WITH the altruistic motive shaped by the maxim that the future of a country is in its youth, some York firms are making special efforts to train and develop young members of staff.

It is part of a new initiative for 18 to 21-year-olds, led by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The Level 2 initiative, as it is called, was launched by the LSC in January.

While one side of the project promotes the idea of learning and training to young people, the other side of the initiative aims to persuade York businesses to train their young employees, and help them to gain Level 2 standard qualifications such as NVQs and Modern Apprenticeships.

Anthony Knowles, senior operations manager at the LSC, North Yorkshire, said: "Our task is to try and break down the barriers that are preventing employers from helping their young employees to succeed, and to show employers that training young people can actually improve their motivation, reliability and commitment."

Some businesses in York need little convincing, as they have already seen the benefits of training young staff for themselves.

One example is Room, a home furnishings shop within the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet, where manager Shelley Richards encouraged a young employee, Katy Smith, to take up an NVQ in Retail.

Katy said: "When I started work, Shelley mentioned that she thought it would be good for me to do an NVQ. I was a bit hesitant at first, because I didn't want to go to college or night school, but when I found out that I didn't have to do either, I decided to go for it."

Katy's NVQ involves work set by local training organisation JHP Training, which she can do in her own time, together with practical on-the-job skills taught by Shelly.

The benefits to the employer, according to Shelly, more than make the training worthwhile. She said: "I knew how an NVQ worked as I had done something similar myself, and I felt that getting a Level 2 qualification would really benefit Katy. Having the training makes Katy much more aware about the whole issue of customer service, and it means that she takes more pride in her work.

"Without the extra motivation that training provides, it is much more difficult to work your way up, but Katy now takes over my role when I'm away. I would like her to become deputy manager eventually, as I think that having the Level 2 qualification has really helped to speed up her progress in the job."

At Russells Restaurant in Stonegate, York, head chef Simon Rhodes, who has been taking part in staff development for ten years, tells a similar story. He employs 20-year-old Rebecca Haswell, who is studying for an NVQ Level 2 in Hospitality and Catering for one day a week at York College.

Simon said: "I wouldn't have been involved in staff training for so long if I didn't think that it benefits the business. NVQs don't cost us a thing, and we know that we are getting well-trained employees at the end of it."

Like many employers involved in day-release training, Russells Restaurant is actively concerned with each student's progress - something that Simon Rhodes sees as an important part of the training process. He said: "I work very closely with the college and get a lot of support from them. I have meetings with Rebecca's tutor, which are a good opportunity for the college to find out a bit more about the work that I have been doing with her. I can also catch up on how Rebecca is doing, and discover any areas where she might need a bit of extra help."

For both Room and Russells, developing young staff helps to produce employees with a greater depth of understanding and more rounded skills. So why doesn't every employer take advantage of day-release and apprenticeship training options to help young employees on the path to career success? According to the LSC's Anthony Knowles, there's a fear factor.

Anthony said: "Many employers would like a better trained workforce, but they fear the cost of training. In fact, Level 2 qualifications involve no actual outlay, and in some cases there may even be incentives available to companies placing young people on training courses.

"What employers really need to understand is that these qualifications are mutually beneficial - it's a win-win situation."

Employers can find out more about training options for young employees by calling Business Link on 01904 686000.

Updated: 09:37 Tuesday, April 23, 2002