A THIRD of employers are failing to provide staff training, leaving eight million people in the UK without the necessary skills to do their job.

Research by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has shown that workers in the West Midlands are most likely to fall short with 44% missing out on training.

In its report 2020 Vision for Skills, the TUC also found that of the workers who were offered some form of training, fewer than 12% actually gained a nationally recognised qualification.

Brendan Barber, general secretary at the TUC, said: ‘Employers should stop complaining about the skills levels of their staff and spend more on training them.

‘The Government must legislate to make sure that workers get paid time off to train.

‘Britain’s unions are already working in partnership with large numbers of employers to re-skill their workforces. Government investment has helped this process and it must be increased.’