Lord Sandy Leitch was commissioned by HM Treasury to produce the report, which sets out an agenda for radical change of the current skills spectrum, in order to address the weak skills base of the UK compared to other countries.

“The key themes of the report signal a major turning point for employers in our sector,” said Keith Marshall, Chief Executive of SummitSkills. “The routing of public funding for adult vocational skills through employer-led routes will end the 'supply-side' planning of training provision.

“A stronger voice for employers was reinforced through Lord Leitch's emphasis on Sector Skills Councils and a newly proposed Commission for Employment and Skills. This underpins the place for employers at the centre of influencing the skills agenda.

“The important focus for employers is that these reforms are a 'something for something' deal between government and business. This approach recommends that employers take more responsibility for training in return for more influence over the type of training available, and that the Government takes more responsibility to reform and invest in training provision.”

The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, has accepted the principles of Lord Leitch's recommendations and will now look at how best to achieve them.

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