The training tap is on...get wet!

Since the economic crisis started, the government has turned on the training tap. It’s now going full blast and many are getting soaking wet!

New Frontiers have been talking to companies about putting their staff on government funded travel and tourism, customer service and management NVQs. This vocational learning is fully funded by the government with an army of assessors going into the workplace to tick off people’s competencies and suggest a few more, whilst giving them a qualification equivalent to GCSEs or A levels after just a year!

We’ve recently tapped into the Leadership and Development grant so that small businesses can access funding for advice to beat the recession. We’ve put together a team of business coaches to provide advice on anything from raising finance to improving online marketing. The government have allocated a grant up to £1500 per company for this.

We’ve also been asked by the government to help the newly unemployed professionals. It appears the job centre is a bit clueless to know how to help, so we’ve put together a programme to help people with their CVs and interview skills.


The only training that I personally thought was quite mad of the government to do was spend £23million for people to have fun. Apparently the government is freeing up resources such as museums and giving grants for people to form groups to learn new skills such as yoga, stamp collecting etc. Personally I feel that this is extravagant spending in this climate and I don’t know if you agree? The other extravagant spending was for pregnant women who are 25 weeks pregnant. They can now claim a grant of £190 for healthy eating and equipment. Whilst this is very nice to have (having been pregnant twice!) I didn’t realise that pregnant women were campaigning hard for such money. If they weren’t, then the government sure is spending money in a crazy way.

Still New Frontiers isn’t complaining, we’re now able to help thousands of travel people get better qualified and hundreds of travel companies survive the recession – so at least some people have their thinking hats on at the top!

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