By Sean Pritchard, Executive Director of
the Training and Employment Partnership
Since it was set up by the States of Jersey in 1994, the Training and Employment Partnership (TEP) has impacted on working lives of more than 8,000 people in Jersey. Through schemes such as Investors in People, the support of nationally recognised qualifications, and by bringing tailored training solutions to the retail, care, hospitality, construction and finance sectors, TEP is improving access to training.
Now in its ninth year, TEP continues its work to raise skills levels and improve business performance, and from this year it does so under a new committee. With the ministerial restructuring of the government, responsibility has been transferred to the Economic Development Committee, where TEP can continue to work even more closely with key partners in industry.
Throughout this year, TEP is giving a further boost to vocational training by widening the scope of impact of current initiatives and new programmes. In 2003, the construction apprenticeship scheme is being rolled out to all craft trades, and the Beinv’nue hospitality programme goes live in partnership with Jersey Tourism and the Jersey Hospitality Association.
If the training you need is not supplied locally, TEP can provide a grant to get you to the UK. Up to £120 per person can be claimed, plus £20 per night for subsistence. Grants are also available for any nationally recognised qualification.
TEP encourages business to invest in the training of its staff through initiatives such as the Training in Business Awards – which are now in their third year – and the Investors in People standard which helps businesses to focus on continuous development, ensuring that employees fully understand their role and are developed in line with corporate objectives.
Promotion and support for programmes that encourage good practice and, more specifically, that develop business skills are high on TEP’s agenda. The Small Business Management and IT grants encourage business diversity among organisations with ten or fewer staff members.
From time to time, research is commissioned from which to develop and drive the initiatives TEP establishes. The reports identify skills hotspots or cool spots in the economy and form the basis of models for improvement. For example, the Enterprising Excellence programme for small business owners and managers was developed following the Employers Survey in 2001. The survey identified skills gaps in business planning among smaller organisations. With Jersey Business Venture and the Chamber of Commerce, TEP has set up workshops covering areas such as marketing, human resources, and operational and financial planning. These enable managers to select and build a business plan to meet their organisational needs.
This year TEP will publish the findings of the 2002 Entrepreneurship Survey, which represents a shift away from gathering labour market information towards investigating the factors directly relevant to business development. The report will provide up-to-the-minute data on which to draw up strategies for Jersey’s future economic development.
Outlined are just some of our skills and development initiatives that may be of help to you, whatever your skills situation or level of business expertise. At TEP, we don’t doubt that we’ve got entrepreneurial spirit. If you’d like a hand with developing yours, or anything else to do with workplace skills development, give us a call to find out how.
Training and Employment Partnership
Tel: Jersey 01534 723333