COUNTY Durham is leading the way in workforce development with a unique online toolkit, designed to help small and medium sized companies become more competitive.

The Training Needs Analysis Toolkit, called Deva, uses a set of business analysis modules to provide companies with a workforce development action plan. It identifies specific training needs using industry standards and a business can work on the modules at their own pace. Online mentoring support is available to provide a quick response to queries or problems.

Tom Brown, a business adviser at Business Link County Durham (BLCD), explained that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have less access to in-house human resource expertise than larger organisations. Small firms can lose sight of the picture because they are coping with the demanding, short-term needs of running a business.

"Investment in human resources is as important as investment in technology or machinery and businesses need highly competent managers and workforces more than ever," he said. "The toolkit is an innovative and creative project and an important development for SMEs."

Three County Durham companies have already used the paper version of the toolkit on a trial basis and it has passed with flying colours. For George Stephenson, general manager of Peterlee Glass Company, it has given them an extremely valuable overview of the whole business.

"It has helped us to recognise the company's strengths and future market opportunities as well as our current skill levels," he said. "We are currently in the middle of an £800,000 expansion programme which will add another 10 employees to our workforce of 28 and are confident that the toolkit will continue to help us in the future."

The company's expertise in architectural glass takes their designer glass staircases, furniture and stained glass features into designer homes, shops and offices in the USA, the Middle East and Japan as well as across Europe.

Deva's dedicated web-site can be found at www.workforcedevelopment.org.uk. A paper version for companies unable to access the website is also available.

Deva has been developed by Business Link County Durham. For details contact Helen Deakin on (0191) 374 4000.