Safeguarding vulnerable workers

Student Interest in Oil DropsWriting.Photo pixabay.com

695 businesses have received funding to provide training for their staff in reading, writing, arithmetic, Computer use and Norwegian. One in three receives support to improve the employee’s knowledge of the Norwegian language.

The Government has through the Competence Plus programme assigned a total of NOK 180 million for 2017.

– To cope with the restructuring of the workplace we depend on people bettering their skills while at work. It is therefore gratifying that so many employers have the opportunity to provide training for their employees, says Minister of Education, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen.

Popular in the private sector

Competence Plus is an aid scheme that works. Over 57,000 participants have received training during working hours through the scheme since its inception in 2006.

There is evidence that education leads to fewer errors and more motivated employees. In addition, more staff is able to take a certificate.

– The workplace is a very important Arena for learning. That this year alone, almost 1,000 applications have been made, shows that many employers are taking the need for increased competence in their business seriously.

We think that it is particularly it is gratifying that the private sector is so well represented amongst those who wants to provide training, says Director of Competence Norway, Gina Lund, who has the practical responsibility for the Competence Plus grants.

Tuition

For the two last years Competence Plus has included funding for tuition, and 237 of the applications granted in 2017 were about tuition in the Norwegian language.

– The need for tuition in the workplace is huge. Competence plus help protecting vulnerable workers in a tougher job market, according to the Minister of Education, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen.
Source: the Ministry of Education  / Norway Today