Economic development and social regeneration

Autotrain was a European Social Fund (ESF) project, under Policy Field 4 (adaptability and entrepreneurship) and Measure 1 (update and improve employees’ work skills). The training was delivered in public-private partnership with IPS International Ltd (on the Medway City Estate) and the University of Greenwich.

Autotrain originated from a pilot project (Autochange) which carried out a comprehensive survey of 30 local automotive sector employers to determine training needs and priorities from within the sector itself. The training modules available were therefore highly sector and location-specific.

The project was designed to enhance employees’ skill levels and small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) competitiveness in the automotive sector in Medway and North Kent. The project responded to current economic threats to the industry and recognised its status as a significant local employer. The training programme was tailored to provide advanced skills in engineering, management and e-commerce. Objectives included:

• training employees to work with new engineering technologies, thereby increasing company productivity, efficiency and competitiveness;
• enhancing managerial and supervisory skills;
• enabling companies to determine the appropriateness of venturing into e-business or business within the European Union;
• improving communication and efficiency throughout the automotive supply chain in Medway and North Kent;
• encouraging businesses to view lifelong training as a positive and long-term investment in staff;
• equipping micro-businesses with the managerial and corporate skills they need to expand and develop.

Autotrain also responded to skills shortages identified by the South East England Regional Development Plan. This highlights the automotive sector as a priority sector for improved business competitiveness through learning and stresses a need for increased awareness of business-to-business e-commerce and development of world-class management.

Autotrain has been committed to the development of corporate learning strategies, to promote lifelong learning and continual development of the workforce, and has actively encouraged businesses to work towards Investors in People status. Each delegate was assigned a personal tutor from the training team, for advice and guidance on progression through further training.

Particular emphasis was placed on supply chain management, so that benefits extended beyond an individual business level. Autotrain was dedicated to equal opportunities and actively recruited women (due to their under-representation in the industry) as well as ethnic minorities, disabled people and workers more than 45 years old.

Autotrain recruited a total of 199 beneficiaries from 24 small businesses and four large companies. The project offered more than 40 training modules. All modules were free of charge to the businesses involved, thanks to the ESF funds available and money from Medway Council. The course modules, lasting between one and four days, were delivered between September 2002 to the summer of 2003.

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