BURNLEY College is helping to boost training and job opportunities in the area through the Learn Direct scheme.

In addition to providing easy access to Learn Direct courses, Burnley College has provided European Social Funds to support the cost and delivery of training.

The college has also organised the loan of a Learn Direct POD so employees have access to training 24 hours a day.

The POD is a desk unit, which includes computer equipment and will be used by all members of staff.

Among those signed up to the Learn Direct scheme is Falkland Engineering which started as a family business in the eighties and now employs 36 staff in the town.

The company, based at the Rossendale Road Industrial Estate, has recently taken on a new concept in training via Learn Direct and taken advantage of using on-line distance learning packages.

Pete Moreland, toolmaker and internal trainer at Falkland said: "We originally became interested in Learn Direct to try and learn the basics of computers.

"It has helped us to be able to have a POD onsite so that we can study within our spare time at work and have access to a system.

"I think that it's a good idea for a scheme such as this to be set up within workplaces as people sometimes have too many commitments to find the time to study."

Others using the scheme are Burnley Football Club whose catering department have installed a POD from Learn Direct which enables the staff to access the wide range of courses and keep in contact with their tutors in working hours as part of training.

Tech Group Europe, a business on the Shuttleworth Meade Business Park, Padiham, has also signed up to the Learn Direct scheme.

The company recently relocated from Livingston and Lancaster, creating jobs for people in the area. They specialise in the design, development and manufacture of plastic injection moulded products for blue chip clients within the medical, electronic, IT and aerospace industries.

John Chacksfield, general manager, said: "It is a wonderful opportunity for people who have family commitments outside working hours to be able to study during a spare lunch hour or to be able to come into work earlier.

"I think the fact that it is so accessible means that people are more likely to consider retraining. which benefits their employer."