Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Department for EducationLatest NewsEconomics, government & businessLearning & development

Government minister rejects business’ re-organisation plea on UK skills training

by Georgina Fuller 23 Jan 2007
by Georgina Fuller 23 Jan 2007

A government minister has rejected business opinion by insisting that employers should build on the current UK skills system rather than try to revamp it.

“We have a fetish for reorganisation in this country,” said Bill Rammell, minister for higher education and lifelong learning.

“But we have got to build on existing structures and continue the shift towards work-based skills. We need much more of a demand-led system,” he added.

Rammell supported the Leitch Review recommendation of an employer pledge to train all employees to Level 2 (a minimum of five GCSEs or vocational equivalent).

“We have to get all employers to sign up, and get real commitment from them,” he told delegates at a seminar on skills last week.

But Rammell’s views on the training system massively conflicted with those of employers.

Martin Temple, director-general of the EEF manufacturer’s organisation, said employers should not be responsible for training staff to Level 2 until the skills system is sorted out.

“At the moment, we would make things worse by paying in money to a congested system,” he told Personnel Today.

Director-general of the CBI Richard Lambert has also voiced major criticism of the current UK skills programme.

“We don’t want another shuffling of the deckchairs within a dysfunctional system,” he said.

“The careers system is going backwards, there are too many agencies trying but often failing to support firms, and the government’s £3bn funding is too often spent on courses that are irrelevant to the workplace.”

Government skills envoy Sir Digby Jones, who chaired the seminar, said employers had a crucial role to play.

“I call on every employer in the country to put training at the top of their agenda,” he said.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Barometer question

Does the UK skills system need revamping? Vote online.




Georgina Fuller

previous post
Trade sercrets: Building a case for apprenticeship
next post
HR manager is first to be banned from being pension fund trustee

You may also like

Man who juggled four council jobs guilty of...

18 Jul 2025

House of Lords votes against day-one dismissal rights

18 Jul 2025

Government launches call for evidence on unpaid internships

18 Jul 2025

Hospitality made up 45% of latest job losses

18 Jul 2025

‘Window of opportunity’ to avert resident doctor strikes

18 Jul 2025

Jaguar Land Rover to lose 500 management roles

18 Jul 2025

Gender pay gaps narrow in 2024-25

17 Jul 2025

UK job vacancies fall to a 10-year low

17 Jul 2025

Zero-hours employees may have to request guaranteed hours

17 Jul 2025

How to avoid the ‘Netflix effect’ in learning...

17 Jul 2025

  • Empower and engage for the future: A revolution in talent development (webinar) WEBINAR | As organisations strive...Read more
  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+