Chief executives from the UK’s leading companies have thrown their weight behind www.skillstories.org, a website designed to help employers work together on improving the skills of their people.

The site was developed by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and industry group Business in the Community and has been launched with the backing of advisory firm KPMG. It borrows innovative social networking technology familiar to such sites as Facebook and enables employers to upload a style profile that details their skills and training initiatives. Employers can then interact online and search a comprehensive database of resources, events and news for the skills sector.

Skills minister, David Lammy MP, says: “Poor literacy and numeracy costs the UK economy £10bn per year in lost revenue from taxes, lower productivity and the increased burden on the welfare state. We are making huge headway and I believe we can crack the problem of low skills, but only in partnership with business.”

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