THE minister responsible for promoting the Government’s employment training schemes has thrown his weight behind The Press’s York Means Business campaign.

Lord Tony Young, of Norwood Green, said it was important not to look at the current economic crisis through “rose- tinted glasses” and spoke of the need to promote the positive.

His comments came ahead of a seminar being held in the city today at Middlethorpe Hall in Bishopthorpe, which the minister was due to attend.

Today’s Food and Drink Productivity Forum organised by the York-based National Skills Academy (NSA) for Food and Drink Manufacturing, will see representatives of the country’s major food manufacturers gather to talk about the importance of staff training.

On The Press’s York Means Business initiative, Lord Young said: “That is very worthwhile because it’s not about rose-tinted glasses it’s about assessing what the positive things are that we can do.

“We have got to look at the positive ways we can help people to work together.”

However, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Skills and Apprenticeships yesterday had to pull out of his planned visit to York, but said: “I preach the value of skills and training to the economy. It can drive performance and it can drive job retention and it can drive productivity – that’s the essence of my message.

He said if he told people as a minister that this was good for the UK it might motivate them.

“But what will really drive them is their peer groups, such as the manufacturers who are already in the industry.

“These are companies too who are going through a recession and they are saying ‘if you want to keep trading – keep training’.”

He added: “As a Government, we are not going to let people go on the dole queue. We want to train people to develop their skills for work.”

On a separate note, the minister spoke of his love of York.

He said: “I have done the Minster – I’m a big fan of York.”