Consultation - Time to Train (England)
From: DIUS
Date published: 18 June 2008
Response due: 10 September 2008
Semta response submitted: 10 September 2008
Summary
This consultation seeks views on proposals to give employees in
England a right to request time for training. This would be
based on the existing right to request flexible working.
- All employees will be eligible, including those who
have already achieved a Level 2 or basic skills.
Employees can ask their employer for time to train, where the
training will benefit both them and the employer.
- Requests do not have to be about accredited programmes, but
might simply be for short, unaccredited training.
- The employer must consider a request carefully, but could
decline it for a good business reason and there will be no
requirements on employers where an employee was recruited less than
26 weeks previously.
- Employers agreeing a request can meet the employee's
salary during training if they wish, but are not obliged to do so
if it is 'off the job' training.
- Employers agreeing a request can organise the training if they
wish, and indeed pay for it, but there is no obligation to do so.
Work-based training would count as 'time to train'.
- Alternatively the employee may need to arrange their own
training, perhaps through a local college, but will benefit from
being released from work. The employer would not be expected to pay
towards this if they did not wish to do so.
- The practical arrangements which employers would follow would
be modelled on the existing right to request flexible working.
Appeals to employers, and tribunal arrangements, would also follow
that system.
The government announced the outcome of the consultation in
December 2008 and is pressing forward with the proposals through
the Children, Skills and Learning Bill. The Welsh Assembly
Government and Scottish Government both ran their own
consultations based on the England proposals.
Next steps
The Children, Skills and Learning Bill will progress through
Parliament during 2009.
Documents and Links
Semta's
response
DIUS website on the consultation
Semta represents the view of our employers across government and
the media. If you are an employer in the science,
engineering, or manufacturing technology sectors, we welcome your
views at policy@semta.org.uk
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9 January 2009