LEP invests over �1 million to support upskill local businesses

Businesses across the Leeds City Region are benefitting from LEP support and grants totalling over £1 million to invest in skills and training their staff. The funding has supported the training of over 2,000 individuals within almost 300 businesses across the region.

The LEP skills service is designed to support ambitious small and medium sized companies in Leeds City Region looking to develop the skills of their staff to help grow the business. The LEP secured funding from government to support growing businesses and deliver the ambition of creating a skilled and flexible workforce in the Leeds City Region.

One business that has secured funding through the LEP’s skills service is Crompton Mouldings, a growing manufacturer, currently in the process of relocating to a larger premises and increasing its workforce.

Crompton Mouldings, which was established in 2007, designs and manufactures moulded products such as grit boxes, drainage products and cattle feeders, supplies a number of large agricultural, construction, medical and civil service organisations across the country.

The £2,600 grant from the LEP’s skills service is being used by the company to provide specialist training for a new rotational moulding machine which will increase the company’s capacity.

The LEP funding has enabled Crompton Mouldings, to expand its offering, as the new rotational moulding machine will give the business the opportunity to design and manufacture a range of larger products in-house.

Michael Gilmore, Production Director of Crompton Mouldings, said:

"We approached the LEP for skills support in order to increase staff efficiency, prepare employees for a surge in orders and ready the business for relocation to a larger premises with new machinery. Through the LEP skills service we were able to access funding to maximise our training budget enabling us to provide a full package of training for our team including continuous improvement essentials and a number of solid works CAD training courses.

“Training will enable our business to better understand the principles of lean manufacturing, supporting the staff to increase productivity and make efficiency savings, therefore reducing costs and increasing profitability. The training will also support the business to properly integrate a new rotational moulding machine which will greatly increase our capacity.

“The LEP skills service has played a huge part in making sure our business continues to grow and reaches its full potential.”

LEP Board member and skills lead, Mark Ridgway, of Group Rhodes said: “With grants of between £500 and £50,000 available to businesses with a budget to put towards training, employers have the opportunity to work with a team of expert skills advisors, discuss their long term growth plans and skills needs, and put together a robust training plan for their staff.

“Offering a comprehensive service to businesses, the team of advisors support employers to tackle paperwork, source appropriate training provision and submit an application for funding. The LEP are dedicated to ensuring local businesses primed for growth have the skills to succeed.”

As part of the LEP’s wider ambitions to invest in business growth, the skills service can support up to 50% of training costs for eligible businesses throughout the Leeds City Region.

The skills support available from the LEP is part of a wider package of support available to help small and medium sized business grow. Since the LEP was established, thousands of businesses have received support from finance to apprenticeship support and in turn, created thousands of new jobs.

The LEP will launch its impact report on 3^rd December 2015, looking back over the past four years and what impact the LEP’s activity has had on the regional economy.