A RURAL training firm is looking to achieve government accreditation that will allow it to provide free training to companies worried about costs in the economic downturn.

Northern Rural Partnership (NRP) is based at Clitheroe Auction Mart from where it has offered training to businesses and individuals for several years.

Under the directorship of Kath Molyneux and John Atherton the company is hoping to receive Train to Gain status from the government.

This will enable any company undertaking training with NRP to recover the cost from the government.

Kath said: “Companies might be cutting back on training budgets at this time and Train to Gain would mean we could offer it to them at no cost.”

Currently, NRP is pushing on with its current training and is in the process of putting 25 staff at a Clitheroe firm through their European Computer Driving License, which would give employees the option to achieve an NVQ level 2 or 3 qualification.

The company wants to tap into more local businesses but is keen not to forget its agricultural roots and still provides a host of different courses for those within farming and with an interest in it.

It hosts training courses including those focusing on all terrain vehicles, lift trucks, tractors, ground-based arboriculture and vermin control.

They have been forced to look into other areas because business that previously came from agricultural training grants from the government has been slashed.

But with farming requiring a number of different skills Kath believes the company is well placed to continue working with farmers.

She added: “We can’t charge a lot for our agricultural training because there isn’t a lot of money about.

"We understand farming because we are farmers and we know what goes on.”