include programmes of training and development or alternative employment routes such as work placements and apprenticeships, Business West said.
Lizzie Lyons, head of skills delivery, who leads the programme for Business West, said: "Workforce development planning is essential for SMEs of all sizes from any sector because it helps to analyse the skills of their current workforce and map this against the skills they require now and in the future."
According to the chamber, the programme has already helped a number of businesses including Bristol-based podcast agency, Digital Bulls.
Matt Allen, director of Digital Bulls, said: “My business is growing because of the support and opportunities I’ve had via the programme, and I’ve already recommended it to others.”
Business West is also running an online workshop on January 10 aimed at helping businesses understand how workforce planning is vital for growing a business.
The chamber is delivering its Workforce for the Future programme on behalf of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) in collaboration with other regional partners. Workforce for the Future is an £8m programme co-funded by the Weca and the European Social Fund (ESF). The programme has received £4m of funding from the ESF as part of the 2014 to 2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.
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