Home > News > November 2007 > 06 November 2007

More large employers make Skills Pledge

Skills Minister, David Lammy MP has announced the addition of four large employers to the 400 companies that have made the Skills Pledge since it was launched by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in June.

Interserve Plc, VT Group Plc, EDS UK and Reliance Security Group Ltd have each made the public commitment to support all their employees to develop themselves and work towards a relevant qualification to at least at Level 2 - the equivalent of five GCSEs at A - C grade, including basic skills such as numeracy and literacy.

Between them the four companies have more than 45,000 employees in England bringing the total number of employees that have been covered by the Skills Pledge since June to more than 2.5 million.

Making the announcement at the National Employer Service's Conference in London last week, David Lammy said: "In today's global economy having a highly skilled workforce is an economic necessity, not an optional extra. To achieve our ambition for world class skills we are giving employers a powerful voice in designing the training they require, and delivering it where and when they want it to meet their needs.

"With this truly 'demand-led' skills strategy in place we are now in a position to make a hugely significant call to action to employers, large and small, to make a public commitment to training all their staff through the 'Skills Pledge'.

"Employers committing to the Skills Pledge today and undertaking to train all their staff are showing the type of excellence we are looking to be the norm across the country."

Steve Beesley, UK operations director at EDS, said: "We view making the Skills Pledge an integral part of our commitment to the ongoing development of our staff as well as our business.

"We recognise the importance and impact of training - it improves the ability, confidence and retention of our staff, and ultimately brings about long-term business benefits, including increased productivity."

External link

For more information on the Skills Pledge, visit: traintogain.gov.uk/skillspledge

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