A new Employer Ownership Fund has been launched in order to give employers direct access to public investment as part of efforts to improve the skills and productivity of the UK workforce.

The Fitness Industry Association (FIA) has been working with the Skills Funding Agency, SkillsActive and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to identify how health and fitness employers should respond to the fund.

The first phase, which is worth £50m, is now open and is inviting proposals from employers to design and deliver their own training solutions.

As part of the scheme, FIA is seeking views and opinions from the industry through an online questionnaire. To access the survey and to take part, click here.

According to the FIA, proposals that will be considered must be "new, innovative and deliver an impact on productivity" through a reduction in unemployment and the creation of career pathways.

David Stalker, CEO, FIA said: "The new Employer Ownership Fund directly targets the people with knowledge of their training needs; it places the ball firmly in the employers court to design and implement excellent training for their staff.

"The new fund will look favourably on collaborative proposals and the FIA is well placed to bridge these partnerships and match up like-minded proposals.

"I urge all employers to complete our online survey so that we can gain an overview of their needs, offer companies the best support for funding applications and create a partnership approach to design and implement future training and up-skill our professionals".

The full FIA briefing document on the Employer Ownership Fund is available by clicking here.