Giant leap forward to bridge the skills gap.

A [pounds sterling]3.9m initiative to narrow the 'skills gap' suffered by East Midlands industries will go on the road to spread its message.

Less employer demand for training staff in higher level skills, and fewer workers entering higher education via traditional routes, have led to an East Midlands shortfall in the number of workers qualified to National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level Four - equivalent to the first year of an honours degree.

Leap Ahead - the Lifelong Learning Network for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire based at the University of Derby's Kedleston Road site - has [pounds sterling]3.9m over three years from the Higher Education Funding …