The People Skills Programme, a new business support initiative, has been launched by former Business Minister Jo Swinson at a special event in Hackney.
Free Support for Pilot Areas
“I’m delighted to support the launch of the new CIPD People Skills pilot programme, which will provide free high quality HR and skills development support,” said Jo Swinson. “It will be 
fascinating to learn from the results.”
Hackney is one of three pilot areas chosen for the programme, which has been developed by the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) with support from the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and will be rolled out in Glasgow and Stoke-on-Trent over the summer.
Jo Swinson said: “Productivity is one of the biggest challenges facing the UK economy, and improving the quality of management is part of the solution. Access to good HR support should not be restricted to large companies. Helping small businesses invest in and develop the skills of their workforces is crucial for their growth and future success.”
Focussing on People Power
The programme aims to provide HR and skills development support to small businesses, delivered in collaboration with local partners and within existing business, skills and employment infrastructure.
“In each area the People Skills programme will be delivered via existing channels to ensure that it is not seen as another bolt-on skills initiative, but rather one that dovetails with existing business support,” explains CIPD Chief Executive Peter Cheese.
The support will be free during the pilot phase and will centre on improving HR and management skills, giving SMEs the confidence to invest in training, utilise their employees’ skills effectively and invest in potential future employees of by building links with schools and colleges.
The bespoke support will include one to one guidance from experienced HR professionals, local networking events and group training focussing on people management and skills development, time-saving online information and templates to help businesses developing new employment processes and a telephone helpline to discuss employment and skills issues.
A Boost for Small Businesses
Anna Soubry, Minister for Small Business, Industry and Enterprise, welcomed the programme: “Boosting productivity and giving young people the skills they need to get on in life are key priorities for the Government. We are also committed to making advice and support more easily available to our small businesses, so we welcome this scheme on both fronts.”
CIPD’s Peter Cheese said that helping small businesses “raise their ambitions, boost their investment in people and make better use of skills in the workplace” is crucial. “Our People Skills programme is designed to help address this challenge, providing support where it’s needed to boost people management capability and ultimately performance and growth potential.”
“We are delighted to support the People Skills programme,” said Hang Ho, Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa for JPMorgan Chase Foundation. “One of the biggest challenges for policy makers today is how to encourage SMEs to invest more in young people to access talent. But just as importantly, if SMEs are to become more productive and grow, they need to make the most of their existing workforce through better people management and development.” He believes the initiative will “enable SMEs to raise their game, to grow and get the most out of their people.”
Welcome HR Help for Hackney
Cllr Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at Hackney Council said: “Hackney has one of the highest concentrations of small and medium sized businesses in the whole of the UK. It is incredibly important that Hackney’s growing community of small businesses maintain their global reputation for creativity and innovation across the many different sectors found in our local economy.”
He explained that the People Skills Programme, “an innovative free resource,” is “just one initiative amongst many” that Hackney Council is launching to help the local business community grow.