A SKILLS swap service has been launched to support business battling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership's Skills and Employment Hub has launched the service to help businesses who are looking for people or volunteers, want to train their staff or want to offer people with knowledge and expertise to work for another business.

One of the first businesses to register was the Accrington-based Affilius Group, which is offering staff to work for or within another business to offer knowledge and expertise in IT, software, networks and remote working.

Andrew Dewhurst, MD of Affilius Group, said: "I registered on Skills Swap because we are keen to support Lancashire's businesses through our expertise in IT which is critically needed at this time."

Lancashire County Council is another organisation which has registered on Skills Swap as it needs to recruit more paid carers.

Steve Fogg, who chairs of the LEP, said: "At this time more than ever, the skills needs of all businesses are changing rapidly. There are now huge skills demands in certain sectors and a supply of people who are not currently working from other sectors.

“We saw that there was no single place for Lancashire's business community to communicate opportunities and needs for addressing the skills needs of Lancashire. This service is here to help."

You can access the Lancashire Skills Swap by visiting www.lancashireskillshub.co.uk/skills-swap/ or by emailing LancsSkillsHub@lancashirelep.co.uk