RIGHT on Target! Louisa Harley, training manager at CPP at York found that a little learning became a bubbly thing when she stepped into the Target training centre.

She was awarded with a bottle of champagne for being the 1,000th person to take advantage of the Learn Direct programme at the centre in Piccadilly, York - an "any way, any time, any place" method of taking interactive courses via the Internet either for personal development or with a corporate purpose.

And there to greet her was York MP Hugh Bayley who has monitored the success of the Target operation ever since November 1999 when it became one of the country's original 68 centres spearheading the government initiative, University for Industry/learndirect programme.

Target's successful piloting of the scheme has since allowed it to be rolled out to 500 similar centres in England and Wales, each offering thousands of courses through the website ranging from basic skills in numeracy, to information technology.

The programme is monitored in York and North Yorkshire by "The Hub" - Knowledge Base UK Ltd based at the York Innovation Centre at the Science Park next to the University of York.

Quite apart from the learning done at home, or even in the workplace, as many as 100 people a day visit the Target offices to take advantage of its 30 computers.

Louisa said: "The champagne was a pleasant surprise. I enrolled at the end of January to improve my PC skills in an environment that was flexible to fit in with my work patterns - so I could learn at home, at work or by going into Target.

"As a result of mastering an Access programme I've been able to set up a database to monitor the skills, qualifications and successes of my staff of seven CPP trainers. It has meant a real boost to efficiency."

Hugh Bayley said: "It's important for York to have highly skilled people in order to attract employers like CPP.

"It is because we have invested in these skills and through initiatives like York Science City that we have been able to build up a technical sector, of which CPP is part."

Target's founder Jim MacAulay, said that the general public paid only a £10 registration fee but there were good-value corporate charges.

Target, he said, had played a big role in helping people to return to work.