TWO Suffolk businesses passed the Skills Pledge “baton” on to other local businesses at an event hosted by the Learning & Skills Council in Ipswich. The occasion was part of a bid to spread the message about the benefits which workplace learning can have for employees and the success of local business.

TWO Suffolk businesses passed the Skills Pledge “baton” on to other local businesses at an event hosted by the Learning & Skills Council in Ipswich.

The occasion was part of a bid to spread the message about the benefits which workplace learning can have for employees and the success of local business.

Pilot Drilling Control, a Lowestoft-based company that provides drilling tools to the oil and gas offshore industry, and Suffolk County Council recently signed up to the Skills Pledge, an LSC initiative which encourages businesses to make a public commitment to workplace learning and skills development for their staff.

At the event, Pilot Drilling Control and Suffolk County Council agreed to “pass the baton” on to other businesses yet to sign up, in a bid to spread the message that staff development and encouraging learning at work can have a huge impact on the success of the business and local economy.

The two organisations also each received a certificate in recognition of the investment made to help employees gain new skills and qualifications to do their jobs and meet the needs of local business.

Now one year old, the Skills Pledge was launched in 2007 by the LSC to encourage employers to make a public and voluntary commitment to actively support employees in learning and developing their skills.

Judith Mobbs, area director for LSC Suffolk thanked the employers for making the Skills Pledge, a public commitment to actively supporting employees in gaining valuable skills.

“Our ambition is for Suffolk to be a Skills Pledge county,” she said. “If our economy is to grow and prosper we need every business to invest in skills. The Skills Pledge baton is about passing the message on to others about the importance of making a commitment to training staff.

“I would strongly encourage other businesses and organisations to make the same commitment to their staff and through making the pledge raise the profile of the urgent need for higher level skills across Suffolk.”

George Swietlik, managing director of Pilot Drilling Control, said: “The Skills Pledge endorses the values embedded in the company from its inception. Training opportunities, equality and respect go hand in hand and the Skills Pledge recognises the efforts made by Pilot Drilling Control to engage its employees and the community in raising aspirations and opportunities in engineering in the local area.”

Jeremy Pembroke, leader of Suffolk County Council, added: “We must help adults develop their skills to encourage investment into Suffolk, and to get our economy growing.”