The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has signed up to support the government’s skills pledge, despite its recent criticism of the closing of the programme’s main funding vehicle, the Learning and Skills Council.
The BCC’s director general David Frost signed the pledge at a ceremony earlier today in the company of John Denham, secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills.
Signing the pledge means that the BCC is now committed to ensuring that employees are constantly learning and developing new skills. This will hopefully support the workers’ future employability whilst simultaneously meeting the business needs of the BCC.
Today, Frost said he was “reassured that the government is committed to working with employers to ensure that employees have the necessary skill sets to make a full contribution to the success of their company.”
Denham said that while 3.3 million employees are currently covered by the skills pledge involvement from SMEs is crucial to the success of the programme. “We do need to do more at a local and regional level and encourage further involvement from SMEs.”
“To ensure all employers engage with the support that is now on offer, the business community must take ownership of the skills agenda,” he concluded.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2008
