21 February 2003
Local government minister Nick Raynsford has promised to continue paying for an expansion of councils' workforce training programmes providing a £27m pathfinder scheme launched this week is a success.
Shortly after revealing that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has committed £27m from 2003/04 to a 'capacity building' programme – which will develop officers' and members' skills in key areas – Raynsford told Public Finance: 'I hope this is the first of many programmes focusing on skills and training. We are acutely aware of skills shortages at some councils – particularly in corporate capacity and IT.
'We're committed to funding an expansion of workforce training to achieve the service improvements we demand, but only once we have seen that such schemes work. That is the challenge for local authorities now.'
Raynsford told PF that similar schemes could be rolled out across regional development agencies in future, while joint projects with other government departments were also a possibility.
The initiative, unveiled at an Employers' Organisation conference on February 19, will be funded through £9m of top-sliced cash from councils and £18m from the ODPM.
Key elements include: incentives for high-performing authorities to advise and support weaker ones on training; extra help for poor-performing councils to develop improvement plans; an expansion of graduate recruitment; and specific support for district councils. Particular emphasis will be given to developing councils' understanding of the private sector.
Raynsford said the programme had been boosted by the recent two-tier settlement in local government, which had done much to dispel fears about the poor terms and conditions offered to council workers transferred to the private sector.
Council employers and trade unions welcomed the funding. But Charles Nolda, executive director of the EO, warned: 'Top-down improvement programmes driven by central targets are not enough. If we're serious about improvement we need to start with people issues and not just add them on as part of a planning blueprint.'
Malcolm Wing, national secretary at Unison, said more cash would be needed. 'Councils spend just 0.9% of their annual budget on training their workforce – which amounts to just 1.6 training days per person. It would be economic madness not to undertake projects we are all capable of delivering.'
PFfeb2003
