Lammy fails to lead by example by snubbing Leitch skills pledge event

Skills minister David Lammy failed to turn up to deliver the keynote speech at a skills event in London yesterday.

Lammy instead chose to deliver his plea for HR professionals to sign their firms up to the Leitch skills pledge in a pre-recorded video at the Skills Summit 2007.

The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) told Personnel Today that the minister was “out of the country” – but could not confirm where or why.

In the absence of a skills envoy since Sir Digby Jones left the role to become a minister in July, DIUS has been charged with driving take-up of the skills pledge.

One delegate told Personnel Today: “It doesn’t send out a very good message.”

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Lammy’s video message told delegates that globalisation represented the biggest change to the economy since the industrial revolution.

Sector Skills Development Agency director of development Mike Campbell then told delegates that training 300,000 extra workers would add £10bn to the country’s GDP.