Sussex Enterprise has won a £2.5 million contract to manage one of the UK's largest online universities.

The business support group has been signed up to run the learndirect network in Sussex for the next year.

It aims to use its position to address the county's skills shortage by promoting the network to businesses and prospective employees.

Through learndirect anyone can access hundreds of online courses in everything from information and communication technology to basic literacy.

There are 34 learndirect centres across Sussex, providing internet access and advice for users, regardless of age or ability.

Sussex Enterprise is poised to appoint a learndirect manager and a systems financial controller to oversee the centres.

They will be responsible for developing the county's services and learndirect branding.

Chief executive Mark Froud said: "This is a fantastic achievement. Our experience and knowledge of the Sussex business community means we are ideally placed to increase awareness of learndirect and advise employers on how they can use the service to train and develop their staff.

"We have been concerned for a long time that there is a serious skills shortage in Sussex and how badly that has affected the productivity of local businesses.

"We now have the opportunity to directly develop the skills of the workforce and the wider community."

A survey of Sussex Enterprise's 2,500 business members revealed concern about a lack of skills.

Four out of five members agreed there was a shortage of basic skills among the workforce and three-quarters said they were disappointed by the standard of school-leavers.

Of those members who have attempted to recruit staff in the last year, three-quarters experienced difficulties, with 93 per cent blaming a lack of applicants with the right skills.

Sussex Enterprise won the contract after a tendering process, beating previous learndirect managers Pan Sussex Hub.

It officially begins work tomorrow.

Learndirect is a government initiative run as part of a public-private partnership with University for industry (Ufi).

Ufi regional director Tracey Dalby said: "We are looking forward to working with Sussex Enterprise to bridge the skills gap in Sussex and bring learndirect learning to more adults."

To find out about learndirect, call 0800 101901.

Thursday July 31, 2003