Regional minister backs the Skills Pledge

Adult social care employers and 22 local authorities in Yorkshire and the Humber said a resounding "yes" to skills investment recently, backed by regional minister Rosie Winterton, who has made the skills agenda a key priority.

Social care organisations who have signed up to the Skills Pledge were honoured at the Skills for Care regional conference, whilst leaders of the 22 Yorkshire and the Humber local authorities gave a unified thumbs up to investing in the skills of their employees, when they met with regional minister Rosie Winterton to make the Skills Pledge.

Celebrating its second anniversary this month, the Skills Pledge was developed to boost the importance of training in the workplace, something that is even more vital during an economic downturn and especially as research reveals that 14% of Yorkshire employers recognise they have skills gaps in their workforce.¹

Skills for Care has been working with employers across the region to encourage them to sign up to the Skills Pledge. The conference brought together service users, carers, training providers and adult social care employers to improve training for the adult social care workforce in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Speaking at the Local Government conference 'Meeting the Skills Challenge in Yorkshire and the Humber' Rosie Winterton took the opportunity to talk to local authority leaders about the importance of skills and how making the Skills Pledge can enable organisations to take control of training, and focus on the skills they need to succeed.

She said: "I am proud that all 22 local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber have made the Skills Pledge, one of only two regions to achieve this. This region is setting a benchmark I hope all other parts of the country will follow. There are now over 1,700 employers in the region that have signed up and that sends a very strong message to staff, local businesses, service users and others that skills are crucial to future prosperity."

Margaret Coleman, regional director for the LSC in Yorkshire and the Humber, said: "We know how hard it can be for employers to look beyond the day-to-day worries of the current economic climate, but one thing that will help organisations weather the storm is to invest in training. The Skills Pledge goes to the heart and soul of a business or organisation. There are huge advantages for the employer, employees and for the region in raising skills levels and I am delighted that so many organisations are committing to this principle."

The Skills Pledge was launched in June 2007 and since then over 17,027 organisations across the UK have signed up to the pledge, covering more than six million employees.

Employers interested in making the Skills Pledge should visit the website at: www.lsc.gov.uk/skillspledge

¹National Employer Skills Survey Data from NESS 2005 and 2007

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