1 Introduction 1.1 The Company is committed to lifelong learning and encourages all its employees to improve their skills and qualifications and develop their prospects for onward career progression, with responsibility shared between the Company and employees themselves. 1.2 The Company bases training and development opportunities on the requirements and objectives of the business, and decisions about investment in staff training and development are also based on business need and objectives. 1.3 The Company is committed to ensuring that access to, and decisions relating to, training and development should be made fairly and consistently, and equality of opportunity should be provided for all staff in this area. The Company will ensure that no employee is prevented from receiving training on grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief or age. 1.4 This policy sets out the training entitlement provided by the Company, any compulsory training and details of any compulsory training that the Company does not pay for, as required by employment legislation. 1.5 [Unless otherwise stated, this OR This]