Training Skills
Up to 22 million workers in England should soon be able to use a new legal right to request time off work to train. Given that at least a third of employers do not currently offer their staff any training, this new right should ensure that they start to take the issue more seriously.
Under the Government’s proposals, employees who have worked for their employer for 26 weeks will have the right to ask for time away from their mainstream duties to undertake relevant training. Their employer would then have to seriously consider the request, but could refuse to grant it if they had a good business reason to do so. For instance if they were not convinced that the training would help improve business performance.
Employees can ask to undertake accredited programmes leading to a qualification, or for unaccredited training to help them develop a specific skill relevant to their job. In both cases, the only requirement would be that training should help improve business performance and productivity.
Through Train to Gain (the main source of Government funding available to businesses which want to up skill their workforce), employers granting requests for time to train will be able to access Government support and funding rising to over £1 billion by 2010-11. Equally, the established network of over 19,000 Union Learning Representatives (among other support) will help individuals to get the most out of the new right.
The Government expects about 300,000 people a year to receive skills training under this proposal, which could be in place by 2010, subject to its passage through Parliament.