17. To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps he is taking to increase employer awareness of the benefits of skills training for employees. (187385)

It is vital that employers are aware of the benefits skills training can unlock for both employers and their employees. Through “Train to Gain” more than 70,000 employers have been engaged since its launch in April 2006. We launched the “Skills Pledge” in June 2007 and now have more than 950 employers committed. And through our skills marketing campaign, ‘our future, its in our hands’, we are further raising awareness.