A scheme offering care and social work staff in the North East the opportunity to do work-based training has been set up by Topss England.

The Accreditation of Workplace Learning Project hopes to improve access to accredited qualification schemes - everything from NVQ1 to PQ7 will be available. It is targeting voluntary and private sector employers in Tyne and Wear, the Tees Valley, Durham and Northumberland as many do not offer accredited courses.

Mike Soanes, learning and development manager at Barnardo's Northeast, which has signed up to the scheme, says: "Most training takes place in the work place and this seems to offer a way of recognising and accrediting that."

The scheme's manager, Anne Hubbard, hopes it will improve staff retention by providing a structured approach to career development and meet the government's NVQ training targets.

The scheme has received almost £700,000 of Learning and Skills Council funding.