Government skills summit to be held in Dorset

Employers are being invited to attend a skills summit in Wareham looking at government funding and free training.

The Dorset Skills ‘one stop shop’ event – Grow your Business with Training – is being held from 8am to 2pm at the Springfield Country Hotel on Thursday February 22.

It is a free event for employers of all sizes in Purbeck to attend all day or drop in for sessions relevant to them.

More than 20 training and support organisations will be on hand, including Weymouth College, Kingston Maurward College, Bournemouth and Poole College, and the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Dorset Skills Day has been put together by Dorset Chamber supported by Dorset Council, BCP Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the Federation of Small Businesses.

The aim is to provide facts about the apprenticeship system, new skills bootcamps and T levels, and some free courses all of which can help attract new staff and retain and expand the skills of current staff.

Ian Girling, Dorset Chamber chief executive, said: “So many businesses and other employers are struggling to find people to fill their vacancies.

“We have almost full employment in Dorset, so understanding the government training on offer that can attract and support new staff and help keep and develop current staff is crucial to success.”

A free seminar programme will offer the features and benefits of each training opportunity in 15-minute sessions, with examples of what works well shared by Agincare, Beagle Aircraft, BCP Council, Yunex Traffic, Magna Housing and Atlas Elektronik.

Attracting and retaining neurodiverse staff and staff with disabilities to grow the workforce is also a theme.

All the stories and advice are relevant to micro and small employers.

A drop-in option is available too so busy people can visit at a time to suit them or to attend a specific expert session.

The exhibition of training providers is open from 8am to 2pm, expert speakers are from 9am to 12noon.