Great Britain: the government launches a training platform for furloughed employees during Covid-19

Called The Skills Toolkit, this free online learning system aims to enable the many Britons currently not in full time employment (c.f. article No. 11878) to acquire skills during the pandemic. “I want businesses to encourage their furloughed employees to use The Skills Toolkit to improve their knowledge, build their confidence and support their mental health so they have skills they need to succeed after the coronavirus outbreak,” said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson at the launch of the offer on 28 March. Mathematics, digital marketing, social networks and data courses: these digitally oriented online training courses have been developed by universities (Leeds and Open University) and companies including Google and Lloyds Banking. The courses vary in length from just a few minutes to 70 hours and they focus on “’skills which are highly valued by employers and sought after in a wide range of jobs,’ explained a government spokesperson. While primarily intended for people on short-time work, the platform can also be used by students or employees who are currently teleworking. Matthew Fell, CBI Chief UK Policy Director commented thus, “Online learning is a great way for people to upgrade their skills at any time, but never more so than during a lockdown.”