A LEARNING progra-mme pioneered at a Gwent firm is set to spread. It was developed by Remploy at Abertillery to help people acquire new skills and is now to be extended to all the company's UK operations.

Remploy is the UK's largest employer of disabled people and is committed to helping individuals progress in employment - in company and also into external organisations. Mike Clarke, regional manager with responsibility for employee development, said: "This is one of the most exciting development in Remploy.

"We are developing a real learning culture which will benefit our staff, our customers and our business.

"The learning programme involves working with people to find out what each individual wishes to achieve, either in work or in other aspects of life.

"We create a personalised development plan to identify appropriate learning packages. These are helping people to obtain the experience and qualifications necessary to enable them to progress and reach their objectives.

"All the learning packages have been piloted by Remploy to meet local needs. This programme we have piloted in Wales is working so well that we will be introducing it to all Remploy's 82 sites in the UK."

Local Remploy manager Graham Summers said: "We have run the scheme here for six months and it has had a very enthusiastic response and excellent take-up. It is voluntary with each person helped to identify development needs. It is proving good for individuals who can achieve more, and multi- skilled people are good for Remploy."

The company supports 11,000 disabled people in the UK of whom 1,800 are in Wales. With annual sales of £170m Remploy manufactures a range of own brand products, as well as handling contract work for UK companies in the aerospace, automotive and chemical sectors.