The Train to Gain - the story so far

This month, the number of learners achieving a qualification is due to hit the 1 million mark, proof that the Train to Gain service continues to go from strength to strength. And according to the latest learner statistics released in December by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, more than 1.4 million Train to Gain learners have been started since the service was launched in April 2006.

But the statistics show even more impressive evidence for the rising success of the service. Between April 2006 and 31 July 2008, 584,900 learners started; and this accelerated to 817,400 learner starts in the 2008/09 academic year.

Achievement rates show an even bigger rise: 264,100 Train to Gain funded qualifications were achieved between April 2006 and 31 July 2008. But more than twice that number were achieved in the 2008/09 academic year, with a staggering 543,100 learners gaining a qualification.

Sharon Gray, Director of National Strategic Skills at the Learning and Skills Council, said: “We’re delighted that Train to Gain has been such a massive success. To have 1 million learners achieve a qualification in such a short time is a huge achievement. It has exceeded all the expectations we had at the service’s launch.

“The feedback we’ve had from employers and learners has been very positive. We have seen first hand how Train to Gain has made a real difference both to business success and to learners’ personal development.

“We anticipate that we’ll continue to see great results for Train to Gain. More and more employers are discovering the advantages of using the service to enhance the skills of their workforce and so help improve the performance of their business,” she added.