The statutory right to request time to train for all employees is the right way forward for UK plc and for workers. The coalition government not implementing this legislation in full would be a backward step. The author says this with such certainty because the status quo in which a third of employers don't train their workers and 10 million workers receive no training is not a competitive position in the modern world. The right to request time to train only offers part of the answer but could transform workplace training. In this article, the author discusses the benefits of this legislation for workers and employers, and stresses that there is a genuine opportunity here to boost skills from the bottom up, with the prospect of an improved bottom line for everyone.