Textiles companies in Bradford are losing tens of thousands of pounds a year in productivity because workers lack basic skills, says a leading organisation which promotes training.

Leeds-based Skillfast-UK, which helps employers in textiles, clothing and footwear improve skills, training and qualifications, said a lack of literacy and numeracy was damaging profitability.

Its chief executive, Linda Florance, said 27 per cent of employees in textiles had no formal qualifications and many school-leavers lacked basic reading, writing and arithmetic. "It can lead to lower production, errors in orders, higher staff turnover and inflexibility of employees," said Mrs Florance.

"In Bradford there have been a lot of textile closures. All the high-volume, low-value work has gone offshore. Therefore the companies which have survived are in higher value areas and need better skills."

She said the Basic Skills Agency had found firms with 50-60 employees were losing up to £80,000 a year because of the skills gap.

Skillfast-UK is holding a free half-day workshop at Bradford's Colour Museum on June 22 to show how productivity can rise through better literacy and numeracy. Employers will hear what free training is available locally.

"A lot of employees disguise their lack of literacy and numeracy and disguise it very well," said Mrs Florance. "By attending the workshop and spending just half a day out of the office, employers could potentially save thousands of pounds a year."

Sources in textiles believe as many as 30 per cent of workers are functionally illiterate or innumerate.

But Gary Hiley, director of training for the Bradford-based Confederation of British Wool Textiles, said lack of essential skills was a problem throughout industry.

"Clearly it's a problem but it's a problem that runs much deeper than just the textile industry," he said. "I think it does cost money but it's difficult to quantify. It's something we need to address but it needs to be at grassroots level."

For information on the seminar, call Joanna Bayton-Smith on (0113) 239 9614.