Around 400 of Swindon's businessmen and women attended the launch this week of the Workforce Development Advisory Service the new service from Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire, designed to help small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) better train their staff.

Held at the Oasis Leisure Centre, the Better People, Better Business event saw delegates from Swindon's SMEs meet advisers and training providers, as well as attend a wide range of seminars on how staff development can improve business.

Mark Nicholls, director of adviser services in Wiltshire, said: "This week's event has given a huge number of businesses a real insight into how they can improve business performance by structured training and, critically, the breadth of support available."