The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has called on businesses across London to commit to training their staff by signing a Skills Pledge.

The Government is urging every business across England to sign the pledge in order to ensure that millions more adults have the qualifications they need to get a job and progress in their careers. 

Over 300 London Employers have already pledged to train their staff,and the LSC is hoping that many more will sign up this week.
 
Hundreds of the top HR directors and learning and development providers from businesses across London are expected to attend this weeks HRD 2008 exhibition at Excel until April 17. 

Research recently carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development stated that although only 13% of the 700 companies surveyed had signed the skills pledge, up to 50% would consider signing up to the pledge or participating in the Train to Gain initiative.
 
David Hughes, Regional Director of the LSC in London said:
 
“The Train to Gain programme in London is gathering momentum.  To date 12,000 employers have joined the programme, 6,000 of which had not undertaken any training in the previous 12 months, and 45 000 employees have started an LSC funded qualification (Level 2, 3 or Skills for Life).  I urge all employers to follow suit and prioritise skills training at every level, to drive their business to a better future.”
 
According to research from the Learning and Skills Council’s National Employer Service almost 90 per cent of the 201 companies polled said that training had already resulted in demonstrable benefits ranging from increased productivity to better employee commitment and involvement in the organisation and improved employee morale.
 
 
David Fairhurst, Senior Vice President & Chief People Office of McDonalds said:
 
 
“We have committed to the Skills Pledge because we’ve always believed that engaging employees through training produces better customer service and higher staff retention rates, which ultimately have a positive impact on the bottom line of any business.”
 
For more information about Train to Gain and the Skills Pledge visit www.traintogain.gov.uk.