Government training scheme 'too bureaucratic'

The government's Train to Gain scheme is too bureaucratic, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

John Denham, secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills, recently stated that employers had not taken full advantage of the Train to Gain funds, which are designed to help businesses increase the skills of their staff.

But despite agreeing that this was "disappointing", David Frost, director general of the BCC said that many firms had complained that the scheme was too bureaucratic.

"We need to look at making Train to Gain more flexible to meet the needs of all employers," he said.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has also renewed its call for the government to formally recognise the work-based training that is already offered by small companies.

Two years ago, the FSB noted in a survey of just under 20,000 small firms that more that 76.4% offered formal training.

"The government could certainly do a lot more to make it easier for small employers to get the on-the-job training they already offer accredited," said Colin Willman, FSB education and skills chairman.

"At the moment the process is too expensive and too bureaucratic for many small businesses to cope with," he added. "The vast majority of businesses do not have an HR department to handle these issues."