A healthy continental breakfast was the reward for an early start for business delegates who attended the “MAKE the Skills Pledge - MAKE the UK a world leader in skills by 2020” networking breakfast event organised by Surrey Chambers of Commerce and held on Tuesday 25th November 2008 at the Refectory, Guildford Cathedral.
The event, which was sponsored by the Surrey Learning and Skills Council, attracted some 104 businesses to hear key note speeches from Lord Tony Young, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Lords in Waiting, HM Household and Jonathan Shaw, MP, Minister for the South East, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Disabled People), Department for Work and Pensions, Dan May, director of ramsac ltd, and Chaired by Nigel Biggs, Managing Director of Passionate Innovation.
Lord Tony Young spoke about the Skills Pledge with a particular focus on the take up of training and development, Skills Polices concentrating on employers, new and emerging Government skills policies and how Train to Gain can help businesses. As well as hearing first hand about the new and emerging national skills policies, Jonathan Shaw spoke from a more local prospective about how these fit with the economic priorities of the South East region.
Following this Dan May gave an interesting talk on how training and development has helped his company, ramsac ltd employing the right people, enabled the company to grow and prosper.
Attended by many leading business representatives from a variety of organisations including Allianz Insurance plc, SEEDA, Penningtons Solicitors, PKF (UK) LLP, Surrey Economic Partnership and Business Link Surrey, there were many questions to the panel from delegates, who asked questions about the skills challenge to the Ministers.
Six companies publically Made the Skills Pledge at the event including:- East Surrey College, Eagle Radio 96.4, ramsac Ltd, Surrey Fire & Rescue Services, The Boileroom, and the Countryliner Group.