Employers are concerned that the quality of training provided by government agencies is not up to scratch, according to a report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The latest quarterly Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development/KPMG Labour Market Outlook shows that, while employers say the government is right to prioritise skills training, there is a significant challenge ahead in convincing all employers that making the skills pledge will have real benefits in the workplace.

Fourteen per cent of those employers surveyed say they are either indifferent or uncertain about the skills pledge, with 12% suggesting it does not apply to them.

Gerwyn Davies, of the CIPD and co-author of the report, says: “These findings underline the institute’s scepticism towards the extent to which government can influence how organisations should spend their training budgets.”

The government’s skills pledge is to help every eligible employee gain basic skills and a level two qualification, equivalent to a GCSE.