THAMES Valley employers were among the first to hear details of a new Government initiative which could revolutionise traditional workplace training methods.

Ufi expert Prof Peter Goodall explained the aims of the University for Industry (UfI) when he spoke at the AGM of the Thames Valley branch of the Institute of Directors at Bisham Abbey on May 13.

"UfI will rewrite the rules on how people facilitate learning. Training out, education in," Prof Goodall, told the BFP in an exclusive briefing before the meeting.

"It wants to get modems into every small firm in Britain so that people can have access to what they need to learn, when they need to learn it," he said.

The programmes could be delivered either within the work or home environment, making full use of IT and interactive TV technology.

Prof Goodall - who is director-general of the European Network for Integrated Materials Management, based in Cardiff - told the meeting the days of a job for life were over. The emphasis for the future must be on transferable skills.

"If we want Britain to be great within the global economy, then we have to ensure the skills of our workforce are as great as the skills of the workforce of our major competitors," he said.

"If they can develop those skills, if they can develop the enthusiasm for work, if they can develop a feeling of pride in giving back that which they have learned within the workplace, then for employers there will be benefits, for workers there will be benefits, there will be long-term stability and greater economic growth - that is the University for Industry."

He urged training initiatives to be 'company led from the top', and not left to training managers, emphasising the leading role to be played by organisations such as the IoD and the CBI.

Details of the scheme were met with interest by Prof Goodall's business audience. Chris Gulliver, IoD branch chairman, said he hoped it could be set up without too much red tape.

In the week leading up to the meeting, Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett announced the formation of a transition team which will develop the legal and administrative structures and business plans for the UfI. He also named the members of the UfI board, which will be chaired by Lord (David) Sainsbury. Its first projects are expected to be launched in the Millennium Dome.

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