COLCHESTER employers must view staff training as an investment rather than a cost, it has been suggested.

After a national Ofsted report which found firms were not making the most of the Government’s Train to Gain programme, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) Essex, said only by training staff will businesses remain competitive in the current economic downturn.

Terry Collin, partnership director for LSC Essex, which funds training and makes sure the training courses available meet the skills needs of the economy, explained: “Our view is that if you want to remain competitive and even grow your business and realise the full potential of the business, it is people you must invest in.”

The Ofsted report said that nationally, Train to Gain, which offers advice and guidance to employers about the best way to raise the skills level of staff, was successful and had noted that firms had seen improvements in work and staff retention.