BUSINESSES will suffer if they mothball training schemes during the credit crunch, a leading skills chief has warned.

The message comes from Steve Gray, chief executive of work-based learning provider Training 2000 which is based at Furthergate Business Park, Blackburn.

Mr Gray claims that employers often look to make cuts in training or marketing during an economic downturn, but he believes that such action would me a major mistake for any company.

He said: “Most employers will be feeling the pinch, but training is an investment not a cost.

“You must continue to look at your training needs because to not do that will be detrimental to the future productivity of the company when the good times return.”

Training 2000 started out life as the Blackburn Group Training Association in 1967 and the town remains key to its aims.

A registered charity with 300 staff and a base in Nelson, it saw a 94 per cent pass rate on its GCSE engineering course that runs in tandem with schools across the county.

The aim of the GCSE course is to give school pupils a chance to see the advantages of work-based learning and allow them to decide whether they want to pursue an apprenticeship after leaving school.

This approach has recently seen Training 2000 link up with primary schools in Blackburn with Darwen to give even younger children a chance to become aware of the options.

Mr Gray said: “The advantage for employers is that they see the children early enough and realise that the pupils want to be engineers. There is a large supply chain for the aerospace sector in Pennine Lancashire and there is demand for the engineering skills we provide.”

And Mr Gray, who has been the head of Training 2000 for three years, is keen to stress the important role apprenticeships have to play.

Having started out his career at the now defunct truck maker Seddon Atkinson as an auto electrician, he has also worked at BAE Systems, Samlesbury, before heading up their training scheme.

“I’m an apprentice and proud, “ he said.

“Apprenticeships are about learning and earning at the same time and I want to make youngsters aware of that.”