New skills changed our lives

Kathryn Mace (left) and Gemma Willison both found jobs in a primary school after taking courses to improve their English and maths

How the council is putting up £400,000 over the next year to help local employers provide training for their workers

For work pals Gemma Willison and Kathryn Mace, having the chance to take courses to improve their English and maths skills has made a huge difference to their lives.
Their new skills have meant they've both been able to get jobs as teaching assistants in a local primary school - a job each of them finds highly rewarding.
Gemma (27) was a full-time mum before she took the Adult Literacy and Numeracy Qualifications (levels one and two in literacy and level one in numeracy).
She said: "When I was at school I was more interested in being in the in-crowd, but as an adult I'm much more prepared to concentrate and put in the study.
"I also have children of my own and I'll be able to help them with their homework as they get older."
Kathryn (26), who worked in interior design before she gained the qualifications, said: "I wanted a career where other people would be benefiting from my efforts - but you can't do this job unless you have a good basic standard in English and maths."

Skills to meet today's demands

Meanwhile, Hull City Council has made a £400,000 skills fund available over the next year to help local employers pay for the cost of extra training of their employees.
The fund will address two key areas of need - firstly, in basic English and maths training (equivalent to GCSEs, as Gemma and Kathryn received), and secondly, in higher level management and professional training.
It will ensure that employees have the right skills to meet the demands of modern employers and thereby boost the local economy.
Cllr Andy Sloan, portfolio holder for the city economy, regeneration and planning, said: "We believe that support and funding of this type in these key areas is a vital need for all busineses and, in particular, small and medium enterprises.
"This fund is complementary to existing funding arrangements available from bodies such as the Learning and Skills Council. It quite probably makes Hull unique in the level of support provided for employees and employers."
To receive money from the fund, employers themselves must be prepared to pay around half the cost of the training, for which options could include employees going on day release to college, or for trainers to visit company premises to give classes during work time.
The skills fund has been developed in consultation with the Learning and Skills Council, local higher and further education institutions, the Regional Development Agency and the Hull Chamber of Commerce.

Hull - a learning city

Currently, around 41 per cent of Hull adults hold no formal qualifications (compared to around 29 per cent for the country as a whole), but the aim is to create a more educated and skilled workforce to be able to compete more efficiently in the global economy.
Leader of Hull City Council Cllr Carl Minns said: "By helping to empower the workforce with new skills and education we will boost the local economy and improve people's life chances. The fund will also give individuals the chance to get more rewarding careers and connect them with job opportunities arising from the new development taking place in the city."
By 2011, it's hoped that the fund will have helped boost number of employees with level 4+ skills from 14.8 per cent to 26 per cent, and those with level 2+ skills from 47.2 per cent to 59.3 per cent.
For more information about the skills fund, contact 300300 or visit the council website at www.hullcc.gov.uk