CEMEX and Hanson sign Skills Pledge

CEMEX UK and Hanson were among 150 leading employers from across England who signed the Skills Pledge on 14 June at a major event hosted by UK skills envoy Sir Digby Jones. The voluntary commitment is to support employees to develop basic skills, including numeracy and literacy, and to work towards relevant valuable qualifications to at least NVQ Level 2. Employers in England who make a commitment to the Skills Pledge will have access to full funding for the training costs to achieve these goals.

Gerardo De La Garza, vice-president of human resources with CEMEX UK, said: ‘CEMEX employees are a key to our success and crucial in driving the business forward. But there is currently a shortage of candidates with the right blend of skills and qualifications in our industry. Skills breed success in terms of economic well-being, more choice and better opportunities, and the added benefit of employee confidence through making a positive contribution. We fully support this pledge to help employees develop their basic skills to ensure that they are competent and able to make a full contribution to the success of CEMEX UK.’

David Sharman, corporate services director of Hanson Aggregates UK, commented: ‘Hanson is one of the world’s largest suppliers of heavy building materials to the construction industry. Our products provide the fabric on which the modern world is built and they will be needed long into the future. That’s why it is vital that we provide both our existing workforce and the next generation of young people coming into our business with the skills they need to help us to grow and prosper. We are therefore delighted to be signing up to the Skills Pledge. A trained, skilled workforce is at the heart of every successful company.’

Terry Watts, CEO of Proskills, said that the Skills Pledge represented one important element in the extractive industry’s drive to raise skills levels. ‘Training provision has always been a high priority within the sector, particularly in relation to health and safety where the industry has achieved dramatic improvements in performance over recent years. The extractives industry is keen to raise the profile of the industry and attract new entrants. It has recognized that it is essential to be able to offer employees both a wide range of opportunities together with relevant training and personal development,’ he said.

Congratulating those employers who have led the way by making the Skills Pledge, Sir Digby Jones added: ‘By taking this step, you are showing other employers that by investing in the skills of your people you are investing in your business. At the same time, you are helping the UK seize the opportunity that globalization presents, enabling us to compete in the brutally competitive world economy of the future.’