Firms are to be given a better deal as Bradford & District Training & Enterprise Council improves its service to business.

Simon Bray, the TEC's acting chief executive, said plans were being drawn up to help bosses get more out of the TEC and improve its awareness with companies.

Mr Bray, who is standing in for TEC chief executive David Wilkinson who is visiting the USA, said the organisation wanted to help firms improve their performance and, in turn, boost the Bradford economy.

Mr Bray, whose regular job is strategic marketing director, was speaking after making a presentation of the TEC's 1997 Employer Survey to Bradford Chamber of Commerce at the city's Pennington Midland Hotel.

One of the key findings was that 79 per cent of the firms surveyed knew of the TEC - but a third of those did not know what it did.

The survey, which mainly highlighted the views of small firms in the district, was carried out among 648 companies through 25 minute interviews with company bosses or the head of personnel.

It also found that 43 per cent of those questioned were unaware of the TEC's products and services.

A total of 39 per cent were aware of the TEC's Investors in People programme and 33 per cent knew about the Modern Apprenticeship programme.

Chamber director Sandy Needham said she was concerned that the survey found that almost two thirds of the companies surveyed said they did not need help from any of the organisations offering it.

Members were also concerned that 63 per cent of the firms questioned did not have a business plan. Out of those, 44 per cent said they did not need one and 15 per cent said their business was too small for one.

But Chamber president John Watson said the survey showed that the majority of businesses involved seemed to be doing well.

He said: "Some people seem to think that this survey shows Bradford companies are doing badly but they appear to be doing a lot of the right things."

He was referring to the three things bosses said was putting them under most pressure which were funding, sales and staff workload.

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