A COMPANY'S clerical assistants are more confident about handling large sums of cash thanks to a training scheme.

Eighteen months ago, 12 assistants at the BT Service Centre in Durham began training with Protocol Skills, which provides vocational qualifications.

As part of a pilot scheme involving BT and the employment agency Manpower, the organisation carried out work-based tuition.

Many of those involved have now achieved, or are about to achieve, an NVQ level 2 or Foundation Modern Apprenticeship in Business Administration.

They are confident of processing payments of up to £7m a day

Training consultant Kirsten Bell, of the Protocol Skills Centre at Claypath, Durham, said: "BT is very keen for its employees to receive nationally recognised qualifications and although it delivers very good on-the-job training, it also recognises the added value of vocational training.

"When it comes to recruitment, more and more employers are now realising the benefits of vocational training because they know they are getting employees who are already competent to do the job."