Businesses must beprepared to shoulder even more ofthe costs of training if Britain is to plug skills gaps andmake the economy morecompetitive, according to a new minister at the Department for Education and Skills.

Phil Hope, who wasgiven the skills brief after thegeneral election, said in an interview he wanted to see "a new settlement" in which the government, employers and learners would increasingly be expected to contribute to tuition and training costs.