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Employers 'not responsible for paid training'

23 June 2008

Skills minister David Lammy has reassured firms they will not be expected to pay an employee while they are training.

The minister made his comments after proposals were announced last week under which employees will be eligible to request time off for training after six months of employment.

Speaking to Personnel Today, Mr Lammy said: "Employers would not be obliged to pay an employees' salary while they were undertaking training, or to organise or pay for the training, but we would expect many to choose to do so."

Mr Lammy expressed his hope that the entitlement would encourage those companies which do not offer training at present to run new schemes.

This could potentially benefit 300,000 people, he added.

Announcing a consultation into the plans last week, innovation, universities and skills secretary John Denham said the government needed to find new ways to "bring the drive for skills into every workplace".

The new right to request time off for training is expected to come into effect in 2010.