The Outsourced Training Company (TOTC) has welcomed the news that a number of its key clients have been in the first 150 organisations to make the Skills Pledge, a Government initiative which challenges employers to sign a pledge to improve the basic skills of their workforces.

The TOTC Business Development Director, said:

"We have always known that globally successful companies treat skills development as a major priority within their business and seeing over 150 organisations make this pledge so quickly re-enforces this.

"We have been working very hard with our key clients to help them to see how making such a public pledge would send a strong message to their employees and customers, demonstrating how seriously they take training and development. We are working closely with these clients to help them draw concrete plans of how they will manage to deliver on this commitment over the next few years.”

To summarise, he said: “Any organisation looking at how it can improve its productivity and competitiveness should make the pledge. The momentum it would give an organisation could be the final step to closing its skills gaps.”