Employers have been issued with guidance on the new right of employees to request training in the workplace.
Under the new legislation, eligible employees in England will have a legal right to ask their employer to give them time away from their core duties to undertake relevant training.
While employers will be obliged to seriously consider requests, they may still refuse a request where there is a good business reason for doing so.
The legislation is set to come into force on 6 April 2010 for employers with 250 or more employees and will be extended to all employers from April 2011.
Skills minister, Kevin Brennan, said:
‘Now, more than ever, we need learning and training opportunities in place that empower people to gain the skills and training they need to get on. While two-thirds of businesses do train their staff, we need to encourage employers and employees who do not, to speak about training opportunities.’
The guidance is available to view through the Business Link website: www.businesslink.gov.uk/timetotrain