FSB tells government not to 'pass the buck' on training

News Article - 09 June 2009
Category: Business

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is urging the government and its skills organisations to stop shifting the blame on investment in employee training.

Following the Labour Party Conference where the prime minister accused small firms of not training their workers, the FSB has said that the government has little understanding of why training is so hard to carry out.

Colin Willman, FSB national skills chairman, said: "Recently we have had everyone from the prime minister to the Sector Skills Development Agency claiming that small firms do not carry out enough training for their staff.

"To us this seems like a case of passing the buck. The prime minister was elected on the back of a promise to reform education but our members often have to pick up the pieces of the failing school system. New, school-leaver employees often cannot even read, write or add up to a decent standard."

Mr Williams added that the organisations employed to provide skills training do not appreciate that small businesses need training which is tailored to their needs - something which is not widely on offer, he said.

A survey by the FSB found that if financial assistance was offered, 52 per cent of members would provide more staff training and if the levels of training were improved, 40 per cent of employers would seek further tuition.

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