The second phase
of the Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF) was launched today by
Business Secretary Vince Cable and Minister for Skills John Hayes.
The fund will support businesses to develop their skills solutions
tailored to their own needs, transforming growth in their sector,
region or supply chain.
BIS will be providing £34 million for 2012-13 and there is still
£29 million available to bid for. With matched funding from
businesses there will be around £60 million available under GIF
this year. Comparable levels of investment are planned for the
following two years.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“The Government understands we need to tackle the skills
shortages that are holding companies back. Through this fund, we
will support employers that take collective action to overcome
these barriers, helping to rebalance and grow our economy.
“By putting the employer’s voice at the heart of the process, we
will reward inventive approaches to training that deliver real
help to get business moving.”
Attending a reception to launch the GIF funded Hospitality Guild,
John Hayes announced that this year the Government would be
accepting applications throughout the year, ensuring projects
could be approved at several points in 2012, rather than having
one annual round.
Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning,
John Hayes said:
“I know times are tough for many businesses, but I am determined
to do all I can to build a skills system that creates opportunity
for young people, and puts firms on course for growth.
“Government investment in skills works best for individuals and
communities when it responds directly to employers’ needs.
Offering a more continuous process will ensure that public money
will be able to fund more projects throughout the year, giving
business the power to shape training and directly support jobs and
growth.
“The Hospitality Guild is a great example of how the Growth and
Innovation Fund can help unify businesses and professional
training bodies to raise skills in the sector, and support staff
development within both large and smaller players in this industry.”
The Growth and Innovation Fund offers targeted help for employer
groups to overcome barriers to growth within their sectors and
industries. The funding is already supporting 15 projects across
the country deliver new training to boost innovation and
productivity, enable industries to set new professional standards,
or support new or extended National Skills Academies.
Earlier this year in collaboration with nine other founding
members of the Hospitality Guild, People 1 st successfully put
forward a bid for GIF funding.
Martin-Christian Kent, Hospitality Guild Director, said:
“Through the Hospitality Guild, the hospitality industry has a
real opportunity to shout about the career opportunities it
offers, to demonstrate its passion for skills and its ambition to
raise its productivity and professionalism.
“With 1 in 14 people working in the hospitality industry, an area
that has been growing despite the economic downturn, the
Hospitality Guild will also have a role to play in tackling
unemployment through facilitating strong ‘into work’ programmes,
apprenticeships and work placements.”
Geoff Russell, Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency said:
“We look forward to working with employers and their
representative organisations to find innovative and sustainable
solutions to tackle skills gaps in their sectors. The Growth and
Innovation Fund will secure a greater commitment from employers to
invest in the skills they need, so creating jobs and
Apprenticeships, driving enterprise and increasing their overall
productivity in support of the growth agenda.”
Following that first round several improvements have been made to
GIF to make it more accessible to potential applicants. GIF will
now open for business all year round, meaning proposals can be
submitted whenever they arise and are ready to be considered for
investment.
Where proposals are identified as meriting GIF co-investment the
UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) and the Skills
Funding Agency (SFA) will be available to work alongside the
applicant to ensure the projects have the very best chance of
fulfilling their promise to make a significant impact on
enterprise, jobs and growth.
To make sure that the investment fund can support businesses in
the different ways they work together to secure growth, including
in a particular geographical area, we have extended eligibility to
apply to local enterprise partnerships, alongside the wide range
of sector and employer bodies already in scope.
Notes to Editors
1. he Growth and Innovation Fund was first proposed in the Skills
for Sustainable Growth strategy in November 2010. The BIS
allocation for the GIF investment fund in 2012-13 is £33m, with
comparable levels of investment planned for the following two
years. £28m remains available in 2012-13 for further projects. The
investment could potentially be doubled to almost £60 million with
matched investment from business.
2. Approximately a further £20m a year from GIF in 2012-13 has
supported the SME Leadership and Management Grant which provides
grants (match-funded by employers) to support Leadership and
Management training for SMEs and social enterprises. Comparable
funding will be devoted to that programme in future years, but no
longer under the GIF banner.
3. The prospectus published today details the criteria for new
bids to the fund.
4. Applications are being invited from Sector Skills Councils,
Industry Training Boards, formally constituted Sector Bodies,
National Skills Academies, Employer Associations, Trade
Associations and Professional Bodies. Where Local Enterprise
Partnerships are legally constituted bodies, they may apply; where
they are not, we encourage them to work in partnership with an
eligible organisation. We are also keen to encourage groups of
employers acting on behalf of a sector consortium or leading
supply chain initiatives to work with an eligible organisation to
bring forward innovative solutions. Bids will be assessed by a GIF
investment board, chaired by Charlie Mayfield, Chair of the UK
Commission for Employment and Skills.
5. The GIF prospectus will be available from 24 November on the
UKCES website.
6. In the same week as BIS is re-opening the GIF to new
applications, we also expect to see the announcement by the UK
Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) of major investment
in Sector Skills Council (SSC) projects to drive employer
investment in skills across all four nations of the UK. This
project funding will be provided through the UKCES Employer
Investment Fund over 2012-13 and 2013-14, to support SSCs with a
range of employer-designed and employer-led skills solutions. This
represents a shift away from grant funding of SSCs to promoting
specific employer-driven work.
7. The Hospitality Guild brings together industry bodies,
businesses and individuals to promote skills training,
apprenticeships, and innovation within the hospitality sector. It
will act as a market place for its members where standards are
set, met and showcased. It is being developed and managed by
People 1st and its founding members include the Academy of
Culinary Arts, the Academy of Food and Wine Service, AICR, British
Institute of Innkeepers, Institute of Hospitality, Springboard UK,
the National Skills Academy for Hospitality, the Professional
Association of Catering Educators and the Worshipful Company of Innholders.
8. People 1st is the Sector Skills Council for hospitality,
passenger transport, travel and tourism sector. The organisation
works to transform skills in the sector, particularly in the areas
of management and leadership, customer service and craft skills.
It is the leading employment research specialist in the industry.
The organisation is committed to ensuring that public funds
support the industry to develop only those qualifications and
programmes that meet the needs of employers.
9. The launch of the GIF-funded Hospitality Guild is taking place
in The Stafford London by Kempinski, The Wine Cellars on Wednesday
23rd of November 2011 from 6pm – 8pm. For further information
about the Hospitality Guild or if you would like to attend the
event contact Kati Byrne on 07984185838 or kati.byrne@hospitalityguild.co.uk
10. BIS's online newsroom contains the latest press
notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It
also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See
http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom for more information.
Contacts:
BIS Press Office
NDS.BIS@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Lucy-Michael Sutton
Phone: 020 7215 5977
lucymichael.sutton@bis.gsi.gov.uk