European Social Fund Objective 4 money is funding a project run by Greater Easterhouse Development Company, Glasgow, to provide 9,000 hours of free training on CDROMs, as part of a six-month project to build the skills and expertise of local individuals and businesses.

The Company has bought 38 courses on CDROM - covering business and management skills such as marketing, finance, customer service and communications - from Xebec McGraw-Hill, and has installed them in a learning centre with its own dedicated trainer, who also runs group workshops using the materials. The availability of the free training is being advertised in the local paper, and local businesses have been sent details.

“The aim is to help individuals improve their career prospects and to help small and medium-sized enterprises to develop the management skills they need to grow their businesses,” said John Sellars, IT manager at Greater Easterhouse Development Company. “The courses have proved very popular with people of all levels from receptionists to chief executives.”