MILLIONS of pounds are being made available to help the region's businesses tackle poor staff literacy and numeracy.

Employers across County Durham have been told that deficiencies in basic staff skills could cost their organisations as much as £200,000 a year.

The figures emerged at Skills for Success, at the Ramside Hall Hotel, Durham, which attracted a wide range of large and small public and private sector organisations.

The event was organised by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) County Durham, which explained what cash is available.

Thanks to eQ8 - a scheme designed to help organisations develop their business by offering job-related training - employers can now also get financial help to cover training costs, including those incurred when employees are away from the workplace.

David Lane, interim director of skills and planning at LSC County Durham, said: "Raising levels of skills not only opens up life chances for employees, it also helps employers to raise the productivity and quality of their organisation.

"The LSC works in close partnership with Business Link, FE Colleges and a wide range of other providers of training to meet employers' skill needs, which is the fundamental part of our work."

The evening ended with presentations of Investors in People certificates to 49 organisations in County Durham.