Welcome to Skills Advantage

What is Skills Advantage?

Skills Advantage is an exciting new initiative that focuses on developing the skills of business leaders and managers. The programme is designed to ensure that companies in the AWM Region with construction related activities are ‘fit for the future’ by enabling employers to improve the skill levels of their employees.

Who is Skills Advantage aimed at?

The Skills Advantage programme is aimed at Directors, Managers, Supervisors & Team Leaders within construction and construction product manufacturing companies in the West Midlands. The programme is also open to construction clients and other construction professionals such as Contractors, Architects, Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors.

Who is eligible for the programme?

If you are living and/or working in an Objective 2 area of the West Midlands and your company/employer is classed as an SME business i.e. with less than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than £35million then you qualify.

To check your eligibility simply visit www.maps-wm.org/gowmmaps and enter the post code of your employer and the system will identify whether you are in an Objective 2 area. If you are still unsure then please contact a Skills Advantage Advisor for more informatiomn on the Freephone Helpline 0808 129 2233 where assistance can be provided.

What is involved?

To become involved in the Skills Advantage programme you must first Register your interest via the programme website and the following steps will be undertaken:

1. You will receive a call from a Skills Advantage Advisor to discuss your organisational needs and to carry out a formal Organisational Needs Analysis (ONA) – for expediency this can also be completed online.
2. Skills Advantage will determine who within your organisation could benefit from training and address the current skills gaps that exist within the business.
3. An Individual Needs Analysis (INA) will be conducted to assess each individual and the development of an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) will be completed.
4. Completion of the INA and ILP will ensure that individuals are correctly advised on which course will best suit their needs, whether it is a construction related NVQ or equivalent qualification, or whether the Skills Advantage Masterclass programme is more appropriate in meeting the business and individual needs.
5. Your Skills Advantage Advisor will ensure that the correct training course is selected and will assist you with your enrolment.

Throughout each of the above stages ongoing mentoring will be provided. Your Skills Advantage Advisor will be on hand to assist you with any issues relating to course administration and attendance. A Freephone Helpline 0808 129 2233 will provide support from 8am to 9pm Mondays to Fridays.

How many people can we engage in the Skills Advantage programme?

Organisations can engage an unlimited number of individuals on the Skills Advantage programme, but these must be designated as Directors, Managers, Supervisors & Team Leaders.

Funding has only been secured to carry out 70 ONA's and to assist a maximum of 210 individuals on appropriate training courses. Therefore the Skills Advantage Programme Coordinator must be certain that organisations and individuals are likely to complete the training identified before funds will be allocated.

How much can we do online?

Understanding the pressures of the modern business environment, the Skill Advantage programme is intended to be as lean and least disruptive as possible. As such this website has been design to ensure maximum interaction by permitting ONAs, INAs and ILPs to be completed online. Mentoring support is provided through the Freephone Helpline 0808 129 2233.

This website provides for a secure data storage and retrieval system that will permit secure access to confidential information 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The functionality of the website is designed to minimise disruption to your daily business activities during the ‘engagement’ phase by permitting you access to complete forms and assessments out of hours as desired.

What does it cost?

All of the activities within the Skills Advantage programme, including the cost of NVQ courses and the Masterclass programme are free of charge to qualifying organisations or individuals.

Who is funding Skills Advantage?

The Skills Advantage programme is supported by the Learning & Skills Council and is funded from the European Social Fund. There is no requirement for the individual or the employer to provide any match funding, but course attendance records will be required.

How long does the Skill Advantage programme run?

The programme runs from 1st September 2007 to 31st March 2008.

Given the relatively short timescale of the Skills Advantage programme, it is likely that most NVQs will run beyond this duration and funding will be allocated accordingly, provided that the relevant course has commenced before the end of March 2008.