PwC to help companies build professional services skills
PwC to support companies through government-backed scheme to grow skills in the workplace
PwC to support companies through government-backed scheme to grow skills in the workplace
A GOVERNMENT-BACKED pilot programme will be run by PwC to help companies invest in professional services jobs and expertise.
The programme, Employer Ownership of Skills programme for professional services, intends to help businesses access training funds. Employers wanting to invest in professional services-related apprenticeships and skills will be supported by PwC to identify, source and deliver training. They could also access government funds for their programmes.
It is part of a £60m government scheme to invest in workforce skills, and employers should be able to access the fund with less red tape than in the past.
Sara Caplan, partner at PwC, said: “The changes put employers of anyone with professional services skills such as accounting, consulting, tax and HR in the driving seat on training.
“It can take the lottery out of identifying and administrating the right training, sourcing funding and providers, and levels the playing field for SMEs and large firms to develop and deliver a wide range of business skills. Employers will decide how to spend funding, what to spend it on and what format they want training in.”
The fund covers access to a range of business skills training and apprenticeship programmes.
For business skills training, the topics covered include communications, personal management, IT skills, project management, commercial awareness and technical consulting tools and methodologies.
For apprenticeships, these can include (but are not limited to) programmes at a variety of levels in project management, financial services, accounting, bookkeeping, management, business administration, audit, tax and consultancy, HR and payroll.
One of the apprenticeships available through the initiative will be the new Higher Apprenticeship in Professional Services, with pathways into audit, tax and consultancy, which was developed by PwC in collaboration with more than 30 other employers.