Business Link

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Business Link

• Mike Lakinski
• Business Development Manager

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How we can help you

• Business Link will provide Information support
  and advice to all small and medium sized
  businesses during any stage in their development
  from start up to exit.
• Enable businesses to start, grow and succeed
• Available to all

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Business Link North East

• Single primary access point for business support
  in the North East
• Impartial brokerage for new established
  businesses
• Access to skills business support
• Helping businesses to establish, succeed grow

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The Brokerage Model

• Informing businesses about the issues/opportunitie
  s they face providing fast access to the right
  information to respond
• Helping businesses to identify what to do, how to
  prioritise where to access help
• Finally, to broker the business to a solution
  provider

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Business Information Services

• Using a comprehensive range of information
  support the Business Information Team can provide
  assistance with
• Locating Suppliers
• In-depth Research
• Providing the latest information on issues
  affecting business, e.g. Employment, Information
  Technology, Funding and Health Safety

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Developing your Business

• Independent and impartial advice, information and
  sign-posting service from business advisers.
• All aspects of business activity are covered
  e.g.
• E-commerce Information Technology
• Sources of Finance
• Strategic Planning
• Marketing
• Product development, Innovation and Technology
• HR

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Type of support covered Awareness raising,
interest, market information, ease of
access Product/market strategies Understanding
product and market Capabilities Business
Planning Selling Logistics Planning Workforce
Development Access to Finance ICT Access to
market information, contracts/tenders Use of this
information E Business and E Procurement Electroni
c Trade Appropriate quality standards (HS,
Environment, Business Continuity,
Pre-Qualification, Certifications etc.) Tender
documentation completion
Awareness and Marketing activity
Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage
Generic Procurement Workshops

• Sector/themed Seminars
• Petrochemical/Process Industries
• Defense and Marine
• Visitor Economy/Food Drink
• NHS
• Local Government
• Olympics

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Developing your People

• Specially trained advisers who support business
  improvement through people development
• Recommending performance improvement measures
• Advising on training opportunities
• Brokering in specialist training providers
• Introducing Investors in People
• Train to Gain

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Skills (Train to Gain)

• Train to Gain is.
• A service to support employers of all sizes in
  all sectors to improve the skills of their
  employees to raise business performance
• A commitment to jointly invest in training by
  employers and Government/tax payer - Financial
  solutions available (basic skills to senior team
  development)
• With the Government/taxpayer paying for free
  skills brokerage and, in certain circumstances,
  fully or partly subsidised training
• Accredited, non-accredited bespoke

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Train to Gain is

• Quality assured advice in identifying skills
  needs at all levels,
• Help to identify and sourcing high quality
  training and qualifications to meet those skills
  needs
• An expert who will pull together a skills
  solution package which may include government
  training subsidies, alongside the employers own
  financial contribution
• For those making the Skills Pledge, follow up
  advice and support that is fully integrated
  within the Train to Gain Service
• Access to advice on wider business needs

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Expanded new scope

• New flexibilities including wider coverage (eg
  volunteers, offenders, self employed), Level 3
  provision, second Level 2s for in some
  circumstances
• Stand alone skills for life training as an
  option
• Inclusion of Apprenticeships
• Expansion of Leadership and Management training
  for SMEs integration of the HE Offer

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Train to Gain the offer

• The brokerage service (delivered in our region
  by Business Link North East) free to employers
  of all sizes and sectors
• Fully funded training for Skills for Life (SfL)
  and First Level 2 NVQs
• Partial funding for Second Level 2, Level 3 and
  Level 4 NVQs, SfL ESOL
• In specific circumstances a contribution to the
  costs of non-accredited learning/units of full
  qualifications
• Bespoke training may not have any public
  funding
• Wage Compensation
• Leadership and Management

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Train to Gain the offer continued

• Apprenticeships
• Skills Pledge
• Employer Training Online Website
• Higher Level Skills
• Support with recruitment and pre-employment
  training
• Skills for Jobs
• Local Employment Partnerships (LEPs)

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Train to Gain the brokerage service

• The Train to Gain brokerage service works in five
  simple steps
• Step 1 identifies the skills a business needs
  now and in the future
• Step 2 provides a business with a tailored
  training package that fits into their employees
  work schedules
• Step 3 ensures training is delivered to meet
  business needs
• Step 4 identifies what training can be
  subsidised by Government funding and the
  investment from the employer
• Step 5 helps the business to monitor their
  progress

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Funding for training

• Fully Funded
• First Full Level 2 NVQs
• Skills for Life (SfL)
• Partially Funded
• Second Level 2 NVQs
• Level 3 NVQs
• Level 4 NVQs
• SfL English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
• Non-accredited learning/units part of the
  move to Qualifications Credit Framework

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Leadership and Management

• Eligible to companies with between 10 249
  employees, focusing on key Directors or Owner
  Managers
• LSC North East will enhance this offer by
  additionally focusing on companies with 5 10
  employees
• Each business can benefit from up to 1,000 of
  grant support, of which the first 500 does not
  require match funding and should benefit the
  owner/key Director
• The remaining grant is match funded by the
  employer and could be used to support other
  managers dependant upon the business needs
• A Leadership and Management Specialist Adviser
  Service will provide individual diagnostic,
  personal development plans, access to
  skills/development solutions and payment of the
  employer grant

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Apprenticeships

• Designed by employers for employers an
  Apprenticeship is a work-based learning programme
  that allows employers to train both existing and
  new staff
• There is no age restriction for Apprenticeships
  (16) and they are available in any sector
• There are over 180 different Apprenticeship
  frameworks - frameworks consist of a National
  Vocational Qualification (NVQ), Key Skills
  qualifications, a Technical Certificate and
  Employment Rights and Responsibilities
• There are two framework levels available,
  Apprenticeships (Level 2) and Advanced
  Apprenticeships (Level 3)
• Employees who have already gained an NVQ can
  progress on to Apprenticeships

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The Skills Pledge

• The Skills Pledge is open to employers of all
  sizes in the private, public and voluntary
  sectors
• The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public
  commitment by the leadership of a company or
  organisation
• The Pledge is around an organisation supporting
  all of its employees to develop their skills at
  all levels, with the minimum required being for
  all staff to achieve a Level 2

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Higher Level Skills Pathfinder

• The Pathfinder is managed by Unis4ne and
  involves all the Universities in the region, the
  Open University and three FE Colleges
• Higher Education providers can secure financial
  support to develop new programmes or amend
  existing ones, in response to an identified
  need/demand from an employer
• The Pathfinder is aimed at supporting all
  employers including public, private and voluntary
  sectors
• It is regarded as an extension to the Train to
  Gain brokerage service to support higher level
  skills

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Business Link Service How to access it
0845 600 9 006
www.businesslinknortheast.co.uk
Business Link access point