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The announcement of three new National Skills Academies aims to provide for more than 400,000 people over five years.

The skills academies - covering topics including sport and active leisure, creative and cultural and hospitality - have been created to solve specific skills shortages in their respective sectors, enabling employers, government and other stakeholders to design more effective solutions to training needs.

The new academies will provide for more than 20,000 learners in their first year alone, providing a boost to the UK's talent pool.

There are now nine approved National Skills Academies, representing real progress towards the government's target of having a skills academy in each major sector by the end of 2011.

David Lammy, minister for skills, who announced the expansion, said: "The National Skills Academy network will make a substantial contribution to the success of the UK economy.

"By making a long-term investment in high quality training, tailored to specific sector needs, the employers involved in these partnerships will reap dividends in terms of enhanced productivity, creativity and competitiveness."

Michele Roberts, director of skills development network for the LSC, said: "The network is a result of teamwork between business and Government to keep training provision the core of these vital industries.

"We are working hard to help modernise training delivery so that it is relevant and keeps pace with employer demand. We want learners to access industry skills so they remain inspired and competitive for years to come."

The growth of the network is set to continue with the launch of a new prospectus aimed at encouraging more employers to work together to set the training agenda in their sectors.