North West workers receive most training, according to report

Workers in the North West are more likely to receive training than in any other location in the UK, according to the Employer Skills Survey.

Over 91,000 companies were surveyed, with 6,700 of those companies being based in the North West.

The survey found that 70 per cent of staff in the region receive training, compared to 63 per cent across the UK. Research also showed that employees in this area are more likely to have a job that matches their abilities.

Increase

The survey also looked at training measures in areas across the UK between 2013 and 2015 and found an increase in the volume of training. Over 60 per cent of employers had funded training or arranged training for their staff over the previous 12 months, with 49 per cent providing off-the-job training.

Research also showed that online learning was popular with employers, with over 45 per cent using this method of training.

Diverse

Commenting on the findings for the North West, UK Commission for Employment and Skills Senior Research Manager, Alex Thornton, stated that it is a “famously diverse area, with a strong identity and communities”, and that this sense of community “seems to be felt by local employers.”

“Although the number of employers training their staff is close to average, the percentage of staff they train is the highest in the country,” he said.

Thornton added that when establishments train their staff, they train a lot of them, and that they are also good at making the most of those skills in the workplace. He stated that this is good news as it helps to “boost productivity and competitiveness, both for the individual worker, the employer and, ultimately, the whole of the UK.”