SMALLER businesses in the Tees Valley area are being offered free IT training for their staff.

ClickHere, IT and personal development training company, has Learning Skills Council funding to provide courses for 300 employees of SMEs towards the European Computer Driver's Licence (ECDL), an internationally-recognised IT qualification equivalent to an NVQ level 2.

"First and foremost, the training is free - the only requirements are that your employer is a small to medium enterprise in the Tees Valley area, and that includes Darlington and Hartlepool, you have an recognised need to develop IT skills and the willingness to complete the training," said Chris Ritchie, ClickHere's training coordinator.

Courses are jointly financed through the European Social Fund and are designed to raise basic IT skill levels among smaller businesses which often struggle to pay for staff training.

For more information about the courses, contact Chris Ritchie at ClickHere, on 0845 1304613