Train to Gain is a new national skills brokerage programme that will be introduced across the whole of England by the end of 2006. 
 
It is at the heart of the implementation of the Skills Strategy and offers employers free advice and training subsidies for employees to achieve a Level 2 qualification (or a Skills for Life qualification) if they do not already have academic or vocational qualifications equivalent to level 2 (e.g. 5 GCSEs at grade A-C or NVQ level 2). 
 
Employers will be assisted in identifying training provision for all their skills needs including higher level skills beyond the subsidised training described above.  
 
Employers will work with a Train to Gain Skills Broker who will help them to:

• identify the skills their business needs
• find flexible and responsive training
• gain access to available funding
• review progress

Train to Gain has a dedicated website: www.traintogain.gov.uk.  
 
 
Background 
 
Train to Gain began as the National Employer Training Pilots (NETPs) which covered around a third of all Learning & Skills Council areas in England. In April 2006 all the NETPs were converted to Train to Gain. The intention is to have the programme rolled out across the whole of England by the end of 2006. 
 
A priority for Train to Gain is to enable many more adults to achieve a first full level 2 qualification and to improve their basic literacy, numeracy and language skills, where this inhibits their ability to progress immediately onto a level 2 programme. 
 
Train to Gain will contribute directly to the achievement of Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets and skills related performance measures including Skills for Life, Adult Level 2 and Level 3 (including Apprenticeships) and Skills for Life, as well as directly supporting the engagement of employers within the wider skills agenda and business development activities.