Worcester companies seeking to fast-track the development of their own health and safety expertise are being offered a major opportunity.

Training courses for the UK's two most popular basic health and safety qualifications have been launched by EEF West Midlands, including a day release version devised to give hard-pressed and busy companies much more scope to release employees.

SES, the EEF West Midlands' specialist health and safety division is introducing training for the NEBOSH National General Certificate (NGC) and the IOSH Managing Safely qualification, based at the association's dedicated training facility in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Health and safety is a key strategic focus for the EEF across the UK, and the employers' association recently reached a stakeholder agreement with the Health and Safety Executive to help promote best practice across the manufacturing and engineering sectors. The courses are available this autumn in conventional block release form.

At the same time, acknowledging the difficulty many companies have in releasing members of staff, SES has also developed a day release option, running on 10 consecutive Wednesdays from late August to October.

The block release version of the NGC covers two weeks, Monday, September 25 to Friday, September 29, 2006, and Monday, October 23 to Friday, October 27, 2006. The day release version runs for 10 consecutive Wednesdays from Wednesday, August 23, 2006, to Wednesday, October 25, 2006. The fee for either option is £1,791 plus VAT per delegate, including registration and examination fess.

The block release version of the managing safely programme runs from Monday, October 30 to Thursday, November 2, while the day release option runs on four consecutive Wednesdays from November 8 to November 29. The fee for either option is £745 plus VAT per delegate.

Further information is available from SES on 0121 456 2222.