CABINET OFFICE News
Release (GS/000-1) issued by The Government News Network on 18 April 2007
Released by the
Cabinet Office on behalf of Government Skills
Leaders across central government today, Wednesday 18 April, made
a commitment that every eligible employee will be helped to gain
basic skills and a level two qualification (broadly equivalent to
5 GCSEs at grades A* -C). This commitment covers over 475,000
people working to deliver public services in nineteen departments.
Permanent Secretaries from fourteen of the departments joined Sir
Gus O'Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil
Service (who made the skills pledge on behalf of the Cabinet
Office), at a signing ceremony organised by Government Skills, the
sector skills council for central government.
Sir Richard Mottram, Chairman of Government Skills, said:
"I am delighted that these departments which together employ
over ninety per cent of those working for central government, and
one and a half per cent of the entire UK workforce, have
specifically committed to raise the skills and qualifications of
their employees. This clearly signals the determination of the
civil service to meet the skills challenge highlighted in the
Leitch report on skills.
"Not everyone realises the range of roles carried out by
civil servants - the vast majority of our staff are based up and
down the country delivering services to the public. Our skills
challenges are very similar to those facing the wider economy.
There remains much work for us all to do in developing our action
plans to implement the pledge, but today's event provides a
useful opportunity for us not only to set an example to other
employers, but also to demonstrate clearly to our own staff the
importance we attach to skills development now and in the future."
To ensure progress against the pledge can be monitored
effectively, Government Skills has commissioned a skills survey
across the entire sector. Andrew McDonald, Chief Executive of
Government Skills, said:
"This survey will give us a very detailed picture of the
current skills of employees which we can share with employers -
and training providers - to enable us to plan more effectively the
learning and development activity required both now and for the
future. This is a vital part of our work to ensure employees
within the public sector have the right skills to deliver
effective public services."
In response to the commitment made today Sir Digby Jones, the
Treasury- appointed Skills Tsar, said:
"I make no apologies for calling loudly upon government to
lead by example in this area and so I am delighted to see
government taking up the skills challenge within its own
workforce. These people do a vital job - they deal with our tax
claims and pay our benefits and pensions as well as delivering
advice and support to businesses, schools and families. I will
follow the progress made with real interest."
Notes to editors
1. In his report on skills published in December 2006, Lord
Leitch warned that unless strong action was taken over the next
few years to address skills levels in the workforce, the UK
economy was likely to be seriously damaged in its ability to
compete in world markets. He proposed a skills pledge - that every
eligible employee be helped by their employer to gain basic skills
and a level two qualification. The pledge is currently a voluntary
commitment, but Lord Leitch also proposed that unless significant
progress was made by 2010, the government should consider
legislating to require employers to provide support.
2. The DfES is the departmental lead on implementing Lord
Leitch's recommendations. Signing on behalf of his
department, David Bell, Permanent Secretary for DfES said:
"It is hugely important that the Department for Education
and Skills itself is one of the first Government Departments to
make a public commitment to the skills pledge to enable all our
people to acquire the skills they need to operate effectively at
work and in life.
"This signing sends out a very clear signal that the
principles of the skills pledge are highly relevant to employers
and employees alike. This government wants all employers to equip
every eligible employee with the basic skills and first level two
qualification they need to succeed. Lord Leitch's ambition
for the nation to become a world class leader in skills by 2020 is
achievable if we work together. I urge every employer, both in the
private and public sector, to follow our lead and sign up to the
skills pledge."
3. Government Skills is coordinating central government employers
in making the skills pledge. The departments signing the pledge at
today's ceremony today were: Cabinet Office, Department for
Education and Skills, Department of Health, Department for Food,
Environment and Rural Affairs, Department for Work and Pensions,
HM Revenue and Customs, HM Treasury, Home Office, Treasury
Solicitors Department, GCHQ, Department for International
Development, Department for Transport and Department for
Communities and Local Government. Those departments unable to
attend today's ceremony were: Department of Trade and
Industry, Department for Constitutional Affairs, Department for
Culture, Media and Sport, Ministry of Defence and Crown
Prosecution Service.
4. Government Skills was licensed as a sector skills council in
January 2006 and is one of 25 SSCs charged with driving forward
the skills agenda and representing the views of employers.
Government Skills covers the skills and development of all those
working in central government, plus those in the armed forces.