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Twenty Local Organisations Sign the Skills Pledge with John Denham MP & Eastleigh College

Hampshire Fire & Rescue sign with John Denham MP20 Flagship Organisations make the Skills Pledge with John Denham MPGuests enjoy business lunch

Twenty of the regions flagship organisations, representing over five thousand employees, took part in the signing of the Skills Pledge in association with Eastleigh College at a presentation in Southampton on Friday.

In attendance at the event was guest speaker John Denham, MP (Labour) for Southampton Itchen and Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, Chris Huhne MP (Liberal Democrats) for Eastleigh, and Martin Lamb, Area Director for LSC Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Skills Pledge, launched by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), is a voluntary public statement outlining each organisations commitment to developing skills in the workforce. In making the Skills Pledge, each organisation has made a commitment to encourage and support all of their employees to work towards a relevant, valuable Level 2 qualification which includes basic skills such as literacy and numeracy. The purpose is to ensure that all staff are skilled, competent and able to make a full contribution to the success of each organisation.

Skills Secretary John Denham, guest speaker, said:

"In challenging times, every company needs to get the best from its employees. These employers have shown real foresight in committing to ongoing training and skills development for their people, and I applaud them for making a real investment in the future prosperity of the South.

"As businesses that don't train their staff are more than twice as likely to fail, every company in the area has something to gain from making the Skills Pledge. The Government is committed to helping firms meet their training needs through an expanded and more flexible Train to Gain service, which will make it easier for small as well as larger firms to get the training they need to stay competitive."

Eastleigh College, who organised the Skills Pledge signing today, recognise the need to promote employers who value staff training and foresee that having well trained staff increases job satisfaction and performance, while also enhancing the performance of the organisation.

Tony Lau-Walker, Chief Executive of Eastleigh commented:

"We view that making a commitment to our staff through the Skills Pledge shows an investment in their future, which ultimately will benefit the organisation as a whole."

"It is important that employers lead the way, and where they want to invest in their workforce, Eastleigh College will be responsive to their needs and deliver effective, timely and successful training solutions. I feel no one organisation is able to react faster and, through our partners, provide the breadth of support that the College is able to offer".

According to research from the LSC's National Employer Service, approximately 90 percent of 201 companies polled said that training had already resulted in demonstrable benefits. These ranged from increased productivity to better employee commitment and involvement in the organisation, as well as improved employee morale.

Eastleigh College continues to champion the Skills Pledge and welcomes organisations to sign the Skills Pledge and discover how training can benefit their business.

To find out more about the Skills Pledge call the Eastleigh College Workforce Business Development Team on 023 8091 1195.

Release date 08/12/2008