The Home Office is providing 22,500 employees with e-learning skills as part of the Professional Skills for Government (PSG) initiative.

The programme aims to equip all civil servants with key skills, including financial skills, people management, communications, marketing and strategic thinking.

The contract with Knowledgepool supplies the Home Office with trainers to provide specialist instruction and promote IT and core competencies as defined by the PSG.

Una McGarvie, head of e-learning skills at the Home Office Centre for Learning and Development, explained the necessity of the strategy.

“Our internal training team was facing huge demand for training. We specifically went out to find providers we could call on to deliver training for us when and where there is a requirement, and also to assist with the provision of e-learning courses to our staff.

“We have more than 120 sites and we wanted to take the training out to people when and where it was needed, without increasing our headcount,” she added.