SEVENTY per cent of workers in the south west would like to see a legal right to request paid time off for training.

According to a YouGov survey released by the TUC and unionlearn its learning and skills organisation, 50 per cent would be likely to use the right.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said that this polling shows that workers have a great zeal to learn new skills.

"The enthusiasm shown by people on low incomes, those with few or no qualifications and part-time workers shows that while those who most need training have the biggest appetite to learn, they receive the smallest share of the training pie," he said.

"The government must ensure that any new right to request training is strong enough to make a genuine difference.

"Otherwise, the one third of employers who refuse to train their staff will continue to shirk their responsibilities and overlook those that need training most.

"Meanwhile business groups will continue to moan about the lack of skills possessed by the UK workforce."

Seventy six per cent of people with no formal qualifications would support a right and 57 per cent say they would be likely to use it.

However, the TUC is concerned that despite this apparent enthusiasm to learn, low-skilled workers are the least likely to receive training at work. Just nine per cent of employees without formal qualifications participated in job-related training in the last three months, compared to 38 per cent of graduates, according to government statistics.

The TUC and unionlearn are using their network of more than 20,000 union learning representatives in workplaces across the UK to ensure that everyone has access to training at work.