UKCES launches fund to address the productivity gap in small businesses

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) will launch a dedicated fund that aims to develop better leadership and entrepreneurial skills in SMEs and address the productivity gap, a recent news report has been able to reveal.

The scheme aims to address the UK’s productivity problem. Figures show the UK’s productivity levels are 20% less than other advanced economies. The UK has the lowest labour productivity level in the G7, apart from Japan.

UKCES is calling for bids from institutions with strong local presences that make a strategic contribution to their local economy, such as large employers, universities and banks. It refers to these as ‘anchor institutions’.

These anchor institutions can bid for a share of £1.5 million to support their local economies.

Proposals must demonstrate how these larger bodies can support smaller firms in leadership and entrepreneurship. Each project will run for a maximum of 12 months, starting in August 2015.

UKCES commissioner Julie Kenny, who is also founder of SME Pyronix, said: “Britain is falling behind the rest of the world in terms of productivity, meaning we are working more but producing less. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but current figures indicate that only a third of small firms provide any management training, compared to nearly three-quarters of larger firms.

“We are looking for innovative ideas that can be tested and trialled with small businesses, to develop these essential skills that will help them to prosper and increase productivity in their local community.”

Employee management systems – the key to productivity for SMEs

Tensor plc is a market leader in the employee management systems’ segment. We supply an extensive range of systems designed specifically to help HR departments record accurate data regarding the employee’s activity, their performance, as well as their attendance.

Our flagship WinTA.NET integrated workforce management solution incorporates a dedicated Absence Planning and Entitlement Management feature.

WinTA.NETis a web enabled, mobile / wireless technology based Time & Attendance system designed for those companies employing 20 people to 10,000+. The solution provides total control over the creation of working rules, Access Control, Job Costing and System Security and has specifically been designed for multiple companies, each managing multiple sites.

Our comprehensive, yet user-friendly software comes pre-loaded with graphical calendar charts that provide a colourful way of viewing an individual’s or a department’s absence records.

Each employee can be allocated different entitlements for absence such as annual leave or allowed sickness. As absence is booked and taken, the remainder available for each entitlement is updated. Entitlement formulae are used to calculate more complex entitlements calculated on a rising scale based upon length of service.

WinTA.NET supplies the relevant managers with information on employee’s absences through warning email notifications or via hardcopy reports. After that, the system would rapidly identify missing employees that are expected to be at work and then informs you via automatic email reporting reports distributed by email.

If you’d like to find out more about the Tensor workforce management solutions, just contact our team or Book a Demo, we’ll be more than happy to answer all of your questions and queries.