The Government has launched a £2.4m TV advertising campaign to encourage employers to continue training staff during the economic downturn.

The prime-time ad blitz will highlight its Train to Gain support service, which provides funding for training, during popular TV shows such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale and The Bill.

Train to Gain now includes “bite-sized” modules of qualifications for businesses of all sizes, and has relaxed rules to allow more workers to get Level 2 (GCSE) and Level 3 (equivalent of two A-levels) qualifications.

Earlier this year, the Government agreed a deal with People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, to simplify access for industry employers to Train to Gain.

The deal, known as a compact, will provide funding for relevant qualifications and some short courses, a sector specific Train to Gain scheme and a simpler definition for how hospitality’s 180,000 businesses can achieve funded training.

John Denham, the secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills, said businesses needed to continue improving the skills of their workers to survive the downturn.

“Investing in training is essential to any business, but it is more important than ever in the current economic climate,” he said. “Research shows that companies which don't train are twice as likely to fail as those that do.”

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By Daniel Thomas

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