Train to Gain scheme ‘needs to be simplified’

The government’s Train to Gain scheme needs to be made simpler and easier to understand in order to succeed, one sector commentator has asserted.

Weaknesses in the way the scheme was managed were recently alleged by the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts.

The programme, which is managed by the Learning and Skills Council, delivered a substantial expansion of training that is flexible and meets employers’ needs, but improvements is still needed in areas including employers with new requirements being turned away.

Commenting on the news, Phil Flaxton, chief executive officer at Work Wise UK, said any campaign which was going to help unemployed people get back into work should be applauded.

However, he added “I think this is indicative of a lot of these schemes which are being launched over the last five years where the detail of it can be very time consuming.”

Mr Flaxton added if the scheme was not straightforward enough then a lot of businesses would not engage with it.