The new Government £20 million business training scheme will bring new skills and business knowledge to rural areas, helping them take up new opportunities in the home and export markets.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: “Having the right skills to run a business is crucial if budding entrepreneurs want to be successful. For too long the needs of rural business people have been overlooked. Those days are now over. Businesses in the remotest parts of the country will now have access to the best training so they can grow and help our country to compete even more in the global race.”

Defra will meet 70 per cent of training costs through its Rural Development Programme for England with the remaining 30 per cent met by individuals or their employers.

Subsided courses in subjects including business and management, market opportunities and information technology will be open to businesses and individuals. They will range from one-day workshops to industry-recognised qualifications and will be run on college campuses, in village halls, on farms and in business centres. The organisations providing the training will be able to tailor the courses to meet demand.

Mr Paterson is making today’s announcement on a fact-finding Rural Roadshow to Herefordshire. He will visit Herefordshire College of Technology, one of many colleges offering training in horticultural, agricultural and forestry skills as part of the scheme.

Rural Roadshows allow ministers to hear first-hand from rural communities and businesses what more the Government can do to support economic growth and help their communities to thrive.