What is the Skills Agenda?

In 2004 Lord Leitch was commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Education Secretary to prepare a report on the UKs ability to compete in globalised markets. The Leitch Report, published in December 2006, recommended that the UK should aim to be a world leader on skills by 2020, and suggested how that aim should be achieved.

In response, the government developed the Skills Agenda – a strategy delivered through Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and Regional Skills Partnerships (RSPs).

To support the Skills Agenda, organisations are encouraged to sign up to the Skills Pledge – a public commitment to drive your business forward by training your employees. This commitment is supported by Train to Gain - a government service offering independent advice on improving the skills of employees. The service helps employers – of all sizes and in all sectors – to boost their business by training their staff.

The Skills Pledge is a promise that the employer will work to realise the potential of all their employees by developing their basic skills and working towards relevant, valuable qualifications. By making the Skills Pledge employers commit to train their workforce to at least Level 2 – the equivalent of five good GCSEs, grades A–C.

The Qualifications & Credit Framework defines the levels and benchmarks qualifications against them. Many of Reed Learning's qualification programmes are mapped to nationally-recognised levels: