Hundreds of Bradford workers will be given a chance to boost their skills thanks to a grant from Europe.

Bradford & District Training & Enterprise Council has won £600,000 from the European Social Fund to train workers at firms throughout the district.

The money will be used to support one programme which is already up and running and another two due to start next year.

Most of the cash is for the Workforce Development Programme, which is designed to provide basic, keyboard and information technology training for up to 1,500 workers across the district.

The programme is aimed at the over-50s and part-time workers in smaller firms who need training in numeracy, literacy and IT.

The TEC will also set up a group called Networks for firms who have achieved Investors in People status to make sure the high level of training and development is maintained.

A total of 62 firms in the district have become Investors in People and 220 are committed to attaining the award.

The TEC is planning to bring bosses together from firms which are already Investors in People to prepare them for re-assessment, which happens three years after the initial award has been made.

The TEC is already operating a Bargaining for Skills scheme which helps full-time and in-house trade union officials to get to grips with the Government's Lifelong Learn-ing programme.

Simon Bray, the TEC's director of marketing, said: "We are delighted that all three bids have been successful. We believe this is a result of us being able to identify the needs of local employers and employees and careful planning of how those needs can be met."

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