t2 business solutions blog

Employers could access training support of up to £1,500

An article on the Train to Gain website explains thatemployers could receive £1,000 towards recruitment costs when they take on a job seeker who has been out of work for over six months. A quarter of a million subsidies of this kind are currently available for employers.

In some instances, the subsidy would be paid in two installments of £500 - the first when the employee starts work and the second when they have been employed for 26 weeks.

As part of the deal, eligible employers across England could also access training support (typically around £1,500) for their employees through Train to Gain.

To find out more, please can contact visit JobCentre Plus.

Fear of Skills Gap for Managers During Recession

An article on the ILM website explains that new research has found that a fifth of managers think their company is suffering from a skills gap because of the recession.

The Vodafone Working Nation report also revealed that it is women who are filling this gap. Apparently female workers are twice as likely as their male colleagues to report that they have had to learn new skills to make up for a shortage in talent.

However, the research warned that many firms are on a knife edge, with 70% of employers stating that further cost cutting would damage their business.

Firms that do scale back training schemes could find that their most talented workers walk out the door.

For more information on management training available and how to get involved, visit t2 Management Training.

Worst of the recession is over

An article on the ILM website says that the worse of the recession is over but a recovery is by no means guaranteed, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) have warned.

It has revealed that confidence has increased and now shows a positive balance for the first time since the third quarter of 2008.

However, David Frost, director-general of the BCC, warned that unless the government takes action to nurture these green shoots, future problems could lie ahead.

Last month, the Centre for Economic and Business Research warned that the recession is likely to be "saxophone shaped" - a phrase it used to describe the sluggish period of growth expected to arrive in 2010.

To read the full article, click here.

Former Wales Rugby Captains to Scale Kilimanjaro

An article on WalesOnline tells how fifteen former Wales rugby captains are to scale Mount Kilimanjaro next year in a bid to raise £1m for lung cancer research.

They will be accompanied by Welsh coach Warren Gatland in the most ambitious fundraising event ever organised in aid of the Stepping Stones appeal by Velindre Hospital in Cardiff.

Lung cancer is Wales biggest cancer killer and almost 2,000 people will be diagnosed every year.

Gareth Thomas, Ieuan Evans, Mark Taylor, Mike Hall, Bleddyn Bowen, Jonathan Davies, Rob Howley, Rob Jones, Jonathan Humphreys, Bob Norster, Eddie Butler and Colin Charvis will all make the five-day climb to the top of Africa’s highest mountain. Current captain, Ryan Jones, will act as a figurehead and chief whip for the event but is unable to take part because of playing commitments.

To support your favourite captain taking part in the Brains SA Captains Climb, visit www.justgiving.com/brainssacaptainsclimb

Copycat Chimpanzees?

After watching video demonstrations chimps build their own tools.

The animals were shown footage of a trained chimp combining two components to construct a tool that enabled it to reach a food reward.

When given the same two components, the chimps made their own tools and used them to drag over a tasty treat.

The chimps were then placed into 5 groups during the test each shown progressively less information with one group just shown the chimp eating the grape.

The set-up was then re-created for the groups to interact with.

Click here to see how they did and to read more about this study.