What is it?
The Skills Pledge is a voluntary, public commitment by the leadership of a company to encourage and support all its employees to develop their basic skills, including literacy and numeracy, and work towards relevant qualifications to at least a Level 2 (equivalent to 5 good GCSEs).
What am I signing up to?
The Skills Pledge contains the following minimum commitment:
That your company will
- actively encourage and support our employees to gain the skills and qualifications that will support their future employability and meet the needs of your business/organisation;
- actively encourage and support your employees to acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills, and with Government support work towards their first Level 2 qualification in an area that is relevant to your business/organisation;
- demonstrably raise your employees’ skills and competencies to improve company/organisation performance through investing in economically valuable training and development.
This is the minimum commitment for companies signing the Pledge. If you want to include other, higher level training, you can, but you must include this commitment to encourage and support all your staff to a minimum of a first full Level 2 qualification.
How can I make it work for my business?
Firstly, EEF recommends that you look strategically at the direction of your business and your sector. Once you have a strong idea where you are heading, you can make a judgement as to what skills you will need your employees to have in order for you to be successful.
We then recommend that you look at the current skills profile of your workforce. How many people are qualified at the different levels, and do their qualifications provide them with the skills they need now? And do they have the skills your company will need for the future?
You might find that all your employees already have a qualification at Level 2. You may also find that your companies current and future skill needs are at a higher level - Level 3 or above.
Now look at the provisions of the minimum commitment - do they match your business needs? Will this commitment provide you with the skills you need to improve competitiveness and productivity?
If you think your needs are at a higher level, you can amend the minimum commitment to include provision to support and encourage employees to achieve Level 3 qualifications (or higher). Be aware that Government support for higher level qualifications is not usually readily available, and the company and/or the individual may have to pay the full costs of such qualifications.
It is possible that your skill needs do not match the minimum commitment of the Skills Pledge - for example, the staff you employ who lack a Level 2 qualification do not require one to successfully contribute to your business, but you want to improve the skills of your technical and skilled people, who already have a Level 2 qualification or equivalent. In this case, we recommend that you contact the Train to Gain service for guidance and support on finding appropriate training, and on any funding which might be available.
What training is free?
Government funding is available for adults who lack basic skills and/or a first full Level 2 qualification.
There may also be funding in some regions and sectors to support training at higher levels.
The Train to Gain brokerage will help you find appropriate training for your business. They can also advise you on how to access any available funding for training.
Legal concerns
The Skills Pledge is not a contractual commitment. It is not legally binding on the company/organisation and does not confer any additional rights or status on an individual. It does not affect employment contracts. Employees cannot be forced to train as a result of the Skills Pledge if they really do not want to. There is no deadline by which organisations must fulfill their Skills Pledge - that is left up to each company/organisation.
Applying the Skills Pledge in engineering and manufacturing companies
The Sector Skills Councils have been tasked with supporting introduction of the Skills Pledge in their sectors. Contact the relevant SSC for your company below:
SEMTA - Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies
Improve - Food and Drink
Skillfast - Apparel, Footwear, Textiles
Cogent - Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Nuclear, Oil & Gas, Petroleum, Polymers
EU-Skills - Energy and Utilities
How can I sign up?
Contact the Train to Gain service on 08000 15 55 45, or register your interest on the website at www.traintogain.gov.uk
EEF has demonstrated our support of the Skills Pledge by being one of the first employers to sign up. We encourage employers to consider how the Skills Pledge could help improve the skills of your workforce.