The Conservatives are planning to cut workplace training for nearly 110,000 people across the South East according to figures released today by John Denham.  The places are provided through the “Train to Gain” service – workplace training - which the Tories have said they will abolish.

The Labour Government will be investing over £1bn by 2011 through Train to Gain.  Across the whole country, this will help 1 million people get on at work.

The Train to Gain service has a track record of making a real difference to people's lives.  Research shows that 43 per cent of workers who have had training via Train to Gain received a pay rise within the next year and 30 per cent received a promotion within the next year.  79% of workers who have had training via train to gain say they want to carry on their education.

John Denham, the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said:

“People in my constituency and across the country will want to ask David Willetts when he speaks at the Tory Party Conference today [Monday] why the Tories are prepared to cut £1bn to help people get the skills they need to get on at work, while they are prepared to spend £1bn on tax cuts for the 3,000 richest families.

“David Cameron’s Tories say they believe in fairness, but this shows where their priorities really lie.

“Labour has helped millions of people get better skills, a pay rise, and a better job. We have created 20,000 union learning reps, supported 6,000 employers to sign the skills pledge and are introducing the right for 22 million employees to ask for time to train. All this would be put at risk by Tory plans for cuts.

“The reason why we’re investing so much in giving people the chance to learn at work is because we believe they’ve got the right to make the most of themselves.  It’s because people get paid more; they get promoted; they carry on learning.  And because when we meet a mother or a father’s ambitions, their children will aim higher too.  The country’s prosperity depends on it.

“And what did the Tories tell us this summer?  That they are going to cut one billion pounds a year from people learning at work. That’s one million people every year who will lose the chance to get on; to earn more. And they will spend one billion pounds on inheritance tax cuts for just 3,000 families.  And then they try to tell us about fairness. “