London Underground has signed a ten-year training partnership agreement to promote NVQs and other training to its frontline staff.

The agreement with City & Guilds, Barnet College and Four Counties Training will also seek to address areas of skill shortage.

The deal builds upon the London Underground NVQ programme, which will train more than 2,000 staff this year.

Mike Brown, Chief Operating Officer, London Underground said that the City & Guilds accredited qualification provided operational staff with nationally recognised industry standard training.

"Achieving and obtaining NVQ qualifications also demonstrates that our employees are committed to their own development and career progression," he added.

The partnership follows the recent launch of the third rail Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE), commissioned by London Underground and endorsed by the Department for Education and Skills.

The CoVE will be looking to develop the skills of all staff in order to deliver the skills and competence agenda for London Underground. It also has a remit to share good practice with other rail companies.

London Underground has recently introduced a training commitment to ensure that all new customer service recruits work towards and gain an NVQ in Passenger Services.

There will be over 1,000 new recruits starting work on the programme this year.

London Underground also plans to roll out a modern apprenticeship in rail operations for staff.