£3.5m to help staff skills in Wrexham and Flintshire
A £3.5m Welsh Assembly Government grant has been released to help north Wales businesses train staff.
The Skills for the Workforce programme aims to help 2,400 employees in Wrexham and Flintshire develop new skills.
The three-year project will be available for up to 600 small or medium businesses.
Firms will be required to pay £50 per person to register and training will be provided by Deeside College, Yale College and Coleg Llysfasi.
The funding includes £1.5m from the European Social Fund.
Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones said: "The Skills for the Workforce programme demonstrates how we can use EU funding to help us achieve our commitment to driving Wales forward on the road to economic recovery.
"Our aim is to deliver the skills needed by the sectors that will provide high quality, sustainable jobs for Wales."